Current and Former Existing-Home Pathways
Home Energy Rating and the Residential Efficiency Scorecard both relate to existing homes, but they are not interchangeable names for the same assessment.
The Residential Efficiency Scorecard was a separate government-supported assessment program for existing homes. It operated under its own methodology, assessor requirements and reporting arrangements before closing on 23 June 2026.
Home Energy Rating is Certified Energy’s current service name for assessments delivered through NatHERS for existing homes. It is now the relevant pathway where a new assessment of an established dwelling is required.
The comparison is therefore no longer about choosing between two available schemes. It is about distinguishing the current assessment pathway from a former program and understanding what an older Scorecard report still represents.
In Brief
Current Pathway
Home Energy Rating is the current Certified Energy service for assessing an existing dwelling through NatHERS for existing homes.
Former Pathway
Residential Efficiency Scorecard was a separate program that closed on 23 June 2026 and is no longer available for new assessments.
Existing Reports
An older Scorecard report remains a record of the assessment completed under the former scheme, but it is not a current Home Energy Rating.
For a new assessment, use the Home Energy Rating pathway. Use the Residential Efficiency Scorecard Legacy Guide when researching the former scheme or interpreting a previously issued report.
Current Existing-Home Service
Home Energy Rating is the current name used by Certified Energy for its existing-home assessment service. The assessment is delivered through NatHERS for existing homes rather than through the former Residential Efficiency Scorecard program.
It provides a current assessment pathway for homes that have already been built. The process may involve reviewing available records, collecting information from the dwelling and assessing the actual built conditions that can be established for the property.
For the assessment process, information requirements and current service scope, visit the Home Energy Rating Knowledge Hub.
Former Existing-Home Scheme
The Residential Efficiency Scorecard was introduced in 2017 as an assessment and advice program for existing Australian homes.
A Scorecard assessment considered the dwelling and fixed household systems recorded at the time of the visit. It produced an outcome and improvement recommendations under the former Scorecard methodology.
The program helped build practical experience in existing-home data collection, assessor training, rating delivery and communicating home energy information to households.
The program closed on 23 June 2026. Its history, former assessment scope and treatment of previously issued reports are explained in the Residential Efficiency Scorecard Legacy Guide.
Comparison
Availability
Home Energy Rating is available for new assessments. Residential Efficiency Scorecard is closed to new assessments.
Framework
Home Energy Rating is delivered through NatHERS for existing homes. Scorecard operated as its own program.
Methodology
The two pathways use different methodologies, assessor arrangements, rating structures and reporting processes.
Report Status
A Scorecard report records an assessment under the former program. It is not the same report or certificate as a current Home Energy Rating.
Previously Issued Assessments
The report remains a record of the dwelling and assessment completed under the former Scorecard program.
It reflects the property and fixed systems recorded when the assessment was undertaken.
Later renovations, insulation upgrades, replacement systems or solar installations may not appear in the report.
The report should not automatically be treated as a current Home Energy Rating.
Acceptance for finance, rebates, valuation, disclosure or another administrative purpose should be confirmed with the organisation requesting it.
Framework Boundary
Home Energy Rating and the former Residential Efficiency Scorecard both concern homes that have already been built. They should be distinguished from the NatHERS assessment commonly undertaken during the design of a new home or major renovation.
A new-home NatHERS assessment is generally based on proposed drawings and specifications before construction. An existing-home assessment must consider the actual dwelling and the built conditions that can be established through available documentation and site data.
For design-stage thermal ratings and new-home compliance information, visit the NatHERS Knowledge Hub.
Which Page Should You Use?
New Assessment
Use the current Home Energy Rating service when a new assessment of an existing dwelling is required.
Former Scheme or Report
Use the Scorecard Legacy Guide when researching the former program or interpreting a previously issued report.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Home Energy Rating is Certified Energy’s current service for assessments delivered through NatHERS for existing homes. Scorecard was a separate program with its own methodology and reporting arrangements.
Can I still request a Residential Efficiency Scorecard assessment?No. The Residential Efficiency Scorecard program closed on 23 June 2026 and new assessments are no longer available under the former scheme.
Did Scorecard become NatHERS for existing homes?Not directly. Scorecard was an earlier and separate existing-home assessment program. Experience gained through the program helped inform the continuing development of ratings for existing homes, but the methodologies and reporting pathways remain distinct.
Is an old Scorecard report still useful?It can remain useful as a historical record of the dwelling and assessment completed at that time. It should not automatically be treated as a current Home Energy Rating, particularly where the home has changed since the report was issued.
Which assessment should I request for an existing home?For a new assessment, refer to Certified Energy’s Home Energy Rating service. The Residential Efficiency Scorecard page is retained as a historical guide for the former scheme and previously issued reports.
Is Home Energy Rating the same as new-home NatHERS?No. Home Energy Rating concerns existing dwellings. New-home NatHERS generally assesses a proposed residential design before construction and has its own service and compliance context.
Related Guidance
Current Existing-Home Assessment
Certified Energy can review the available property information, plans, photographs and assessment requirements to clarify the appropriate current pathway for the dwelling.