Energy Rating Certificates

A NatHERS Certificate allows builders, certifiers and regulatory authorities to quickly confirm that a building has been built to the design on which the energy rating is based.

During the National Construction Code 2022 transition period (1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023), the 2019 version of the NatHERS Certificate can be used to demonstrate compliance with National Construction Code 2019.

View the changes to the 2022 certificate here and see the 2019 Certificate Guide here.

More information on the NatHERS transitional arrangements is available here.

Changes to NatHERS Certificates

New 2022 NatHERS Certificates include additional information to support the changes to residential energy efficiency in the National Construction Code (NCC) 2022.

The certificates also provide new information for households on the greenhouse gas emissions of a home, the costs and energy used by major appliances, and the impact of solar and batteries. This aims to help consumers understand what appliances have the biggest impact on their bills and carbon footprint.

The new Certificate will continue to display a ‘thermal’ star rating out of 10. This is based on how much heating and cooling is needed to keep a home comfortable.

The new ‘Whole of Home’ rating is out of 100. This is based on energy use for the home’s appliances (heating and cooling systems, hot water heaters, lighting, pool pumps and spas) and solar panels and batteries.

The rating considers energy used for heating and cooling, and appliances, minus energy generated from solar panels. Ratings above 100 are possible (100 is considered a net zero energy value home). One way that a home may rate over 100 is where the home generates more energy than it uses.

Where a Whole of Home assessment has not been undertaken, this will be specified on the certificate.

These changes will help householders understand their home’s overall energy performance, helping them improve the comfort of their home, while reducing energy bills.

View the new NatHERS Certificates.

Find out more about the changes to the NatHERS Certificates for 2022.

A guide to the Certificate

The updated certificate provides a comprehensive and uniform approach to displaying important home energy rating assessment information. It comes in two formats:

A certificate that displays the NatHERS logo and can be printed in colour –produced by accredited assessors
A non-accredited report without the NatHERS logo and only available in black and white – produced by non-accredited assessors.

For more information on accredited certificates and non-accredited reports see the Guide to the 2019 Certificate and non-accredited certificate. There is also a Changes to the 2022 Certificate and non-accredited report.

While it is not compulsory to be accredited in all states and territories, the logo allows anyone to easily verify that the person rating a home is skilled in completing NatHERS energy ratings.

A non-accredited report without the NatHERS logo is produced by a non-accredited assessor (or rater) using NatHERS accredited software.

Non-accredited assessors are not required to have any formal qualifications, maintain insurance or undergo quality assurance checks on their ratings.