The cost to heat and cool your home makes up more than half of your utility bills. That’s why it’s imperative to find a system that provides excellent comfort in your Newark home while still being energy efficient. Better energy efficiency means your system is working well while using less energy. Whether you are looking into a replacement air conditioner or furnace or looking to upgrade your current equipment to be more energy efficient, there are some ratings to look out for that will help you during the search. So what exactly do those energy efficiency ratings represent?
SEER (used to measure cooling efficiency)
SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The SEER rating takes into consideration the efficiency of your unit at different temperatures, in other words, seasonally in Newark. A higher SEER rating indicates a greater energy efficiency, which will turn into smaller 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 older unit with a lower SEER-rating, you could see radical 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 measures the percentage of heat generated for every dollar of fuel expended. You can look at it as the MPG on your car. The larger the AFUE-rating, the less your energy costs. If your furnace has a AFUE rating of 80, that signifies that 80% of the heat generated is exhausted to heat the home, while 20% of the heat is lost through venting.
HSPF stands for the Heating Seasonal Performance Factor and is used to keep track of the heating effectiveness of heat pumps. It is the SEER rating for the winter season as it only measures your unit’s heating productivity. Like the others, the larger the number, the extra energy efficient the heat pump.
Luikart Heating & Cooling in Newark offers equipment with the highest energy efficiency ratings. If you are unsure what the energy ratings are of the system 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 740-200-5591 to set up an appointment with us.