Retail education: Why do you need to educate your staff?
Retail staff talk to customers, manage displays and showrooms, and promote products. They are a vital link in ensuring that retailers meet their obligations under the WELS Act.
Retailers are encouraged to educate their staff about their obligations under the WELS Act. The following tips are suggested.
Talking to customers
Your staff will need to be able to explain to customers that WELS is an Australian Government water efficiency labelling scheme that can save customers water and money.
The scheme applies to dishwashers, clothes washers, taps, showers, toilets, urinals and flow controllers (optional).
How to explain the WELS label
The WELS label displays two key pieces of information:
- water-efficiency star rating (the more stars the better) and
- water consumption or flow figures (the lower the number the better).
What testing is the WELS label based on?
The ratings and consumption/flow figures are determined through rigorous independent laboratory testing. Products are put through their paces to ensure that they don't use more water than they are supposed to.
Can customers get a rebate for a WELS product?
Rebates may be offered on some WELS rated products.
Local councils and water authorities may be offering rebates to people who buy WELS-registered products with specific star ratings. You may wish to contact these organisations to see if your customers are eligible.
Alternatively, you can go to 'Water Rebates' at smartwatermark.info to find your local water authority or council or visit the greenplumbers website. WELS does not rebate products covered under its scheme, but only rates them for their water efficiency.
Did you know that combination washer/dryer machines may use water to dry loads. Presently, the WELS Scheme only rates the water used in the washing function and not the water consumed in the drying function.
State, territory and local government authorities have been advised that the offer of rebates on combined washer-dryers should be carefully considered.
It's illegal to sell unregistered products
You can check if a product is WELS registered by searching the WELS registered products database or by asking your suppliers.
If you encounter problems with non-compliant products please contact WELS at wels@environment.gov.au or call 1800 803 772 to discuss.
WELS inspectors are checking that retailers are meeting WELS requirements.
Make sure that labels are legally displayed
This is how you do it:
- If the WELS product is displayed in its packaging: display the label on the packaging.
- If the WELS product is displayed outside its packaging: display the label on the product or attached to the product by a double-sided swing tag.
- If the product is displayed as part of a showroom display: display the label on the product or include information from the label (star rating and water consumption/flow rating), next to the product (e.g. on a price tag).
The WELS label or water efficiency information must be fully visible to customers at all times. All labels have required minimum dimensions. Specific details are as follows.
Whitegoods
The label needs to be fixed (e.g. glued) to the upper front portion of dishwashers or clothes washers.
If fixing the label directly on the machine will damage the finish (e.g. permanently mark or stain finishes such stainless steel) the label can be attached to the machine by a doubled-sided swing tag or single-sided non-rotating swing tag.
Plumbing and sanitary ware
For products displayed for sale in packaging
The label needs to be fixed (e.g. glued) to packaging so that it is clearly visible on the front portion of the package when it is hung from a rack or placed on a shelf.
For products displayed for sale outside of their packaging
There are four options:
- the correctly-sized label fixed to the product itself or
- a swing tag showing the correctly-sized label on both sides securely attached to the product or
- a correctly-sized label fixed next to the product so it is obvious that the product and the label are linked or
- a tag (e.g price tag) fixed next to the product showing WELS star rating and the water consumption figure (e.g. WELS 3 Star, 9L/min) so long as there is a clear and obvious connection between the tag and the product.
When a product is sold after being selected from the above forms of unpackaged display items, the product must be provided labelled.
Advertising and promotion must meet legal requirements
All material promoting a WELS product (product specifications, brochures, magazines, advertising, websites etc.) must include the WELS label or the water consumption information from the label.
If the label is reproduced it may be scaled down in size as long as it remains readable to normal vision.
Free text must describe a product's:
- water efficiency star rating and
- water consumption figure (e.g. WELS 3 star 7.5L/m).
More information
The following information may assist you and your staff:
If you are worried that you are not complying with the WELS Act or would like more information, contact WELS at wels@environment.gov.au.
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