Energy Star is a program headed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which helps businesses and homeowners save money and protect the climate with energy-efficient HVAC options. Energy-efficient products bearing the Energy Star logo have been proven to reduce energy consumption and pollution.

Home heating and cooling can account for about half of the energy consumed in your home, so ensuring that you’re selecting the most energy-efficient option when it’s time for replacement is important. The Energy Star program helps, particularly if your home’s HVAC equipment is more than 10 years old.

A trusted HVAC professional can make the process streamlined and as painless as possible. A qualified technician can evaluate your current system, as well as conduct an energy audit of your home to make sure there are no leaks that could result in additional heating and cooling costs. Load calculations will reveal the proper size needed to condition your home comfortably and help determine which units to consider. Using this information to select Energy Star-certified equipment can lead to significant savings on your annual energy costs.

Keep in mind that purchasing and installing qualified HVAC equipment by the end of 2013 may lead to additional savings in the form of federal tax credits.

Depending on where you live, tax credits or energy rebates can range from $100 to $1,500. For certain substantial renewable energy investments such as solar water heaters or geothermal heat pumps, tax credits can amount to up to 30 percent of the project cost, with no cap. Ask your contractor for an outline of the credits and rebates for the particular type of installation you’re contemplating.

For more information about what the Energy Star can do for your home, contact the pros at the Rheem Pro Partner. Our qualified HVAC contractors proudly service homeowners throughout parts of Colorado and Wyoming.