Boosting energy efficiency and solar uptake

The changes will lower costs for consumers and increase innovation in the energy sector.

Updates to energy efficiency product regulations

Energy efficiency – using less energy for the same task – can play an important part in achieving New Zealand’s energy security goals, cutting costs for consumers, and reducing pressure on the grid.

Many people will be familiar with the energy rating label on household products like heat pumps and fridges which shows the product’s energy efficiency. Cabinet has agreed to update the minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) and mandatory energy performance labelling (MEPL) requirements on products like heat pumps, dishwashers, and refrigerators – bringing New Zealand in line with Australia’s energy efficiency requirements.

Examples of the changes include:

• updated MEPS for household refrigerators and freezers
• newly introduced MEPS for air-conditioners / heat pumps over 65kW
• updated MEPL for clothes washing machines, rotary clothes dryers and dishwashers.

With updated minimum performance standards and labelling in place, consumers will have better access to information on the energy performance of their household products, helping New Zealanders to make informed decisions when purchasing new appliances.

Aligning New Zealand’s regulation with Australia’s will also deliver savings for consumers by supporting free-flowing trade across the Tasman, streamlining government processes and lowering costs for businesses.

The new requirements will come into effect on 1 May 2026 and support the Government’s broader work to modernise New Zealand’s energy efficiency regime.

Updates to electricity and gas safety regulations

Consumers will also benefit from long-awaited changes to New Zealand’s electricity and gas safety regulations, which come into effect on 13 November this year.

The changes update 440 out of date citations of standards across the electricity and gas sectors to reflect best practice and remove barriers to technologies like rooftop solar. A 12-month transition period applies where stakeholders can either use the existing standards or the new standards.

In addition to promoting better safety outcomes and international alignment, the changes give effect to Cabinet’s earlier decisions to expand the permitted voltage range to +/- 10 per cent on New Zealand’s low-voltage electricity networks.

Expanding the voltage range will enable greater uptake of rooftop solar and electric vehicle (EV) charging across New Zealand, without expensive network upgrades that flow through into household power bills.

You can learn more about changes to MEPS and MEPL on the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority’s website:

Government approves regulatory changes to boost energy efficiency and solar uptake(external link) – eeca.govt.nz

Access the Gazette notice for these changes here:

Notice Under the Legislation Act 2019(external link) – gazette.govt.nz