The Whole-of-Home score of 60, explained
The other half of the energy rules that gets far less attention than the stars. What the Whole-of-Home score measures, why 60 is the floor, and the smart ways to reach it.
Most people building a new home have heard about 7 stars, but the energy rules actually have two parts, and the second one is where a lot of the real decisions live. On top of the 7-star NatHERS rating for the building shell, a new home in SA, Victoria and most of Australia has to score at least 60 out of 100 on the Whole-of-Home assessment. The shell rating is about how the house holds comfort. The Whole-of-Home score is about the gear you run inside it. Understanding the difference helps you spend where it actually moves the needle.
Two scores, two jobs
Think of the NatHERS star rating and the Whole-of-Home score as a team. The 7-star rating measures the thermal performance of the shell, the walls, roof, windows, insulation and orientation, so how well the home stays comfortable before you switch anything on. The Whole-of-Home score then rates the fixed equipment you install to run the home: heating and cooling, hot water, lighting and any solar. You need to pass both, and a strong shell makes the second score much easier to reach.
Why 60 is the number
Sixty out of 100 is the national minimum a new home must achieve on the Whole-of-Home assessment, introduced with the National Construction Code 2022 energy updates and carried through NCC 2025. A higher score means the home is set up to run more efficiently, so 60 is the floor, not a target to celebrate. Because the score reflects the real running setup of the home far better than the star rating alone, it is worth getting the final number confirmed in writing before you sign off on your plans.
The levers that lift the score
A handful of choices do most of the work. Efficient electric appliances help a lot: a heat pump hot water system, reverse-cycle air conditioning and induction cooking all score well. Solar is the single biggest lever, because the home runs on power it generates, and adding a battery pushes the score higher again. Gas appliances, by contrast, sit outside your solar and tend to pull the score down. This is a big part of why all-electric homes score so comfortably above 60.
Get it assessed early
The smartest move is to ask your builder or assessor for both numbers early, while the design can still change. If the Whole-of-Home score is sitting under 60, the fix is usually cheaper and simpler than you expect: swap to a heat pump hot water unit, add or enlarge the solar, or move from gas to electric for cooking and hot water. Finding this out before you lock the contract beats discovering it at approval stage.
What the Whole-of-Home score covers
- Heating and cooling systems
- Hot water system efficiency
- Fixed and built-in lighting
- Any solar and battery you install
- Pool and spa pumps where fitted
- It does not count your plug-in appliances like the fridge or TV
- A good 7-star shell alone does not guarantee you clear 60
- Gas appliances tend to drag the score down
The Whole-of-Home score of 60 is the running-cost half of the energy rules, and it rewards efficient electric appliances and solar. Treat 60 as the floor, ask for your projected score early, and if you are short, a heat pump hot water system and a sensible solar setup usually get you there. An all-electric home paired with solar tends to clear it with room to spare.
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What is the Whole-of-Home score?
It is a score out of 100 that rates the fixed equipment in a new home: heating and cooling, hot water, lighting and any solar. New homes must reach at least 60. It sits alongside the 7-star NatHERS shell rating, and you need to pass both.
How is it different from the 7-star rating?
The 7-star NatHERS rating measures how well the building shell holds comfort before you switch anything on. The Whole-of-Home score measures how efficiently the systems you install run the home. One is about the box, the other is about the gear inside it.
What is the easiest way to reach a score of 60?
Efficient electric appliances and solar do most of the work. A heat pump hot water system, reverse-cycle air conditioning and a sensible solar setup score well, and adding a battery lifts it further. Gas appliances tend to pull the score down.
Does solar help my Whole-of-Home score?
Yes, it is the single biggest lever. Because the home runs on power it generates rather than buying it in, solar lifts the score significantly, and a battery helps even more. This is why all-electric homes with solar comfortably clear 60.