REA invests in VALAI to add home energy scores online

REA Group has made a minority investment in VALAI, adding VALAI's Home Efficiency Score to property profiles on realestate.com.au.

Home energy efficiency scores are now available across all property profiles on the portal, giving users a score out of 10 and a comparison with similar homes in the same suburb.

The feature draws on property energy data and reflects a home's performance across heating, cooling, hot water, appliances and the building's thermal fabric. According to REA, a higher score indicates lower energy consumption and running costs.

Property owners using the tool can also view suggested upgrades to improve a home's energy efficiency. These include solar panels, home batteries, hot water heat pumps and air conditioning, along with estimated savings and available rebates.

Homeowners can submit a form through the platform to connect with local installers and compare quotes for upgrades.

Research findings

The launch follows research from REA indicating strong consumer interest in energy-saving home improvements, but limited understanding of how to make those changes. The research found that two in five Australians were unsure how to improve efficiency in their homes, while seven in 10 planned to invest in energy-efficient features within five years.

Jonathan Swift, Chief Product Officer at REA Group, said the addition was intended to address that information gap.

"realestate.com.au research shows us that two in five Australians are unsure about how to improve efficiency in their homes, despite seven in 10 planning to invest in energy-efficient features in the next five years.

"Adding this new home energy efficiency score feature to every property profile will help bridge a clear knowledge gap. It also offers homeowners a simple way to learn more about their property's energy efficiency, giving them specific information and practical steps to improve its energy performance."

Platform tie-up

The partnership combines realestate.com.au's property data with VALAI's energy analysis, with the aim of making home energy performance easier to understand for the site's audience of millions each month.

VALAI is based in Adelaide and focuses on energy intelligence for residential and commercial property. Its Home Efficiency Score is designed to provide a comparable measure of how a property performs and what it costs to run.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer Allys Todd said the partnership would widen access to this information.

"We're excited to partner with Australia's leading property portal to make the energy efficiency of homes in Australia more transparent and their potential comfort and running costs visible.

"Australians should know what their home is actually costing them and what they can do about it. With home energy efficiency scores now on realestate.com.au, that intelligence is available to every property owner in the country, not just those who know where to look. This is about giving people a clear pathway to understanding how their home performs and what upgrades could reduce its running costs and emissions."

The move places energy performance data alongside standard property information on one of Australia's largest property websites, extending visibility of the metric beyond specialist energy assessment channels.

REA, which operates realestate.com.au, has expanded its range of property-related services beyond listings into data, mortgage broking and transaction technology. The investment in VALAI adds energy information to that broader property ecosystem.

For VALAI, the arrangement gives its scoring system national-scale distribution through a mainstream consumer property platform. Home energy efficiency scores are now available on all realestate.com.au property profiles.