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 McHenry home while still ensuring 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 considering to upgrade your present 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 efficiency of your unit at different temperatures, or rather, seasonally in McHenry. A larger SEER rating indicates a greater energy efficiency, which will convert into less expensive utility bills. The Department of Energy demands a minimum 13 SEER-rating for chillier states in the north and a 14 SEER-rating minimum for warmer, southern states. If your home has an older unit with a lower SEER-rating, you could see extreme 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 generated for every dollar of fuel expended. You can consider it as the MPG on your car. The larger the AFUE-rating, the smaller your energy costs. If your furnace has a AFUE rating of 80, that signifies that 80% of the heat produced is exhausted to heat the home, while 20% of the heat is misplaced through venting.
HSPF stands for the Heating Seasonal Performance Factor and works to measure the heating efficiency of heat pumps. It is the SEER rating for the colder months as it only keeps track of your unit’s heating effectiveness. Similarly, the higher the number, the more energy efficient the heat pump.
Jett's Heating & Air Inc. in McHenry offers equipment with the highest energy efficiency ratings. If you are unsure what the energy ratings are of the heating and cooling in your home we would be more than willing to help you become better informed to keep your home content, while saving money. Give us a call at 815-410-1128 to set up an appointment with us.