FAQs

The House Energy Raters Association is a not-for-profit Incorporated Association, established to meet an industry need for quality training, assessment and professional development for NatHERS Assessor Accreditation. HERA also works with government and regulatory bodies to formulate policy, and provides advice to the building industry.

HERA is Australia’s only independent Assessor Accrediting Organisation dedicated exclusively to the needs of NatHERS Accredited Assessors. Unlike organisations that serve multiple professions, our sole focus is supporting energy assessors and promoting professional standards within the NatHERS industry.

The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme gives homes a star rating out of ten, based on an estimate of the home’s potential heating and cooling energy use. It is administered by the Department of the Environment and Energy on behalf of the states and territories, and through its inclusion in the National Construction Code it is used by state and territory governments to reduce the greenhouse gas impacts of residential buildings.

HERA members receive access to:

• NatHERS accreditation services
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programs
• Professional Indemnity Insurance
• Professional support and guidance
• A complimentary assessor referral service

You must have successfully completed the Certificate IV in NatHERS Assessment (CPP41212), the Certificate IV in Home Energy Efficiency and Sustainability (CPP41119), or the Certificate IV in Home Energy Efficiency and Sustainability (CPP41126).

Some additional training in NatHERS Whole of Home assessments may be required if it was not included in the Certificate IV training or if separate Whole of Home training has not been completed.

Alongside the qualification, you must:

• notify HERA of any current or previous accreditation with another AAO
• nominate to HERA the software tools you will use
• agree to comply with the HERA Assessor Code of Ethical Practice
• confirm that, when using NatHERS software, you will demonstrate compliance with a jurisdiction’s application of the NCC and will create and use Universal Certificates where the software has the functionality to do so
• agree to conduct your assessments in a way that ensures the health and safety of yourself and others, so far as reasonably practicable, and complies with all relevant workplace health and safety laws in the jurisdictions in which you operate

Full detail is on the Accreditation page.

The application asks whether you have completed the Certificate IV through an RTO (copies of the Certificate and Record of Results must be submitted), whether you hold Professional Indemnity Insurance (a Certificate of Currency must be submitted), and whether you agree to abide by the HERA Code of Practice (a signed copy must be submitted). You will also be asked whether your accreditation has ever been suspended or terminated, whether you have applied to another organisation and been rejected, and whether you are applying for accreditation in more than one software tool.

Yes. HERA accredits assessors who are just starting out, assessors who are already accredited and want to take advantage of HERA services, and assessors who simply wish to change their AAO. Our team will process your application on the same day you apply.

If you have not been accredited for over a year and are applying to be accredited by HERA, you are required to undertake a benchmarking exercise before accreditation is granted.

Yes. HERA supports unqualified and non-accredited assessors to become accredited by advising on pathways to complete the Certificate IV in NatHERS Assessment, and on flexible training options to fill any gaps in competencies identified along the way.

At least 12 CPD points in each year of accreditation, where one point equals at least one hour of time spent undertaking the CPD.

No. HERA accredited assessors may choose to complete the HERA CPD program, or provide suitable evidence of alternative CPD courses achieved.

HERA CPD is provided via our CPD partner Futurebuilt Academy, an Australian learning platform for professionals creating more sustainable, comfortable and high-performing buildings.

Courses and webinars cover building thermal performance, passive design, energy efficiency, healthy homes, lower-carbon materials, climate resilience and the changing standards, policies and technologies shaping the industry.

Accredited HERA members are granted access to the 12 point program for a $400 fee, payable to Futurebuilt, and receive a 20% discount on live webinars and on-demand webinars once all 12 points have been used. Full detail is on the HERA CPD page.

HERA CPD courses are delivered online through Futurebuilt Academy, which is a separate platform to the HERA website.

Yes. NatHERS Accredited Assessors are required to maintain Professional Indemnity Insurance appropriate to the scope and volume of the work they undertake. It is a key requirement of professional practice and, in most jurisdictions, a condition of maintaining accreditation.

To maintain accreditation you must provide HERA with a current Certificate of Currency for your Professional Indemnity Insurance each year.

Yes. HERA offers Professional Indemnity Insurance tailored to the needs of NatHERS Accredited Assessors, providing cost-effective cover designed around the responsibilities of energy assessment professionals. It is included in the Essential and Premium packages, and can be applied for separately. See the Insurance page.

Cover levels should be appropriate for the nature and scale of the services being provided. Because damages claims of this kind can run into the millions of dollars, professional indemnity insurance will normally cover you for claims up to at least $2 million, and usually more.

There are four levels. Standard is membership only and does not include accreditation. Classic adds NatHERS Assessor accreditation. Essential adds dedicated Professional Indemnity Insurance. Premium adds a 12 point CPD program with CPD points tracking by HERA. Current fees for each level are on the Membership page.

Yes. Annual fees can be paid by monthly instalment by direct debit from a bank account or credit card, and there is no application or joining fee.

Accreditation is offered on a whole year basis regardless of payment method. If you resign before your anniversary no refund is payable, and if you pay monthly your account will be debited an exit fee equivalent to the accreditation fees for the remaining period up to the anniversary. The full terms are on the HERA Direct Debit page.

Accreditation is renewable annually on the anniversary of the month in which you became accredited. Before your accreditation, insurance or CPD expires, HERA sends a renewal certificate so you can check the details that will apply for the new period. You do not need to do anything: a tax invoice is issued before the renewal date, or if you pay monthly your payments simply continue.

A 15% late payment fee is applied to accreditation, insurance or CPD fees that are not paid by the due renewal date.

To maintain accreditation with HERA you must:

• renew your accreditation annually and pay the required fees
• complete at least 12 CPD points in each year of accreditation
• maintain your Professional Indemnity Insurance, or provide HERA with a current Certificate of Currency
• undertake an Energy Rating quality assurance audit when requested
• provide a copy of all assessments conducted for regulatory purposes when requested
• consent to ongoing compliance with the HERA Code of Practice

The HERA member logo is available to current financial members. It may not be used by non-members, including former members whose membership has lapsed. Usage guidelines are on the HERA Logo page.

In accordance with Clause 4.9 of the NatHERS Protocol, Requirements for Quality Assurance Reviewers, HERA undertakes a Quality Audit review of 20% of all assessors it accredits, under a process agreed with the NatHERS Administrator. As a condition of accreditation you agree to undertake an Energy Rating quality assurance audit when requested, and to provide copies of assessments conducted for regulatory purposes when requested.

The principles HERA assessors work to are set out on the Quality Assurance page.

Complete the Find an Energy Rating Assessor form and HERA will connect you with four professional energy rating assessors. Tell us the property type, the nature of the project, whether you need a BASIX assessment, your budget and your timeframe.

NatHERS Star Ratings are undertaken by accredited professionals using specialised software to assess the thermal performance and energy efficiency of residential buildings. They are used to demonstrate compliance with the energy efficiency requirements of the National Construction Code, to give homeowners, architects, designers and builders insight into the energy performance of residential designs, and to help prospective buyers understand the expected thermal comfort and energy efficiency of a property.