The cost to heat and cool your home adds up to more than half of your utility bills. That’s why it’s crucial to find a system that provides excellent comfort in your Port St. Lucie home while still ensuring energy efficient. Better 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 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 indicate?
SEER (used to measure cooling efficiency)
SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The SEER rating considers the efficiency of your unit at different temperatures, in other words, seasonally in Port St. Lucie. A larger SEER rating signifies a greater energy efficiency, which will convert into less expensive utility bills. The Department of Energy expects a minimum 13 SEER-rating for colder states in the north and a 14 SEER-rating minimum for hotter, southern states. If your home has an aged unit with a lower SEER-rating, you could see drastic energy savings after an modern system.
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 created for every dollar of fuel used. You can look at 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 denotes that 80% of the heat produced is consumed to heat the home, while 20% of the heat is wasted through venting.
HSPF stands for the Heating Seasonal Performance Factor and works to keep track of the heating productivity of heat pumps. It is the SEER rating for the winter season as it only keeps track of your unit’s heating efficiency. Again, the larger the number, the greater energy efficient the heat pump.
Custom Air Systems Inc in Port St. Lucie presents equipment with the greatest energy efficiency ratings. If you are unsure what the energy ratings are of the equipment in your home we would be more than willing to help you become better informed to keep your home comfy, while saving money. Give us a call at 772-247-2283 to set up an appointment with us.