If you’re shopping for a new air conditioner, you’re probably looking for ways to lower your energy bills without decreasing your home’s comfort levels. You might even want to make sure your new unit is as “green” and environmentally friendly as possible. Ideally, there would be a quick and easy way to compare these characteristics across models - say, in the form of a simple number.
Allow us to introduce you to your next air conditioner’s SEER rating.
SEER Rating Explained
SEER stands for “seasonal energy efficiency ratio,” and that’s exactly what it measures: how much cooling power you get out of it for the energy you put into it, over the course of an entire season. (If you want to get technical about it, it’s the amount of cooling the air conditioner delivers per watt of energy consumed.) As of this writing, SEER values for new units range from 13 at the low end up to 23, with higher numbers representing more efficient units.
In other words, you can think of a SEER score as the air conditioning equivalent of your car’s MPG rating. And just as with cars, if you’ve owned your A/C unit for more than a couple years, it’s almost certainly much less efficient than even the lowest-scoring new units on the market today. The SEER score for your 10-year-old air conditioner could be as low as 8 or 10.
In addition to being more energy-friendly, units with higher SEER ratings also emit less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere - so you can stay comfortable without worrying as much about your carbon footprint.
What About Costs?
Energy efficiency comes at a premium: the higher the SEER rating, the more you can expect to pay for a new unit. But even with a higher up-front cost, a unit with a high SEER score can still be a smart buy. It’s very possible to save more on your energy bills, over the long term, than the purchase price of the high-efficiency air conditioner. And there’s also the prospect of tax credits or rebates from the government, which can help you manage those high initial costs a little better.
Efficiency vs. Cooling
Just having a super-efficient air conditioner doesn’t necessarily mean that your house will be more comfortable. In order to make sure that your home is exactly as cool as you want it, make sure your new, energy-efficient air conditioning unit is installed by experienced professionals who know what they’re doing. Our skilled techs know all the best ways to optimally configure your new air conditioner for maximum comfort. So if you’re looking for a new A/C unit, give us a call. We’re happy to help you find the right unit for your home.
Looking to purchase a new air conditioner? Check out Easy AC's financing options today!