We are pleased to announce the following FR5 changes:

FirstRate5 website email preferences

We have introduced a range of email preferences for our users. These allow you to customise automatic email communications from the FR5 website to suit your individual business. You can now:

- unsubscribe from the following automatic emails or send them to another email address
          - Newsletters
          - Certificate
          - Credit Expiry Warning
          - Job Deletion Warning
- send Credit Purchase emails to another email address (eg [email protected])
- receive an email reminder when your credit balance falls below 5 credits

To access these preferences, click on the email settings link at the bottom of your Account Details page.

Other website changes

We have refreshed the website login page to give more prominence to the news section. This is intended to keep users up to date with important news.

Furthermore, we have made the FAQ section available to users when logged in. Previously these were only available when the user was logged out.

Finally, advice has been added to the credit purchase pages to not click the Back or Refresh buttons during the credit purchase process.

Release of FirstRate5 v5.2.2 (3.13)

We are excited to finally announce that FR5 v5.2.2 (3.13) is now available as a free download from www.fr5.com.au

This major release includes the Australian Fenestration Rating Council (AFRC) custom windows and roof windows and squashes a number of minor bugs. We recommend that all users of v5.1.11c and v5.2.1b upgrade to this version.

Access to the AFRC Custom Windows and Roof Windows

The AFRC custom windows will be updated a minimum of once every 6 months through a new FR5 software release. Users do not need to download window libraries from the AFRC website or import them into FR5. The latest AFRC window libraries will be pre-loaded into each software release.

As part of the implementation of the AFRC custom windows it has been confirmed that all NatHERS accredited software must restrict access to the AFRC custom windows to assessors who have completed AFRC training or similar training approved by the NatHERS administrator.

In FR5, assessors must enter their AFRC certificate number (see number circled in red below) into the AFRC certificate number field in the Windows tab.



The AFRC issues this certificate on successful completion of their windows training. If you have successfully completed the training but not received your certificate you should contact the AFRC by email at [email protected]

Current versions

As previously communicated on our website, the NatHERS administrator has confirmed that FR5 v5.1.11c will continue to be accredited until 1 February 2016.

Until end of 31 January 2016

FR5 v5.2.2 (3.13), v5.2.1b (3.13), and v5.1.11c, will be accredited by NatHERS and calculate automatically on the FR5 website.

From 1 February 2016

FR5 v5.2.2 (3.13), or the most current subsequent version of FR5, will be accredited by NatHERS and calculate automatically on the FR5 website.

For more information on FirstRate5 visit www.fr5.com.au or email [email protected]

Note: It is the user’s responsibility to ensure certificates are produced with the appropriate version. If a user chooses to inappropriately use an earlier version of FR5 to produce a certificate, they run the risk that a Building Surveyor will reject the certificate leading to further certificate costs.

Note: Installation of minor releases involving a letter change, eg,  v5.1.11b to v5.1.11c, will by default overwrite the previous version, while major releases involving a number change, eg, v5.2.1 (3.13) to v5.2.2 (3.13), will by default install beside older versions.