The Four Most Common HVAC Energy Efficiency Ratings

When it comes to heating and cooling your home, people enjoy tearing open their monthly energy bill to realize that it’s less than they thought. After all, who doesn’t like saving money? As a homeowner, knowing can be the biggest part of the struggle, and in this case, understanding the most utilized HVAC energy efficiency ratings can help you save money when you replace your current system.

Of course, there are a large range of efficiencies for each heating and cooling product line, but because you’re an informed homeowner, you can understand what you can budget for and what you’d like to use for your home. To help you with your understanding, here are the most commonly used HVAC energy efficiency ratings and an explanation of what they mean:

Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF)*

HSPF is the rating used to measure the energy efficiency of the heating portion of your heat pump over one heating season. A larger HSPF rating indicates that the system is functioning at a more efficient level than a lower rating. In the U.S., new systems have ratings ranging from the federal minimum of 7.7 to 9.4 for the systems with the greatest efficiency.

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER)*

This might be the most well-known of the energy efficiency ratings, as it measures the efficiency of your system over the cooling season. As with most ratings, the larger the SEER rating, the greater the efficiency. Now, the federal minimum for new systems is 13 SEER, and as technology continues to evolve, the top rating continues to go higher, providing you with systems that can cool more efficiently and are better for the environment. You can also expect to see a dip in energy costs with a higher SEER rating.

Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE)**

For heating systems that use gas or oil, AFUE is the rating that you should be searching for. It references the amount of heat that your system gives you for every dollar you spend on fuel. So if you have a system that has a high AFUE rating, it is wasting less fuel through its conversion process, which means savings for you year after year. There haven’t been any systems produced that perform without wasting any fuel, but the Lennox SLP98V operates with a 98.7% AFUE rating.

ENERGY STAR® Certification

While it’s not a rating, ENERGY STAR® certification is another indication that you’re getting an energy efficient system. In 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency established ENERGY STAR so that businesses and homeowners could save money and protect the environment by using energy efficient products. ENERGY STAR certification has its own set of requirements that products must meet through third-party testing in a lab setting. These requirements are set by region, so you know your system is optimized for the conditions in Buffalo. Be sure to look for a blue label with the ENERGY STAR logo on its packaging to know for sure.

Of course there are more ratings we could write about, but these are a few of the most common HVAC energy efficiency ratings that we get questions about at Sunbeam Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. If you have any questions about the right system or efficiency level for your home, feel free to give us a call at 716-427-6807 or schedule an appointment online with one of our pros.

*https://www.energystar.gov/sites/default/files/specs//private/Central_ASHP_and_CAC_Program_Requirements%20v4_1.pdf

** https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_definitions&dts=ef,te