Existing homes

The Australian Government is working with all state and territory governments to develop energy performance assessments for existing homes. 

Work is underway to expand the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS), which is currently only available for new homes, to also cover existing homes , with ratings to be available from mid-2025.

Expanding NatHERS ratings

In April 2023, the Australian Government announced funding to design an expansion of NatHERS to enable energy ratings for existing homes. Currently, the scheme offers design ratings for new homes and major renovations only.

NatHERS for existing homes will offer home energy ratings that will help Australian households better understand their home’s energy performance, identify cost-effective upgrades to improve the comfort of their home, and reduce their energy bills.

Banks may be able to use the ratings to verify green loans, helping them access green capital markets to lend money for home upgrades, and help drive energy performance improvements in Australia’s existing housing stock. 

NatHERS ratings for existing homes will be available from mid-2025. Trials are underway with the finance sector, property valuers and energy assessors.

The delivery model for existing home assessments

We are developing the NatHERS for existing homes delivery model to support a trusted, national scheme for rating the energy performance of existing homes.

Consultation on the proposed delivery model was held in August 2024. Over 40 submissions were received from assessors, community and advocacy groups, industry peak bodies and individuals and over 750 individuals participated in a series of webinars. 

Feedback received through the consultation process is helping to shape the final design of the scheme for consideration by Energy and Climate Change Ministers in 2025.

Residential Efficiency Scorecard

The Residential Efficiency Scorecard, which builds on the Victorian Government’s successful state-based program, offers assessments of the energy efficiency of existing homes.

Scorecard assessments are available now. The assessments rate your home’s energy use and comfort and provide tailored recommendations for improvements.

Scorecard is not currently accredited under NatHERS and cannot provide a NatHERS assessment.

The Scorecard assessment tool, assessor training and assessor accreditation are being delivered by the Victorian Government on behalf of all Australian governments.

Get a NatHERS endorsed Residential Efficiency Scorecard assessment.

RapidRate

CSIRO developed RapidRate, an artificial intelligence powered tool that estimates energy ratings for existing homes. RapidRate is not NatHERS accredited and does not provide a full NatHERS assessment or rating. Instead, RapidRate provides an estimate of the NatHERS rating and energy required for heating and cooling, based on the results of past NatHERS assessments.

In 2023, the Australian Government provided CSIRO funding to undertake a trial of RapidRate alongside the NatHERS for existing homes tool with the housing data provider, CoreLogic. The trial insights will initially be available to CoreLogic’s banking and finance customers, with plans to make RapidRate available to all Australians in the future.

For more information on RapidRate, visit the Australian Housing Data portal and the CSIRO research website.