Understanding Efficiency Ratings

Understanding Efficiency Ratings

Posted on: January 23, 2023
Tags: air conditioning, Efficiency, Air Conditioners, Heat Pumps, SEER, HSPF, SEER2, HSPF2, rating

All Heating and Air products have an efficiency rating. Today, we will look at what this means for an Air Conditioner and a Heat Pump.

SEER: All Air conditioners have a SEER Rating. This stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. The higher the number, the more efficient or less energy is used to cool your home. Just because a unit has a higher SEER number it does not necessarily mean that it will cool your home better, it will just use less energy to do it.

HSPF: All Heat pumps have an HSPF rating. This stands for Heating Seasonal Performance Factor. The higher the number, the better the ratio of heat supplied to your home for electricity used.

A good comparison to this is your cars MPG rating. How much fuel does it take to get from point A to point B.

For 2023 the rating system has been changed to better simulate the real-world application of cooling systems. The new ratings are SEER2 and HSPF2. It is much more difficult to achieve the new rating for our current offerings from all manufacturers, so the end result will be a more efficient unit for the consumer. All of these changes do come at a cost though – and prices for new HVAC systems are climbing rapidly. The new ratings are what is used for the new Tax credits.