Compulsory Five Star Energy Rating
The Five Star Energy Rating was introduced to comply with the Government's environmental policy which will create less of a strain on the environment through energy efficient and water saving characteristics.
From the 1 July 2005 all homes must by equipped with a Five Star Energy Rating plus a solar hot water system or a rainwater tank.
If your home is Five-Star Energy Rated you can enjoy the benefits of having a house five degrees warmer in winter and ten degrees cooler in summer. This translates to a saving of 60,000 litres of water and $200 off your energy bills per year.
In achieving a Five Star Energy Rating you can choose to use:
- Bulk insulation and reflective foil in walls and ceilings;
- Weather sealed aluminum improved windows;
- High performance glazing; or
- Draught seals to doors.
Other benefits of Five Star Energy Rating include reducing "greenhouse reductions from new houses [that] grow by 40,000 tonnes per year, savings will amount to two million tonnes of carbon dioxide within 10 years, [it is] equivalent to removing 500,000 cars from our roads or planting three million trees and solar hot water changes mean another million tonnes of carbon dioxide are saved in 10 years" (www.buildingcommission.vic.gov.au).
For more information please visit www.buildingcommission.vic.gov.au.