| According to the U.S. Department of Energy | | | | had a furnace with a 50% AFUE rating and |
| (DOE), heating and cooling the average home in | | | | replaced it with one that has an 80% AFUE rating, |
| the U.S. accounts for about 56% of home energy | | | | you can expect to save about 37% on your |
| use, making it the largest energy expense for | | | | home heating bill over the course of a year. |
| most households. It is important then to have a | | | | The U.S. government may have set minimum |
| way to know just how energy efficient home | | | | standards, but to promote greater energy |
| heating and cooling appliances are when purchasing | | | | efficiency the DOE and the U.S. Environmental |
| them for your home. To give consumers an | | | | Protection Agency (EPA) have developed the |
| objective measure of how efficient fuel fired | | | | ENERGY STAR program. For an equipment |
| heating systems are, the AFUE rating was | | | | manufacturer to earn the ENERGY STAR seal, |
| established. | | | | they have to comply with the standards that |
| AFUE stands for "Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency" | | | | ENERGY STAR has established for energy |
| and is expressed as a percentage. It is not an | | | | efficiency. |
| absolute rating of the energy efficiency of a piece | | | | The current standard is ENERGY STAR 2.0 as of |
| of equipment per se, but it is intended to indicate | | | | October 27, 2006, which is higher than the U.S. |
| what the overall efficiency would be in a typical | | | | government's established minimum standard. For a |
| application over the course of a year. This is what | | | | furnace manufacturer to meet the ENERGY |
| people really want to know when they purchase | | | | STAR 2.0 standard, a gas-fired furnace would |
| heating equipment, so they can get an idea of | | | | have to have an AFUE of at least 90%, and an |
| what it is going to cost to operate compared to | | | | oil-fired furnace would have to deliver an AFUE |
| what they have now. | | | | rating of 83%. For instance, if you had a furnace |
| For instance, if a furnace has an AFUE rating of | | | | with an AFUE of 80% and you replaced it with a |
| 50%, what that means is that for the energy | | | | ENERGY STAR Furnace with and AFUE of at |
| value of the fuel to operate that furnace over | | | | least 90%, you could expect to save 11% on |
| the course of a typical year, only 50% of the | | | | your home heating bill over the course of a typical |
| energy went to heat the home. That sounds | | | | year. |
| really dismal, but up until minimums were | | | | Check to see if your home heating and air |
| established for home heating systems, that's | | | | conditioning dealer will offer ENERGY STAR |
| what you might have been stuck with. Now the | | | | equipment. They will be able to help you |
| minimum AFUE rating for a furnace is 78% as | | | | understand what the energy ratings of the |
| established by the U.S. government. There may | | | | equipment mean, and work with you to |
| still be some of those old systems out there | | | | determine if it makes sense to upgrade the |
| presently in use, but any new furnaces installed | | | | heating and cooling equipment for your home. |
| have to meet the minimum AFUE rating. If you | | | | |