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Run the numbers
What does higher efficiency actually save you?
Efficiency upgrades get sold as a percentage. Percentages don't pay bills. Put your own numbers in and see what the difference is worth over the life of the equipment.
Your system
Not sure? It is on the outdoor unit's data plate, or in the model number.
A 15-year-old system is typically 10 SEER or lower. If it predates 2006 it may be 8 or under.
Options are limited to the ratings that actually exist at the size you picked — SEER2 belongs to the matched pair, so it changes with tonnage.
Where you live
Estimated savings
—
per year
| Current system | — / yr |
|---|---|
| New system | — / yr |
| Over 10 years | — |
| Over 15 years | — |
| Efficiency gain | — |
What this does and doesn't tell you
- It is an estimate, not a quote. Real consumption depends on insulation, duct leakage, window area, shade, thermostat habits and how humid your summers are. Two identical houses on the same street can differ by thirty percent.
- Cooling only. If you are pricing a heat pump, this covers the summer half of the year. Heating efficiency is a separate rating (HSPF2) and we have deliberately left it out rather than guess at it — the savings on a heat pump are therefore larger than what you see here, not smaller.
- The ratings offered are the ones that exist at your size. SEER2 is certified for a matched pair, not for a condenser, so the same outdoor unit rates differently depending on the air handler it is fitted to — and the best available rating drops as tonnage rises. You cannot pick a number here that we cannot actually sell you. Check any pairing yourself.
- SEER2 is a laboratory rating. It is measured under fixed conditions so that two units can be compared fairly. It is not a promise about your house.
- No inflation, no discounting. The ten and fifteen year figures are simple multiplication at today's electricity rate. Rates have historically risen, which makes efficiency worth more over time, not less.
- Sizing beats efficiency. An oversized high-efficiency system short-cycles, never pulls humidity out of the air, and will cost more to run than a correctly sized 14.3. Get a Manual J load calculation before you choose a size.
Worth reading next: what a new system actually costs and whether a tax credit still applies in 2026.