What Are Today’s HVAC SEER Ratings?

Energy efficiency is more important than ever. Not just because of the wild weather we’ve had in the Greater Sacramento region, but also because energy prices are 30+% higher than they were just a year or so ago. It’s one thing to want to keep your house cool and comfortable. It is quite another to be surprised by a $500+ energy bill.

California Energy Consultant Service is Sacramento’s favorite HVAC contractor. We provide HVAC repair, HVAC maintenance, HVAC replacement, and so on in Sacramento, Orangevale, Rancho Cordova, Folsom, Roseville, El Dorado Hills, Fair Oaks, and beyond.

But we’re also an energy efficiency company, which means that – for us – the purpose of replacing an HVAC system isn’t just to keep your house cool, but also to make sure that your home is using energy as efficiently as possible. Part of this process involves matching your property with an HVAC unit that offers a good SEER rating – the rating used to determine the energy efficiency of the unit.

What is SEER?

SEER is shorthand for the “Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio.” The calculation is complicated, but to simplify it, SEER is a measure of energy efficiency, where every additional “SEER” number is loosely 6-8% more efficient than the number below it. So, an air conditioner with a SEER rating of 14 is about 7% more energy efficient than a SEER rating of 13.

Why Does SEER Matter?

As a measure of energy efficiency, SEER  corresponds very well to both energy use and energy costs. Using the same 14 to 13 example above, someone with an HVAC with a SEER rating of 14 reduces their energy use by 7% AND saves 7% more on their energy bills compared to someone with a 13 SEER.

SEER Ratings of Older HVAC Units

Prior to 1992, there were no required SEER ratings for residential properties. But in 1992, most HVAC units were required to be a 10 SEER. In 2006, that number was bumped up to 13. Since 2006, that number has not risen much at all. A few states, including California, require a 14 SEER, but not much has changed in required SEER ratings since 2006.

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that SEER rating drops the older the HVAC gets. Every 10 years, the HVAC will lose about 1 or 2 SEER. So 14 SEER units from 2006 may be only 12 SEER today. Still, if you bought an HVAC in, say, 2014, chances are the SEER rating is ~14.

However, just because the required minimum SEER rating hasn’t improved much, the available SEER ratings have improved considerably. For example, we provide a lot of Bryant air conditioners. Bryant makes air conditioners that are almost always a minimum of 16 SEER, and they have air conditioners that are as much as 24 SEER.

That means, if you have a 14 SEER rated AC from 2012, after you calculate the loss in efficiency from the 2012 model, the new 24 SEER is almost 64% more energy efficient than the 2012 model. That is an incredible cost savings, and a far lower carbon footprint.

Of course, the 24 SEER model costs quite a bit more than the 14 SEER model, and most people do not get SEER ratings *quite* that high. But you can also get 16 SEER and 18 SEER for far better prices now than ever before, with great savings on energy bills – all with a cooler home.

Finally, another option instead of an existing HVAC is a ductless mini split system. Ductless mini split systems do not use large AC units, but instead much smaller and more efficient units that require less energy to run. These systems can get as high as 30 SEER, and provide more control over how each room cools.

Seek a New HVAC When You’re Ready

New HVAC units help you save money on energy bills, reduce your carbon footprint, and cool your home better. Unless you’re HVAC unit is broken, you’re the only one that knows when you’re ready to replace your AC and heating system, but know that the systems today are much, much better than the systems of just 10 years ago. If you’ve been on the fence about replacing your AC, now may be a great time to consider it.