As we transition to using our heating systems, it’s hard to ignore the increase in our utility bills, and the older your unit, the greater the increase becomes with each passing year. Many homeowners debate whether or not a high-efficiency furnace is worth it or if they should hang onto their old unit for yet another year. The short answer is they are definitely worth it, and here’s why.
Lower Your Bills
One of the main reasons high-efficiency furnaces are worth the initial cost is because of how much they can save you on your monthly bills. Every furnace has an AFUE rating, which stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, and it tells you what percentage of the fuel your unit burns is converted to heat. For example, if your unit has a rating of 70%, it means that only 70 cents of every dollar you spend on gas is being converted to heat. High-efficiency units typically have an AFUE rating of around 95%, whereas older units usually have a rating of between 60-80% depending on how old they are. So, you can see how over time a new high-efficiency unit can pay for itself because of how much money you’ll be saving each month.
Performance & Comfort
If the money you’ll save isn’t enough to convince you that a high-efficiency furnace is worth it, the drastic improvement to your home comfort should be. High-efficiency furnaces can operate at two different stages of capacity, full and reduced. When your furnace is operating at a reduced capacity, it will run much more quietly, and it will heat your home more evenly. The reason it heats your home more evenly is that rather than cycling on and off to match your thermostat, variable speed units gradually heat your home to keep the temperature consistent.
Protect the Environment
When it comes to protecting our planet, it’s all about the little things that we can do each and every day. Switching over to a high-efficiency furnace is a great way to do your part without having to put in too much effort. They are far more energy-efficient than older models, and they waste less energy as well, which means you can heat your home without unnecessarily harming the environment. So, if you want to protect the planet while you save money in your warm and toasty home all winter long, a high-efficiency unit is definitely worth it.
Time for a furnace upgrade?
Team Harding has a high-efficiency heating system for you!
Team Harding has been proudly serving Ottawa’s home comfort needs for over 25 years. We are dedicated to providing our clients with reliable service and dependable equipment.
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