About GO2AIR Heating
Our Mission
Our mission here at GO2AIR Heating and Air Conditioning is to provide our customers with professional, affordable HVAC services one job at a time. We value every customer the same, no matter how small or large the project is, it is our goal to become your go to team for all your HVAC needs. Providing 5 star service for a better value is what we do.
High efficiency versus standard equipment
High efficiency versus standard equipment
As an Ohio licensed heating and air conditioning contractor and a 37 year tenured technician there is a recurring question of… Is high efficiency equipment worth the extra cost? The answer is different for every homeowner due to variables such as the size of your home, your recent energy billing history, and how long you plan to live in your home. I will give three examples to help you better understand how these variables should affect your decision.
The first example would be someone purchasing a gas furnace for their 980 square foot home. There recent level billing for the year was $100 monthly or $1200 yearly. They currently have an 80% AFUE (Annual Fuel Usage Efficiency) furnace. Their salesman is pitching a high efficiency furnace at 96% AFUE for $4650. He also gave them an option for standard efficiency 80% AFUE for $3250. This means they would save 16% annually on their current $100 monthly bill. This is $16 monthly or $192 yearly. With a price difference of $1400 to get high efficiency it would take 7.3 years to recoup the extra money spent for high efficiency. If you plan to live in your home for more than 8 years this might be a good investment. Just be aware that keeping your extra $1400-$2000 could go a long way toward the extra $16 monthly in a small home.
Now let’s look at a second example of a homeowner with a 3000 square foot home that their level billing is $180 monthly or $2160 yearly. The salesman is pitching a 96% AFUE furnace for $5650 and is giving an option for a standard 80% AFUE gas furnace for $4150. You will be saving 16% on your gas bill or $346 yearly or $28 monthly. It would take you 4.3 years to recoup your extra $1500. This is a better bargain for the person who has a larger home. The recovery time on you investment is much less.
A third example would be for the heat pump owner who is considering a high efficiency heat pump. A high efficiency heat pump can cost $15000 to $20000. Standard efficiency heat pump systems go from $6700 to $10000. At first glance, the standard efficiency heat pump looks like a no brainer. Small houses under 1200 square feet would be OK to assume the standard efficiency model would be the smart choice but for a homeowner with over 3000 square feet your electric bill could be $1000 monthly or $12000 yearly. In this case a high efficiency heat pump that uses 30% less energy would make since. You could save $3000-$4000 yearly.
In conclusion, there is no right answer, it depends on the size of your home, your current energy bills, and how long you plan to live there. Consult a professional that has your best interest in mind and not how big of a commission they can make. Make sure they are asking the right questions. What are your current energy bills like? How long do you plan to live here? Are you interested in seeing how long it would take you to recoup your extra dollars purchasing high efficiency equipment? Make sure their numbers make sense to your application. Then ask yourself. Does the extra money upfront justify the savings over the next 1, 5, and ten years. Am I going to live here long enough to recoup this money? Did the contractor offer a warranty that protects my investment?