When you’re purchasing products for your new kitchen or bathroom, it’s definitely worth paying attention to their water efficiency ratings. These ratings indicate how ‘thirsty’ the products are. Choosing better-rated products can help you save water, and money, from the moment the water starts flowing. Whether you’re updating your shower heads or appliances like washing machines and dishwashers, read on to learn more. This information is brought to you by the Gold Coast’s leading bathroom renovation company, Armrock Constructions. If you’re on the Gold Coast & considering a bathroom renovation, contact our team for free quote:
The WELS Scheme
In Australia, The Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme uses a rating system to help you make informed choices about the water efficiency of products you buy in a store or online. On this page we’ll take a look at this system for insight into choices for kitchen and bathroom renovations.
The Wels Scheme is a government initiative which you can learn about at waterrating.gov.au. Here, bathroom products are registered and their ratings determined with testing. At the time of writing this article, 39,517 products have been registered! The labels are then displayed on the products instore and look like this sample from waterrating.gov.au:
Understanding the Label
The main parts of the label include:
Star Rating
This shows the water efficiency of the product and helps to easily compare products when you’re instore. More stars is good! Less stars may indicate the product is going to be thirstier.. using more water to get the same result.
Water Consumption Information
The middle section of the label shows the amount of water used by the product. This is particularly useful because it shows how much water the products actually use to get the job done. There are different values for different products. The relevant ones for kitchen and bathroom renovations are:
- Dishwashers — litres per wash, load capacity of the machine
- Flow controllers — litres per minute
- Showers — litres per minute
- Taps — litres per minute
- Toilets — litres per average flush, litres per full flush, and litres per half flush
- Washing machines — litres per wash, load capacity of the machine.
You can read more about this on www.waterrating.gov.au.
Registration and Product Details
Finally, you can read about the product, the manufacturer and the standards that guide how the product was tested.
How Much Money Can You Save?
According to www.energy.gov.au, by using more water-efficient products, Australians could save $2 Billion by 2030, an average saving of $175 per household per year.
What Are The Thirstiest Appliances?
The biggest water-users in the home are washing machines, showers, taps and toilets. [SRC: www.energy.gov.au]
Saving Water – and Money
The following statistics come from www.waterrating.gov.au and illustrate the savings that can be made in water and money across common bathroom and kitchen fixtures.
Showers
Flow rates for showers will be expressed on the water rating label in litres per minute (L/min).
Every 1L/min difference will save a typical family of four nearly 12,000 litres (12kL) of water and $35 each year. For this family of four, replacing their shower that flows at 15L/min with a new:
- 3-star shower that flows at 9L/min will save 70kL and $210 each year on their water bills
- 4-star shower that flows at 6L/min will save 105kL and $315 per year on their water bills.
Depending on energy costs, they may save an equivalent amount (or more) each year on energy bills because less water will be heated for showers. Assumptions: each family member showers for 8 minutes per day, at an average water price of $2.99/kL (the national average price reported in the 2014–15 Australian Bureau of Statistics Water Account).
Taps
Flow rates for taps will be expressed on the water rating label in litres per minute (L/min).
Every 1L/min difference can save a household nearly 2,000 litres (2kL) of water and $5.50 each year.
Replacing an old inefficient tap with a flow rate of 15L/min with a new:
- 3-star tap that flows at 9L/min will save 11kL and $33 each year on water bills
- 6-star tap that flows at 4L/min will save 20kL and $60 each year on water bills.
Depending on energy costs, they may save an equivalent amount (or more) each year on energy bills because less water will be heated.
Assumptions: tap runs for 5 minutes total per day, for tasks including handwashing, tooth brushing, rinsing dishes, rinsing fruit or vegetables, at an average water price of $2.99/kL (the national average price reported in the 2014–15 Australian Bureau of Statistics Water Account). Time the tap is running to fill a basin is not included.
Toilets
For toilets, the water rating label will tell you how much water is used in an average flush.
Every litre less water that a toilet uses in an average flush, will save a typical family of four nearly 6kL and $17.50 each year in water supply charges.
If this family replaces an old single-flush toilet with a flush volume of 12L with a new 4-star toilet with an average flush volume of 3.5L, this will save 50kL and $148 each year on their water bills.
Assumptions: each family member flushes 4 times per day, at an average water price of $2.99/kL (the national average price reported in the 2014–15 Australian Bureau of Statistics Water Account).
Clothes Washing Machines
The water rating label will tell you how much water is used per load, and what cycle was used for the tests (‘normal’, ‘eco’).
For a family that runs one load of washing per day, reducing water use by 10L per load will save 3.7kL and $11 each year.
Choosing a 6kg load capacity washing machine with a 6-star rating that uses 30L per load instead of a 3-star machine using 80L per load will save this family 18kL and $54 each year.
Assumptions: figures are based on average water price of $2.99/kL (the national average price reported in the 2014–15 Australian Bureau of Statistics Water Account).
Dishwashers
The water rating label will tell you how much water is used per load, and what cycle was used for the tests (‘normal’, ‘eco’).
For a family that runs one load of dishes per day, reducing water use by 10L per wash will save 3.7kL and $11 each year.
For a dishwasher that holds 14 place settings, choosing a 6-star machine that uses 9.5L per wash instead of a 2-star machine using 19L per wash will save this family 3.5kL and $20 each year.
Assumptions: figures are based on average water price of $2.99/kL (the national average price reported in the 2014–15 Australian Bureau of Statistics Water Account).
