New Zealand · costs in NZD
Bottom-mount fridge freezer · 2 doors
Panasonic NR-BW530J Fridge
Panasonic NR-BW530J is a 498 L bottom-mount fridge freezer registered for sale in New Zealand under the trans-Tasman E3 energy rating scheme (registration ZRF0814).
- Total capacity
- 498 L
- 312 L fridge + 186 L freezer
- Energy rating
- 5
- Star rating index 5.16
- Annual electricity use
- 317 kWh
- Label figure (comparative energy consumption)
- Estimated running cost
- $105 / year
- $8.72 / month · $1,046 over 10 years
3% more electricity than the median of 70 comparable 400–499 L bottom-mount fridge freezer registrations (309 kWh a year). It uses less than 41% of them. At 33c/kWh that is about $3 a year more than the median, $26 over 10 years.
Uses 44% less than the maximum allowed for its size and type under the minimum energy performance standard (569 kWh a year MEPS level).
Cost = label kWh × 33c/kWh in NZD; change the price above to your tariff.
How efficient is it for its size?
Cohort: every currently registered 400–499 L bottom-mount fridge freezer sold in New Zealand, counted once per registration. Star ratings already account for size through the GEMS adjusted-volume formula; this comparison is in raw kWh against models a buyer would actually consider instead.
Panasonic NR-BW530J running cost
- Per month
- $8.72
- Per year
- $105
- 5 years
- $523
- 10 years
- $1,046
317 kWh × 33c/kWh. No inflation or tariff change assumed. Fridges run continuously, so the label figure is a whole-year estimate under standard test conditions.
Capacity and compartments
- Total gross volume
- 498 L
- Fresh food (fridge) volume
- 312 L
- Frozen storage volume
- 186 L
- GEMS adjusted volume
- 644 L
- fresh food compartment
- 312 L gross
- freezer compartment
- 186 L gross
Gross volumes exclude shelving. Fresh food = fresh food, chill and cellar compartments; frozen = freezer, two-star and ice-making (zero-star) compartments. Adjusted volume weights frozen space more heavily and is what the government uses to set the star rating for the size.
Similar bottom-mount fridge freezers that use less electricity
Same type, total capacity within 12% of 498 L, at least 3% lower annual kWh.
| Model | Stars | Est. cost / yr | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fisher & Paykel RF505BRNQX1515 L159 kWh/yr | 8 | $52 | |
| Haier HRF510BEC517 L169 kWh/yr | 8 | $56 | |
| Hisense HRBM503E503 L174 kWh/yr | 8 | $57 | |
| Electrolux EBE5002*E496 L254 kWh/yr | 6 | $84 | |
| Electrolux EBE5002WE496 L254 kWh/yr | 6 | $84 |
Fridges similar to the Panasonic NR-BW530J
| Model | Capacity | Stars | kWh / yr | Why similar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ilve R76FDAU/SS same capacity, same door count, similar external size | 499 L | 4 | 380 | same capacity, same door count, similar external size |
| Westinghouse WBE530*** same capacity, same door count, similar star rating | 496 L | 5 | 309 | same capacity, same door count, similar star rating |
| Westinghouse WBE5304BC same capacity, same door count, similar star rating | 496 L | 5 | 309 | same capacity, same door count, similar star rating |
| Hisense HRBM503S 1% larger, same door count, similar star rating | 503 L | 4.5 | 349 | 1% larger, same door count, similar star rating |
| Haier HRF520B Series 1% smaller, same door count, similar star rating | 493 L | 5 | 306 | 1% smaller, same door count, similar star rating |
| Haier HRF520BHC 1% smaller, same door count, similar star rating | 493 L | 5 | 306 | 1% smaller, same door count, similar star rating |
Same consumer type, total capacity within 12% of 498 L; ordered by closeness of capacity, then lowest annual kWh.
Other Panasonic models of similar size
| Model | Stars | Est. cost / yr | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panasonic NR-BW530J498 L317 kWh/yr | 5 | $105 | |
| Panasonic NR-BW530H505 L320 kWh/yr | 5 | $106 |
Compare NR-BW530J with another fridge
Panasonic NR-BW530J specifications
- Type
- Bottom-mount fridge freezer
- Configuration
- Upright
- Doors
- 2
- Defrost
- Variable defrost controller
- Ice maker
- –
- Width
- 750 mm
- Height
- 1,730 mm
- Depth
- 750 mm
- Annual energy (label)
- 317 kWh
- Star rating index
- 5.163
- MEPS level (maximum allowed)
- 569 kWh
- kWh per adjusted litre
- 0.492
- Country of manufacture
- Vietnam
Related Panasonic model numbers starting with NRBW530J
1 model numbers on 1 other registration. Variants registered separately can carry different star ratings and energy figures; check the registration number on the label.
| Model | Registration | Stars | kWh / yr | Registration expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NR-BW530J | ARF2903 | 5 | 317 | 1 August 2027 |
New Zealand E3 registration details
- Registration number
- ZRF0814
- GEMS registration id
- 152050
- Status
- approved, available (self-reported)
- Registration expires
- n/a (NZ registration)
- Registered for sale in
- New Zealand
- Family
- –
- Designation
- Refrigerator/freezer
- Product class
- Class 6
- GEMS group
- Group 5B: refrigerator-freezer, automatic defrost, bottom-mounted freezer
- Regulatory standard
- EE Amendment Regulations 2025 Schedule 2E
- Test standard
- AS/NZS IEC 62552.3:2018
- Consumer type rule
- GEMS group 5B (frost-free fridge freezer, bottom-mounted freezer) with one or two doors
Source: E3 programme registration data (EECA, New Zealand) (trans-Tasman E3 registration data published by DCCEEW on data.gov.au, CC BY 3.0 AU). Dataset published 25 September 2026; last checked 26 September 2026. Manufacturer: panasonic.co.nz. How the derived figures are calculated.