AdelaideNow
All Australian homes will have to undergo a mandatory energy-efficiency assessment – costing up to $1500 per property – before they can be sold or rented under new laws to tackle carbon emissions.
The mandatory assessment – being drafted into law by the federal and state governments – will rate homes by an energy efficiency star system, similar to the ratings given to fridges and washing machines.
It will apply to all commercial properties from later this year and to all residential properties from May 2011, Adelaide Now reports.
A spokesman for State Energy Minister Pat Conlon said the ratings would inform prospective owners or tenants of a building’s energy use, so they could factor it in to their buying or rental decision.
The spokesman said details of the “Mandatory Disclosure” scheme – including who would carry out the assessments and how much they would cost – were yet to be decided.
