Wednesday, 22 January 2014

Understanding The Incentives Of A New HVAC System

When the time comes to purchase a new HVAC system, you might find yourself concerned with the cost as you receive estimates for different types of systems and customizations. It may seem like the smartest decision to go for the least expensive option in an attempt to save money, but often times this will just result in needing to spend more money on repairs and maintenance. Aside from purchasing better quality, spending more money initially on a higher efficiency system can also bring you benefits of certain incentives and rebates that a lot of consumers are not even aware of.

Incentives that come along with air conditioners and heating systems are most often linked to the systems' efficiency ratings and performance level. The scale that is used to measure the efficiency of an air conditioning system is called the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating, also known as SEER. The Heating Seasonal Performance Factor, known as HSPF, measures heating systems. When a system has a high SEER or HSPF rating, this indicates a higher efficiency.

If you purchase a system that holds a high efficiency rating, the up front cost will be greater. However, a higher efficiency system will often result in more rebates and government incentives. These incentives can come in the form of tax credits, deductions, or direct rebates. Depending on where you live and the system that you purchase, you can often receive as much as $500.

Both government agencies and the power companies want you to use efficient systems because it assists in reducing power consumption during the seasons when everyone on the block is cranking their heat or air conditioning at its highest. This uses a significant amount of power and energy, and they want to promote the use of high efficiency systems to help take some of the burden off both the power companies and the environment. Offering incentives is their way of giving the consumer a reason to spend more money up front to hopefully receive the monetary difference back over time.

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