Energy Star Program: Use It To Identify Cooling System Efficiency

The Energy Star program is a government-backed initiative intended to identify equipment and appliances that are particularly energy-efficient. It also identifies and advocates habits and practices intended to cut back on energy usage. The frugal use of power achieves two things: It saves money on our bills, and it reduces our environmental impact. The Energy Star program can certainly be used to identify better cooling system efficiency.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that around 50 percent of the average household’s energy spending goes to cooling in the summertime. For this reason alone, keeping the Energy Star program in mind when upgrading your home’s HVAC equipment can be a smart move, financially and comfort-wise.

The Energy Star program is helpful for homeowners in many ways, including:

• Brand recognition: Being able to identify a qualifying appliance is very important, and the EPA has made that easy for us. Their testing procedure is rigorous, and when an appliance or piece of equipment qualifies, it’s awarded a bright blue sticker emblazoned with the EPA’s swooping white Energy Star logo. Usually close to the sticker, a yellow tag compares the machine’s predicted annual power consumption — based on a typical family’s usage — with an unqualified alternative.
• Benefits: The percentage of savings earned by using a certified HVAC installation are extraordinary. For the same amount of cooling and dehumidifying power as a system installed in the 1970s, a modern, qualifying installation can use up 50 percent less electricity. Even a system that’s only a decade old can be outperformed by as much as 10 to 20 percent.
• Guarantee: Although the initial cost of purchasing a qualifying appliance may be a little higher than a regular item, you will more than recover that investment through the life of the machine.

At Sobieski Services, we can advise you on all your household equipment upgrades and offer advice when it comes to choosing the right Energy Star-qualified HVAC equipment for your home. We happily service homeowners throughout the Wilmington, DE and West Chester, PA area.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Wilmington, Delaware and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC & plumbing systems).