Are you dreading the winter months because you’re worried about higher energy costs once you kick on your heater? Many homeowners throughout Cherry Hill are looking for more ways to cut down their energy costs, but how do you tell if your heater is energy-efficient? In today’s blog from Climate Mechanics, we’ll help you understand more about your furnace so that you can determine its efficiency. No matter what heating or furnace services you need, our team at Climate Mechanics is here to help. Contact us today!
Know Its Age
One of the biggest factors to consider when trying to determine the energy-efficient of your furnace is its age. As your heater ages, its efficiency does as well. In fact, the energy-efficiency of your heater can decline as much as 5% per year. Most heaters last anywhere from 15to 20 years, so the older yours is, the less efficient it will be and the more you’ll be spending on energy bills this winter.
Determine The AFUE Rating
The best way to find out the efficiency of your heater is by determining its Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating. This rating measures how efficient your heater is at converting fuel into energy. The most energy-efficient heaters will have ratings of 90% or higher. It’s easy to check the AFUE rating on your heater — it will be located in the user manual or the furnace cabinet.
Pay Attention To Changes In Energy Bills
Finally, you can check the efficiency of your heater by comparing your current energy bill to the bill you had around the same time last year. If you notice that your bill is higher than it was last year and there weren’t any significant weather changes, the efficiency of your heater has more than likely decreased. If you notice they are about the same, your heater is running with the same efficiency and you can expect similar bills throughout the colder months!
