can
help with repairs and upgrades to your air conditioning system. Most of us contribute to the problem of global
warming by continuing to use old electronic gadgets, lights, and air
conditioning systems that are not energy-efficient. However, we have
the option of becoming energy efficient by switching over to energy
efficient choices for our house. With energy crunch becoming more
severe, it has become imperative for all of us to conserve energy as
much as we can and do our bit to save the planet. Of course, costs of
upgrade can be heavy but you will save huge money on your energy bills
over the years that would make up for these expenses.
The government is also playing a major part in protecting the environment by
encouraging people to go for energy efficient cooling systems. For this purpose,
the government offers tax credit to homeowners on use of certain energy saving
items such as energy saving windows, doors, roofing, water heater, furnace and
boiler, and air conditioners in their houses.
You can thus expect a tax credit of up to $300 for upgrading your present air
conditioning systems to make them energy efficient. The Obama stimulus plan may
increase these incentives. Needless to say, the models that qualify for this
kind of tax credit are more expensive than the rest. However, assuming that you
save about $10 every month by way of energy bills after installing one of these
air conditioning models, you would end up with savings worth at least $120
annually. Add to that $300 that you would earn as tax credit so that your total
saving would be $420.
These numbers should be enough to prod you into upgrading your
system. And
even if you don’t go for ones that qualify for a tax credit, you would still be
saving considerable amount of money with other Energy Star air conditioners that
are also very good. To promote the use of energy efficient appliances, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency in collaboration with the U.S. Department of
Energy have developed the Energy Star program that helps consumers identify
products that are energy efficient.
To get the most out of your
system, make sure that you go for SEER (Seasonal Energy
Efficiency Rating) 13 or above.