How Energy Efficiency Ratings Affect Savings

(from bryant.com)
Energy-efficient heating and cooling products make home comfort more affordable. Understanding efficiency ratings and how they can influence your monthly utility bill is an important step in choosing the system that's right for you.

AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency)

• Standard measurement of efficiency for gas and oil-fired furnaces
• Tells you how much of your fuel is used to heat your home and how much is wasted
• The higher the rating, the greater the efficiency
• Minimum required rating is 78%
• Bryant offers a full line of furnaces with AFUE ratings of up to 96%

Cost Savings: If you have an older furnace, you could save considerably on your heating bill by upgrading to a high-efficiency furnace.

SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio)

• Standard measurement of efficiency for the cooling process of air conditioners and heat pumps
• The higher the number, the greater the efficiency
• Minimum required SEER rating is 13
• Bryant offers a full line of air conditioners with SEER ratings of up to 20

HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor)

• Standard measurement of the efficiency of the heating mode of heat pumps
• The higher the number, the greater the efficiency
• Minimum required HSPF rating is 6.8
• Bryant offers heat pumps with HSPF ratings from 6.8 to 9.5

Cost Savings: Upgrading to high-efficiency heat pumps and air conditioners requires an initial investment, but you'll quickly see payback in the form of lower, annual utility bills for the life of your system. To get a better idea of how long it will take you to recover your investment, talk to your Bryant dealer.

Matching Your System for Optimum Efficiency

An additional factor that affects the efficiency of your system is your indoor coil (also called an evaporator coil). In order to maximize SEER and HSPF ratings and ensure proper performance, your air conditioner or heat pump unit must be matched with the correct indoor coil. When you replace an existing system, make sure you consider replacing the indoor coil so you get the most efficient performance.