Labelling requirements and process
Labelling requirements
The WELS label will have to be displayed when a regulated product is first:
- Offered for sale, lease or hire purchase; or
- Displayed for promotional purposes to a consumer.
This will include products displayed in show homes, but new (or used) homes and apartments will not be included. The requirements will be slightly less comprehensive than in AS/NZS 6400, which requires the label to be displayed at all points in the supply chain. The focus for New Zealand WELS is intended to be on supplying information to the consumer.
Each product covered by WELS must be labelled with the label format as specified in AS/NZS 6400. The standard specifies:
- The design, colours, minimum size and content of the label for each WELS product;
- Requirements when the label is printed on packaging; and
- If there are any alternative labelling options such as swing tags and reduced size labels.
We propose to generally adopt the label designs specified in AS/NZS 6400, to maintain consistency with Australian WELS and with energy labelling. New Zealand labels will have obvious differences like the product identifier or WELS number (licence number in Australia) and the New Zealand web address.
The ‘variable data’ required for the label (water consumption and star rating) will also follow the same rules and format as for current Australian labels.
The zero rating labels will carry the message: ‘Not Water Efficient’. This message will also be used on Australian labels in the future. It replaces the message ‘Does not comply with AS/NZS 6400’ which has been used in Australian WELS up to now.
The label will not always have to be directly attached to the product. Several submitters asked for flexibility, especially for ‘top end’ showrooms where products are displayed to show how they will look when installed. The New Zealand WELS regulations will state that a label must be clearly linked to a product. The idea is to allow labels on information stands or boards rather than directly on the product.
When a label is attached to the product, the placement of the label will be prescribed. For example, on appliances AS/NZS 6400 requires the WELS label to go directly under the energy label in the top right corner of the front panel. New Zealand WELS will be consistent with this.
Labelling process
The necessary steps for getting a product into compliance will be approximately as shown below:
- A supplier (importer or manufacturer) preferably engages a laboratory to carry out the required testing.
- The laboratory tests the product against the appropriate requirements of the product standard(s) and issues a test report. The report must provide the WELS variable data or a simple basis for calculating it.
- The supplier lists the product on the WELS database. This includes entering the variable data.
- The supplier receives a confirmation email including a product identifier number for that product.
- The supplier can then produce labels with the variable data and the product identifier number printed on them.
- Either the supplier or the retailer applies the labels to the product.
- The product can then be legally offered for sale, lease or hire purchase, and displayed for promotional purposes.
The regulations will oblige the supplier to ensure that the details they enter in the WELS database can be backed up by reference to the test report if necessary.
Last updated: 13 July 2009
