Understanding Your Furnace’s Efficiency Rating

During winter in Fairfax, Virginia, how your furnace performs will impact your utility bills. Having a furnace with a high performance rating will save you money, while an outdated and inefficient furnace will increase your utility bills. When selecting a new furnace, consider the efficiency rating to improve your family’s comfort and optimize savings.

Discover Ratings for Furnace Efficiency

All furnaces sold in the United States have an efficiency rating called the annual fuel utilization efficiency, or AFUE. This AFUE rating is a percentage that indicates how much fuel a furnace uses to heat your home and how much goes to waste.

A furnace with an AFUE rating of 86, for example, uses 86 percent of its fuel to generate heat, while 14 percent is wasted. The closer a furnace’s AFUE rating is to 100, the more efficiently the unit will operate.

Understand the Energy Star Program

The Energy Star label on a unit identifies the unit as highly efficient. Administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Energy Star program promotes energy-efficient products, including furnaces.

The Energy Star label is not a measure of efficiency, but rather a guide to help consumers choose efficient products. The label indicates that the furnace has met energy efficiency requirements set forth by the federal government. You can expect equipment with these labels to help you to reduce energy consumption and increase savings.

Use Efficiency Ratings to Make Proactive Choices

If you’re considering a new furnace, keep efficiency ratings in mind. By examining AFUE ratings, you can easily see which units will help you to save more and enhance comfort. To keep your utility bills low, stay on top of regular furnace maintenance. Routine preventive maintenance will preserve efficiency and allow your furnace to serve your family for years to come.

At Brennan’s Heating and Air Conditioning, we have more than 30 years of experience servicing furnaces in the Fairfax, Virginia, area. Call us at 703-783-0145 to find out how we can help you to select the right furnace for your home.

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