What the star rating actually compares
The Energy Rating Label's star count is a within-class comparison, not a market-wide one. The regulator's own guidance is explicit about this: “the star rating considers the capacity of the appliance”, and its own worked example spells out the trap directly: a 10 kg clothes washer with a 5-star rating will use more energy than a 6 kg clothes washer that also carries 5 stars. Stars only mean what they promise once you've already matched two machines for capacity and features; across different sizes, the same star count can hide a genuinely different running cost.
Each star is worth something specific too, not just a marketing gradient: the regulator's own figure is that every extra star cuts energy use by roughly 15 to 30%, and the annual running cost printed on the label is worked out the same simple way every time, energy consumption in kWh multiplied by your electricity tariff. That number, not the star icon count, is the one that actually determines the bill.
What this costs, state by state
8kg is the single largest capacity/loader-type group in the whole government registry, 289 of the 1,351 currently registered models. These three are real registered 8kg front loaders from that same group, at our calculator's own default of 5 loads a week.
| State | Rate | Least efficient 8kg model (Esatto EFLW800, 1.62 kWh/load) | Registry median, 8kg front loader (0.67 kWh/load) | Most efficient 8kg model (V-ZUG AW6T-11025, 0.41 kWh/load) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 32.4¢ | $137 | $56.59 | $34.63 |
| Victoria | 29.8¢ | $126 | $52.05 | $31.85 |
| Queensland | 31.2¢ | $132 | $54.50 | $33.35 |
| South Australia | 38.1¢ | $161 | $66.55 | $40.72 |
| Western Australia | 33.6¢ | $142 | $58.69 | $35.91 |
| Tasmania | 28.9¢ | $122 | $50.48 | $30.89 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 27.4¢ | $116 | $47.86 | $29.29 |
| Northern Territory | 31.7¢ | $134 | $55.37 | $33.88 |
Reference rates for 2026–27. Your row is highlighted once you set your location.
What this means when you're actually shopping
Two real, currently registered 8kg front loaders sit roughly 4× apart in the table above, same capacity, same loader type, same government test, a bigger gap than the difference between an average front loader and an average top loader on our own calculator. That's why the regulator's own advice, once capacity is fixed, is to check the labelled kWh-per-year figure rather than count stars: a single star-rating band can still cover a wide range of real models.
Two things follow from that for a genuine shopping decision. First, only compare star ratings between machines of the same capacity. Buying a smaller high-star machine over a larger lower-star one doesn't necessarily save anything: it depends on how the two compare within their own size class, not against each other. Second, once you've picked your capacity, read the label's own kWh-per-year number, or search the model directly in our calculator above, rather than trusting the star icon alone to rank two same-size machines correctly.
Common questions
Does a 10-star washing machine always cost less to run than an 8-star one?
Only if they're the same capacity. The Energy Rating Label's star count is a within-class comparison, so a smaller 10-star machine and a larger 8-star machine aren't a fair comparison: the regulator's own example shows a bigger machine can use more energy than a smaller one carrying the identical star rating.
What actually determines a washing machine's running cost, if not the stars?
Three things, in order: capacity (a bigger drum uses more energy per full load), loader type (front loaders use noticeably less than top loaders of the same size), and, only once those two match, the star rating or labelled kWh-per-year figure. Checking the actual kWh-per-year number is more reliable than the star count alone, since real registered models of the identical capacity can still differ several-fold.
Where can I check a specific washing machine's real energy use before buying?
The model's own Energy Rating Label lists a kWh-per-year figure, or search the exact model in our washing machine cost per load calculator above, which pulls directly from the same government registration database this guide uses.
Does the same star-rating trap apply to other GEMS-rated appliances?
Yes. Our pool pump guide finds the identical within-class-only rule for the star system a pool pump carries: the government's own registry shows a genuinely wide running-cost gap between two pumps of the same class, the star count alone doesn't rank a pump against a different class.
Sources
Star rating comparability rules and the 10 kg-vs-6 kg worked example, quoted directly: energyrating.gov.au, Understand the Energy Rating Label (also the source for the 15–30%-per-star figure and the annual running cost formula). Clothes washer label content and the “compare products of the same capacity” guidance: energyrating.gov.au, Clothes washers. Per-model kWh-per-load, capacity and loader type for the 8kg front-loader comparison: the same energyrating.gov.au registration database (July 2026 snapshot) our washing machine calculator's own model finder uses, filtered to the 289 currently registered 8kg front loaders. Electricity rates: AER Default Market Offer and each state's regulated reference tariff, current for 2026–27. All fetched July 2026.