If you do not want to face the prospect of another Northwest winter with sky high utility bills, it is time to think about upgrading to a high efficiency furnace. Not only will you save money every month on your energy costs but you will be doing your part to help the environment by reducing greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.
If your existing furnace is more than ten years old then you can expect to see dramatic savings in energy costs after installing one of the high efficiency furnaces on the market today. The old units were about 70% efficient, which basically means that more than a quarter of the heat generated was going right up the chimney and never reaching the rooms inside your home. Now, the government requires that forced air furnaces be at least 78% efficient and there are several models which have earned the Energy Star label which do even better.
How efficient a furnace operates is determined by the AFUE rating. This designation stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. The Department of Energy considers a furnace to be high efficiency if it earns a rating of 90 or higher. These high efficiency furnaces are more expensive than the other models but they more than pay for themselves over time through the energy cost savings. The most efficient furnace on the market today is the Carrier SXC with an AFUE of 96.7.
When you research what new furnace to purchase, most models come with an estimate of how much the unit will cost to operate per year. Your Roth Heating and Cooling specialist can help you estimate your expected savings. We will also tell you about the state credits and federal tax rebates available for the purchase of high efficiency furnaces, which will save you even more money.
Roth Heating and Cooling services the Metro Portland area – Call us today at (503) 266-1249 or contact us online!
