EER2 stands for Energy Efficiency Ratio. EER2 and SEER2 evaluate cooling efficiency but use different temperature conditions. EER2 measures an air conditioner or heat pump’s efficiency at the peak cooling need when the outdoor temperature is 95°F, the indoor temperature is 80°F, and the humidity is 50%. SEER2 is an average of efficiency over the entire cooling season when temperatures range from 65°F to 104°F. Most manufacturers will give you the SEER2 rating, but you can ask your local HVAC dealer about the EER2.

AFUE stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. It’s a heating efficiency rating that measures how efficiently your furnace or boiler converts fuel to heat. The higher the AFUE rating, the more efficient the furnace is. Furnaces or boilers have an AFUE rating expressed as a percentage. The percentage is how much of the fuel burned goes directly to heat your home. The remaining percentage is what gets lost or wasted. The current minimum AFUE allowed by the DOE for furnaces is 80%.

HSPF2 stands for Heating Seasonal Performance Factor. It measures how efficient your heat pump is at heating your home during the winter months. This is another efficiency rating that was updated in 2023, with HSPF2 being the current version. The DOE requires split-system heat pumps to have an HSPF2 of 7.5 or higher, and all packaged heat pumps to have an HSPF2 of 6.7 or higher. As with SEER2 ratings, the higher the HSPF2 rating, the more efficient the heat pump is at heating.

SEER2 stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating and it is a measure of the average efficiency over a range of temperatures. The higher the SEER2 rating, the more efficient the unit is. Depending on your usage, you can use less energy and save money on your cooling costs with a more efficient unit. The minimum SEER2 requirements on cooling units vary depending on where you live and may also vary based on the capacity of the unit.

What is a good SEER rating?

New energy efficiency regulations went into effect in January of 2023. The required SEER rating was lower before that. Today, in the North, all types of air conditioners must have a SEER2 of 13.4 or higher. (Equivalent to 14 SEER). In the Southeast and Southwest, SEER2 ratings depend on the cooling system type and the system capacity. Depending on capacity, split system air conditioners must have a SEER2 rating of 13.8 to 14.3. (Equivalent to 14.5-15 SEER). Split system heat pumps must have a SEER2 of 14.3 or higher in all regions, and single-packaged air conditioners and heat pumps in all regions must have a SEER2 of 13.4 or higher.

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