7 Star Home — NCC 2022 Cost, Savings & How to Get There
Every new home built in Australia now needs a minimum 7 star NatHERS rating and a Whole of Home score of 60. Here's what that costs to build, what it saves, and the design levers that actually move the needle.
What is a 7 star home?
A 7 star home is a new Class 1 house or Class 2 apartment that meets the NCC 2022 minimum thermal-performance standard of 7 stars on the NatHERS scale. It uses about 25% less energy for heating and cooling than the old 6-star minimum, and it must also achieve a Whole of Home score of at least 60 — a separate calculation covering hot water, lighting, cooking, pool/spa and on-site solar.
The rating is issued by a NatHERS accredited assessor using approved software and lodged with the building permit application.
6, 7 and 10 stars compared
| Rating | Heating + cooling load | Typical annual bill (Melbourne) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 stars | ~155 MJ/m² | ~$1,650 | Pre-2011 minimum |
| 6 stars | ~114 MJ/m² | ~$1,200 | Old NCC 2019 minimum |
| 7 stars | ~85 MJ/m² | ~$900 | Current NCC 2022 minimum |
| 8 stars | ~60 MJ/m² | ~$650 | Achievable with good design, no exotic tech |
| 10 stars | ~0 MJ/m² | ~$0 heating/cooling | Passive House territory |
Bill estimates: 160 m² Melbourne home, gas ducted heating + split-system cooling, 2026 tariffs.
What 7 stars costs to build (2026)
| Scenario | Cost uplift vs 6 stars | Payback (bill savings) |
|---|---|---|
| Well-oriented, standard footprint | $0–$2,000 | 3–8 years |
| Typical project home, corner block | $2,000–$5,000 | 6–12 years |
| Poor orientation, west-facing glass | $5,000–$10,000 | 10–20 years |
| Double-storey with feature glazing | $7,000–$15,000 | 12–25 years |
Sourced from CSIRO/DCCEEW 2023 Regulatory Impact Statement and 2025 industry updates.
The design levers that get you to 7 stars
You almost never need every lever — a good assessor will pick the two or three cheapest for your plan and climate:
- Orientation: living zones facing north, small openings west. Free star, done at concept stage.
- Insulation: hit or exceed the R-value targets for your climate zone — ceiling R6.0+ in cold zones, R5.0 in temperate.
- Glazing: Low-E double glazing on south/west, thermally broken frames in Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart.
- Sealing: perimeter draught seals + draught proofing — cheapest star you'll buy.
- Eaves & shading: 600–750 mm eaves on north-facing glass to block summer sun without losing winter gain.
- Thermal mass: exposed concrete slab in living zones — free in a slab-on-ground build.
Whole of Home 60 — the second target
NCC 2022 pairs the 7-star thermal rating with a Whole of Home score of at least 60. It's a separate calculation covering hot water, lighting, cooking, pool/spa and on-site solar/battery. The easiest way to hit 60 is a heat-pump hot-water system, LED lighting throughout, and a small (3–6 kW) rooftop PV array — most new-builds land at 70–90 with those three moves. See our Whole of Home assessment guide.
Get quotes from a 7-star-ready assessor
Every assessor in our directory is NatHERS accredited and set up for NCC 2022 — thermal rating + Whole of Home on one certificate. Compare quotes and choose the practitioner who fits your build.