Everything You Need to Know About WELS Ratings

You may have noticed the water rating label on your dishwasher or washing machine. The greater the number of stars, the less water your appliance needs to complete a load or task.

What you may not know is WELS ratings extend to tapware, too. And understanding the WELS system can mean savings on water bills in the long run.

What is a WELS rating?

The Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) mandates registration and water efficiency labels on seven product categories:

Taps
Showers
Dishwashers
Washing machines
Urinals
Components like cisterns, pans, flushing devices and toilets
All flow controllers used in a regulated product or sold separately

Before selling in Australia, manufacturers must get these products tested in independent laboratories to verify they meet the Australian Standard 6400:2016. They also have to provide details like product photos and test reports to register their product in the WELS publicly available database.

What is the purpose of the WELS rating?

The WELS water rating has two functions:

Help consumers easily distinguish between high and low water-efficiency products and purchase those best aligned with their values.
Prevent poorly designed and water-wasting products from entering the Australian market.

The WELS star rating sticker label has clearly highlighted the expected water usage of regulated products for the last two decades. The WELS scheme’s broader goal is to reduce freshwater consumption and help Aussies save on water bills.

What is the WELS rating scale?

The WELS rating scale uses the star system to highlight product efficiency. A product receives a rating between 0 and 6 stars. The higher the number of stars, the more water-efficient the product and the greater the savings on your utility bills.

The label also requires the manufacturer to highlight the exact water consumed by each product. How water usage is measured depends on the product category.

Taps, showers and flow controllers: litres/minute (flow rate)
Toilets and urinals: litres/flush
Washing machines and dishwashers: litres/cycle

Here’s an overview of how stars are given based on the water efficiency of each product.

What is a good WELS rating for a tap?

Look for taps with a 3-star to 6-star WELS rating.

A 3-star rated tap typically uses about 9 litres per minute. This provides decent water pressure while still conserving water. A 6-star tap uses around 4.5 litres per minute, which saves significant water but may feel less powerful.

Flow rates determine WELS ratings, with lower flows earning higher stars. Kitchen taps benefit from slightly higher flow rates for filling pots and cleaning dishes. Bathroom basin taps can function well with lower flow rates.

What is a good WELS rating for a shower?

3 is the maximum possible WELS star rating for showers. Shifting from a 1-star or 2-star shower to a 3-star one saves you 3–7 litres/minute, potentially translating to hundreds of dollars in monthly savings.

WELS-rated Yabby products

Yabby bathroom, kitchen and laundry products are designed and tested to Australian WELS standards. Our range includes taps, showers and toilets that meet water efficiency requirements while maintaining great performance. You get products that look good and function well in your daily routine.