SEER Savings Calculator Tools: From Beginner to Advanced

SEER calculator toolsWe all like looking at our bills and saying, “Hey, that’s not as bad as I thought it was going to be!”

That feeling is why people shop for higher SEER rated air conditioners: To lower their electric bills.

Of course there is a trade-off: a higher SEER rated air conditioner means a higher upfront cost.

So what should the SEER rating of your new air conditioner be so that it saves you money in the long run but also doesn’t stretch your budget too far?

Here are two tools -- one for the beginner and one for the advanced user -- you can use to see how much you can save when upgrading to a particular SEER rated air conditioner.

A helpful tool to go with your tools: If any of the terms in these tools are unfamiliar to you, use our industry terms library to find their definitions. The more terms you know, the more you’ll get out of these tools

For those of you who just want a simple annual savings calculator, this is your tool of choice. All you need to know is the SEER and tonnage (cooling ability) of your current air conditioner. Then you can adjust the SEER of the new air conditioner to see how much money you’ll save each year.

However, don’t take this calculator too seriously. Your savings depend heavily on where you live and how much your electric company charges you per kilowatt-hour.

You also can’t perform a break-even analysis with this tool (i.e., how long it will take for these savings to add up and break even with considering the cost of a new energy efficient air conditioner).

That type of calculation is best left to...

This tool provided by ENERGY STAR lets you add more factors that affect your electric bills. It lets you:

• Input the cost of an air conditioner to see the complete life cycle savings
• Include the number of air conditioner units
• Include electric rate per kilowatt
• Calculate your savings based on your location
• See side-by-side money saving comparisons of conventional air conditioner vs. Energy Star rated air conditioners

However, this tool isn’t quite as visually engaging as the NATE tool. Also, it can be overwhelming to use if you don’t have all the information needed to make an accurate calculation.

These SEER calculator tools empower homeowners like you to envision the savings you’ll get when upgrading to air conditioners of different SEER ratings.

However, there are many factors even the most detailed online tools do not take into account when calculating your yearly savings.

To get a complete picture of the savings you’ll get when upgrading to a new air conditioner, you need the ultimate SEER savings calculator tool: a professional George Brazil air conditioning technician/representative!

Contact George Brazil online for FREE consultation. Based on your home, budget and long-term savings goals, we’ll help you decide which SEER rating your air conditioner needs to be.

Still not sure you actually need to replace your air conditioner? Check out our blog post 3 Signs Your Need to “Put Down” Your Air Conditioner.