The cost to heat and cool your home totals more than half of your utility bills. That’s why it’s imperative to search for a system that provides excellent comfort in your New Castle home while still ensuring energy efficient. Greater energy efficiency means your system is operating well while using less energy. Whether you are looking into a replacement air conditioner or furnace or thinking to upgrade your existing equipment to be more energy efficient, there are some ratings to know that will help you during the procedure. So what exactly do those energy efficiency ratings mean?
SEER (used to measure cooling efficiency)
SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The SEER rating considers the effectiveness of your unit at different temperatures, in other words, seasonally in New Castle. A higher SEER rating indicates a greater energy efficiency, which will convert into lower utility bills. The Department of Energy demands a minimum 13 SEER-rating for cooler states in the north and a 14 SEER-rating minimum for humid, southern states. If your home has an mature unit with a lower SEER-rating, you could see drastic energy savings after an improvement.
AFUE or HSPF (used to measure heating efficiency: gas or electric)
AFUE stands for Annualized Fuel Utilization Efficiency ratio and it finds the percentage of heat produced for every dollar of fuel consumed. You can consider it as the MPG on your car. The greater the AFUE-rating, the less your energy costs. If your furnace has a AFUE rating of 80, that means that 80% of the heat generated is consumed to heat the home, while 20% of the heat is lost through venting.
HSPF stands for the Heating Seasonal Performance Factor and operates to determine the heating productivity of heat pumps. It is the SEER rating for the winter season as it only determines your unit’s heating productivity. Like the others, the larger the number, the more energy efficient the heat pump.
Central Heating & Plumbing in New Castle offers equipment with the highest energy efficiency ratings. If you are hesitant what the energy ratings are of the heating and cooling in your home we would be happy to help you better comprehend to keep your home comfortable, while saving money. Give us a call at 724-401-1843 to arrange for an appointment with us.