Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS)
What is a NatHERS rating?
The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) is a star rating system out of ten.
Currently all new homes must achieve a Minimum of 6 out of a possible 10 stars.
By providing an estimate of a home’s potential heating and cooling energy use, NatHERS can help to make your home more comfortable and can also help to save on energy bills through smarter design choices. Often good design can reduce the amount of energy needed to keep a home comfortable with no or little additional construction cost.
If you engage a NatHERS Accredited Assessor during the design phase of your build, they can provide you with advice to improve the energy efficiency of your home with little or no additional construction cost, saving you considerable money year on year and ensuring you have a more healthy and sustainable home design.
What do the stars mean?
Homes with a higher star rating are considered more thermally comfortable and cheaper to run than homes with a lower star rating.
- A 0-star rating means the building shell does practically nothing to reduce the discomfort of hot or cold weather.
- A 6-star rating is the minimum standard in most states and territories. It indicates good, but not outstanding, thermal performance.
- A 10-star rated home may not need any artificial cooling or heating to keep you comfortable.