Seeing stars: Buy an efficient machine

An important tool in choosing an energy efficient washing machine or dishwasher is the energy star rating label.

This easy to recognise rating label tells you how much energy an appliance will use in a year, so you can compare different models. The more stars a washing machine is awarded, the better. The highest rating is 6 stars.

Washing machines and dishwashers also feature the WELS label (water efficiency labelling scheme), which lets you compare the water efficiency of different products.

A 5 star water efficient washing machine can save up to 100 litres per wash compared to an older style top-loader. That means if you do more than six loads of washing a week, you would save more than 24,000 litres of water a year – that's about the same as filling half a good sized backyard pool!

As well as looking at the energy rating label, consider the following power smart tips when buying a new washing machine:

• front-loading and hybrid washing machines generally use less water and consume less power than top-loading models
• cold water washing is far more energy efficient, look for cold water and eco or economy wash cycles (or if not possible, one with the lowest water temperate setting)
• consider load and wash capacity, choose a machine with variable water levels to reduce the amount of water used and the length of the wash cycle, when you're not washing a full load
• a suds saver option can also help save water, especially in top loading models
• buy a machine that has at least a 5 star energy rating

An energy efficient washing machine can slice $30 off your household power bill each year - if you choose cold water washing too, you can save another $30 annually.

Switching to an energy efficient washer removes 350kg of dirty carbon pollution each year.

Note: NSW Washing Machine Rebates to assist NSW households to switch to 5 star or higher rated washing machines closed on 30 June 2010.