NABERS Energy update – have your say

In response to Australia’s decarbonising grid, a significant change has been proposed for NABERS Energy ratings.

Currently, the ratings use emissions factors published by the Australian government to convert energy used by buildings – such as electricity, gas, LPG, or diesel – into emissions. NABERS updates its energy rating calculation with the latest emissions factors every five years, with the next update scheduled for 2030.

As the grid decarbonises, however, electricity emissions factors are declining more rapidly than they were when the five-year update cycle was first introduced. The emissions intensity of electricity is expected to fall below the emissions intensity of gas in most parts of the country by 2030. Eventually, buildings powered entirely by electricity will appear to have no emissions at all, regardless of how much energy they use.

This means the ratings may no longer accurately reflect the energy efficiency of a building. An inefficient all-electric building powered by a low-emissions electricity grid could receive a higher star rating than an efficient mixed-fuel building.

Under the proposed change, NABERS Energy ratings would measure how much energy a building uses and treat energy sources equally based on energy units (MJ or kWh), rather than looking at emissions associated with the energy use. The Renewable Energy Indicator will continue to show the proportion of renewable energy associated with a site. Emissions, onsite fossil fuel and renewable energy use will also continue to be reported in NABERS Energy rating reports.

NABERS says the proposed update has been informed by extensive stakeholder consultation, reaching over 500 individuals through webinars, conferences, and direct engagement. Feedback showed strong support for a simpler, more transparent method that treats all energy sources equally.

Stakeholders are asked to submit responses to the consultation paper by 5pm, Friday December 12, 2025.

For more information and to provide feedback, visit the NABERS website.

Photo by Stephen Niemeier at Pexels

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