30% Increase in

There is a new federal law that becomes effective January 23^rd, 2006, mandating an increase in the minimum efficiency level for most air conditioners and heat pumps from 10 SEER* to 13 SEER* – a jump of 30%. While saving electricity is a good thing generally these changes can affect the consumer.

Here are some of the changes you can expect:

· New units will cost more. No one is sure yet how much more a 13 SEER system will cost relative to today’s minimum 10 SEER. We have been installing 13, 15 and 18 SEER units, but we expect there to be new “budget” 13 SEER units available next year.

· Changing of the outdoor unit without changing the indoor coil may not be an option. Sometimes when an outdoor unit goes down, we can get a new unit in place that uses the old indoor coil. With the new units this may not be an option. End result – higher cost.

· The new units will be larger. One of the ways manufacturers will meet the new efficiency standard will be to make the new units with larger heat exchange coils – which will in turn make the units bigger.

· There will be 10, 11 and 12 SEER units available that were manufactured before the deadline of January 23^rd. These units won’t last long. Experts expect them to all be gone no later than May of 2006.

*SEER = Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. This is a measure of appliance efficiency, similar to miles per gallon for a car. A higher number is more efficient.

Does this mean you should panic and replace your air conditioner now? Not at all. Air conditioners and heat pumps last an average of 15 years before they need replacing. Some get replaced at 10 years or less. Some are still in service after 20 years. If you are not going to be negatively affected by the larger size of the units, and your unit is less than 10 years old, there is no reason to rush into changing. If your unit is over 10 years old, you could think about it, but again, if it is working ok you are not in any rush. If however your unit is 15 years old or older, you should start planning on updating your system. A new unit will use less than half of the electricity as your old unit and will have a new warranty to boot. Be sure to ask one of our Comfort Consultants to come over and evaluate your system and make recommendations when you are ready for a change.