Shopping for a new heating or cooling system? You should know to look for the blue Energy Star label before you decide which equipment to buy, to make sure you’re getting the most efficient model that will save you energy. But as appliances and products have grown more efficient in general, more and more models are earning the Energy Star label. With so many on the market, how can you tell which is the best system for reducing your heating and cooling bills? That’s why there’s a new energy standard: Energy Guide Most Efficient.
The Energy Star Most Efficient label seeks to pinpoint the very most energy-efficient appliances. Qualifying appliances
must first meet the federal Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy standards for the regular Energy Star label. This means they’ve demonstrated significant energy savings that allow the owner to recover the cost of the appliance in reduced energy bills over a reasonable period of time.
The Energy Star Most Efficient label is awarded to models that demonstrate energy savings above and beyond the rest, around the top 5 percent. In order to qualify for the label, a furnace must have an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency rating of at least 97 percent. This means that 97 percent of the furnace’s fuel over the course of a year is converted to heat. It must have a thermostat or similar type of controller that can communicate with the furnace and let you know to call an HVAC technician when the system requires repair.
Spotting the Energy Star Most Efficient label is easy. It contains the regular blue Energy Star label, and next to it are the words “Most Efficient 2012” or “Most Efficient 2013” in big, block letters, to indicate that the appliance is a cut above the rest.
For more energy-saving tips, talk to our experts at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company. We’ve proudly served the Yuma area’s HVAC needs since 1952.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about Energy Star labels and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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