Newer Australian homes are twice as energy efficient compared with older homes, the latest analysis has found.

In its latest report, real-estate information services firm CoreLogic has used metrics generated from CSIRO’s RapidRate™ product and CoreLogic data inputs to measure the energy performance of newer and older homes throughout Australia.

It found that there is a stark difference between newer and older stock.

All up, homes constructed from 2010 or later achieved an estimated median star rating of 5.9 out of 10 under the Nationwide Household Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS).

This compared with a median rating of just 2.8 for homes that were constructed prior to 2010.

The findings were broadly replicated across all geographic regions.

For older homes built prior to 2010, median energy performance ratings ranged from just 2.3 stars in Hobart and Regional NT up to 3.6 stars in regional Victoria.

By contrast, the lowest median star rating for newer homes was 5.3 in Sydney and Regional NSW. The highest median star rating of 6.4 was seen in Darwin.

Not surprisingly, higher median star ratings were evidenced in areas with high concentrations of new housing stock.

At the top, the region of Molonglo in the ACT achieved a median star rating of 6.1. This was the only region nationally which recorded a median star rating of 6.0 or higher across all dwelling types.

This was followed by the Surf Coast-Bellarine Peninsula near Geelong in Victoria (5.8) and the outer Melbourne regions of Whittlesea/Wallan, Tullamarine-Broadmeadows and Cardinia.

The latest report comes as residential energy efficiency has emerged as a key factor in reducing household energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions.

Across Australia, residential buildings account for 24 percent of electricity use and more than 10 percent of carbon emissions.

The report also comes as the Opposition Liberal/National Coalition has pledged to freeze any changes to the National Construction Code (NCC) for ten years should it win the 2025 Federal Election.

According to the report, updates to the NCC has been the primary driver behind the improved energy performance for newly built homes.

“The significant difference in energy efficiency between relatively modern homes and older homes can largely be attributed to changes in the National Construction Code (NCC) which has progressively placed more emphasis on energy efficiency requirements for newly built homes,” CoreLogic Head of Banking and Finance Solutions Tom Coad said.

“The Coalition’s recent push to pause the national construction code for 10 years flies in the face of Australia’s commitments to reduce carbon emissions.

“Policymakers should be incentivising the construction of energy efficient buildings, not slamming the breaks.”

CoreLogic research director Tim Lawless said that the importance of data should not be underestimated.

He says there is likely to be significant attention to incentivising energy efficiency upgrades for existing housing stock as well as new builds going forward.

“What gets measured gets done. As standards for energy efficient design and construction rise, it’s also becoming more important to measure energy resilience in our housing stock.”

“Minimum energy efficiency standards for new builds will continue to be important in supporting Australia’s greenhouse gas reduction targets, but there is likely to be increasing focus and incentives on established housing where most of Australia’s housing stock was built prior to recent minimum standards.”

“Many European countries are well advanced in their data collection and analysis of energy efficiency data, with the European Union mandating an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) must be obtained when homes are built, sold or rented. This is also the case in the United Kingdom and some Scandinavian countries.”

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