The cost to heat and cool your home makes up more than half of your utility bills. That’s why it’s so important to find a system that delivers excellent comfort in your Siloam Springs home while still remaining energy efficient. Higher energy efficiency means your system is doing more while using less energy. Whether you are looking into a replacement air conditioner or furnace or looking to upgrade your present equipment to be more energy efficient, there are some ratings to know that will help you during the search. So what exactly do those energy efficiency ratings indicate?
SEER (used to measure cooling efficiency)
SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The SEER rating reflects the efficiency of your unit at different temperatures, or rather, seasonally in Siloam Springs. A higher SEER rating indicates a greater energy efficiency, which will turn into lower utility bills. The Department of Energy expects 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 extreme 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 keeps track of the percentage of heat produced for every dollar of fuel expended. You can look at it as the MPG on your car. The higher the AFUE-rating, the less your energy costs. If your furnace has a AFUE rating of 80, that signifies that 80% of the heat created is consumed to heat the home, while 20% of the heat is wasted through venting.
HSPF stands for the Heating Seasonal Performance Factor and operates to measure the heating productivity of heat pumps. It is the SEER rating for the colder months as it only determines your unit’s heating efficiency. Like the others, the larger the number, the extra energy efficient the heat pump.
Siloam Springs Heating & AC in Siloam Springs offers equipment with the best energy efficiency ratings. If you are uncertain what the energy ratings are of the system in your home we would be glad to help you better understand to keep your home comfy, while saving money. Give us a call at 479-308-8176 to set up an appointment with us.