Upcoming FR5 certificate credit price increases

Sustainability Victoria (SV) is making changes to the pricing of FirstRate5 (FR5) certificate credits. 
 
SV understands that price increases can be challenging, which is why we are giving our users advance notice of these changes. We hope this notice period gives you time to plan ahead and purchase credits at the current price to finalise any projects that are near completion. 
 
When purchasing certificate credits at the current price, please remember that credits have a 12-month expiry date and, as per the FR5 Software Licence Agreement, SV is unable to refund users for any unused credits (Clause 6 (e)).

Price change 1 – one-off increase
Effective Monday 5 May 2025 (12am AEST), the price of FR5 certificates credits will increase from $30 to $41.48 (ex GST). This price increase only factors in Consumer Price Index (CPI) increases SV has not passed on since 2017. 

Price change 2 – ongoing annual increases
After the initial increase on 5 May 2025, annual price adjustments will be introduced effective 1 September 2025. SV will inform users of the details of this increase by 15 August each year, and the new price will be effective from 1 September that same year.*

The decision to increase prices has not been made lightly, and we would like to provide you with the context and reasons behind these changes. Careful consideration has gone into calculating a new price structure that will ensure continuing value and performance, and ongoing support.  
 
SV has not increased prices since November 2017. Our operational costs and fees have risen significantly since then – costs that until now SV has absorbed and not passed on to users. 
 
Since that last price adjustment in November 2017, SV has made significant investments in enhancing FR5 to increase speed, accuracy and flexibility. This includes our most recent website improvements which have streamlined workflows and improved overall platform performance for a more efficient user experience. Additionally, FR5 adds functionality to align with National Construction Code changes and NatHERS requirements on a regular cycle. 
 
For these reasons, a price increase is necessary so that SV can continue to provide you with a long-established and reliable software product for many years to come. Thank you for your understanding and continued partnership. 
 
If you have any queries about the upcoming pricing change, please review the FAQs on the FR5 website or email [email protected].

*Any other price increases will be advertised with 2 months’ notice.

Upcoming enhancements to the Whole of Home assessment process

SV is currently finalising several enhancements to the FR5 Whole of Home tool that will significantly improve workflow and reduce data entry time. Users will be able to copy appliance settings from existing Whole of Home assessments to newly imported projects and the certificate replacement process will be streamlined.

SV is excited to release these enhancements and expect they will be live in the near future.