Home Energy Rating
A home energy rating can be useful for more than one type of person or project.
Homeowners, buyers, sellers, landlords, renters, renovators, property managers, designers and real estate professionals may all want to understand how an existing home performs for energy efficiency, comfort and upgrade potential.
The important distinction is that a rating can be requested by different parties, but a formal assessment usually needs appropriate property access, the right assessment pathway and a qualified assessor where a certificate is required.
Quick Answer
A home energy rating may be requested by homeowners, buyers, sellers, landlords, renters, renovators, real estate professionals, property managers, designers or project teams, depending on the purpose of the assessment and access to the property.
The most common reasons are renovation planning, comfort improvement, sale or lease preparation, upgrade prioritisation, property due diligence, portfolio review or future disclosure readiness.
For NatHERS Existing Homes, any formal Home Energy Rating Certificate must be generated by an accredited existing homes assessor. The enquiry can start with property details, but the assessment itself must follow the relevant pathway.
Homeowners are one of the most natural groups to request a rating. They may want to understand why the home feels hot, cold, draughty or expensive to run.
A rating can help a homeowner understand the current performance of the dwelling and identify which upgrades may be worth considering first. This may include insulation, glazing, shading, heating and cooling, hot water, solar, batteries or staged renovation measures.
For a broader definition, see What Is a Home Energy Rating for Existing Homes?
Buyers may be interested in a home energy rating because comfort and running costs are not always obvious during an inspection.
A home may present well visually but still have poor insulation, weak glazing, inefficient systems or rooms that overheat or stay cold. A rating can help a buyer understand the likely performance of the property before making longer-term decisions.
In practice, a buyer may need permission from the owner or agent before a formal assessment can occur, because property access is usually required.
Sellers may request a home energy rating to better understand how the home performs before it is listed for sale.
This may be useful where the home has been upgraded, renovated, insulated, electrified or fitted with solar and batteries. A rating can help make energy performance easier to explain in a structured way.
It may also become more relevant as home energy rating disclosure pathways continue to develop in Australia. For the current position, see Are Existing Home Energy Ratings Mandatory in Australia?
Landlords may request a home energy rating to better understand the comfort and performance of a rental property.
This can be helpful when planning upgrades, preparing for future disclosure expectations, improving tenant comfort or reviewing the long-term condition of a property portfolio.
For rental properties, access arrangements may need to be coordinated with the tenant, property manager or managing agent.
Renters may want to understand a home’s energy performance, especially where the property is uncomfortable, expensive to heat or cool, or difficult to live in during extreme weather.
However, a formal assessment will usually require property access and may involve areas or systems that are controlled by the owner or managing agent.
This means renters may be able to ask about a rating or encourage one, but the practical assessment pathway usually needs owner or agent approval.
Renovators can use a home energy rating to understand the existing dwelling before committing to upgrade decisions.
This can help identify whether the priority is insulation, windows, shading, draught sealing, heating and cooling, hot water, solar, batteries or a broader staged retrofit pathway.
For renovation projects, a rating may also help design teams understand how the existing home performs before proposed changes are locked in.
Architects, building designers, builders and project teams may request home energy rating support when working on an existing dwelling.
This is particularly useful where a project needs to understand real built performance before making design or construction decisions. It can also help separate existing-home performance advice from new-home NatHERS compliance.
For that distinction, see NatHERS Existing Homes vs New Home NatHERS Assessments.
Real estate agents and property managers may become involved in home energy ratings where a seller, landlord, buyer, renter or property owner wants clearer performance information.
They may help coordinate access, provide property information, communicate with owners or tenants, and help explain why a rating is being requested.
As disclosure pathways develop, property professionals may need to become more familiar with how ratings work and when they are useful.
It is important to separate who can request a rating from who can issue the formal certificate.
A homeowner, buyer, seller, landlord, renter or project team may be interested in a rating. But for NatHERS Existing Homes, a Home Energy Rating Certificate can only be generated by an accredited existing homes assessor.
This is why it is useful to confirm the pathway early rather than assuming that any general energy review will produce the same outcome.
A home energy rating is most useful when it supports a real decision.
Common times to request a rating include:
The earlier the rating is considered, the easier it may be to avoid rushed or poorly sequenced upgrade decisions.
A request does not need to begin with perfect documentation. However, it is helpful to prepare the information that is available.
Useful information may include:
For a full preparation checklist, see What Information Do You Need for a Home Energy Rating?
A home energy rating may be requested by homeowners, buyers, sellers, landlords, renters, renovators, real estate professionals, property managers, designers or project teams, depending on the purpose of the assessment and access to the property.
Yes. Homeowners can request a home energy rating to understand comfort, energy performance, upgrade priorities, renovation planning or future disclosure readiness.
A buyer may want energy performance information before purchasing, but the assessment will usually require appropriate property access and permission. The practical pathway depends on the sale process and the cooperation of the owner or agent.
Yes. Landlords and rental property owners may request a home energy rating to understand comfort, running cost factors, upgrade opportunities and possible future disclosure or rental property performance expectations.
A renter may be interested in a home energy rating, but a formal assessment will usually require property access and the owner or managing agent’s approval.
A NatHERS existing Home Energy Rating Certificate can only be generated by an accredited existing homes assessor.
Assessment Pathway Review
Send property details to confirm whether a home energy rating pathway is suitable.