The AFUE Rating: What It Means and Why It Matters When You’re Replacing Your Furnace

If you’re in the market for a replacement furnace, then AFUE ratings are something you won’t want to take lightly. AFUE stands for “annual fuel utilization efficiency”, and it’s a measure of how well a furnace converts energy into heat. As an example, if a furnace has a rating of 85 percent, that means it’s able to convert 85 percent of the energy it uses into heat, while the remaining 15 percent essentially goes to waste. AFUE is currently the most reliable measure of fuel efficiency for heating systems, and it gives you an easy method of comparing different potential replacements.

Because furnaces with higher AFUE ratings are more fuel-efficient, they’re able to save you money.  To illustrate how much you’ll save, if you were to upgrade from a 70 percent AFUE furnace, to a 90 percent AFUE furnace with sealed combustion, you’d immediately begin saving that 20 percent difference on your heating bills.

Granted, brand new furnaces are expensive, but their fuel efficiency allows them to pay for themselves over time. These high-efficiency appliances can sport AFUE ratings up to 98 percent due to their sealed combustion method and the use of condensing flue gases. As recently as 10 years ago, you’d be hard pressed to find a furnace rated higher than 80 percent. So, even if you’re replacing a fairly new heating system, there’s a good chance you have the potential to make a big upgrade in energy-efficiency.

With this new knowledge of efficiency ratings in mind, you can make an environment-friendly choice, as well as save yourself money in the long run when upgrading your furnace. For your HVAC needs in the Charlotte area, consider the good people at Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical.