REPLACEMENT OPTIONS (COOLING):  The energy efficiency of cooling equipment (both air conditioners and heat pumps) is measured by the unit’s Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER): the higher the SEER, the higher the energy efficiency.  While there are many different SEER options available, there are two levels to keep in mind:

• 13 SEER – this is the lowest efficiency allowed by law for new units
• 14 SEER – this is the lowest efficiency allowed for the HERO program

REPLACEMENT OPTIONS (HEATING):  The energy efficiency of heating equipment is measured by the unit’s Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating for furnaces or the Heating Season Performance Factor (HSPF) for heat pumps: the higher the AFUE or HSPF, the higher the energy efficiency.  While there are many different AFUE or HSPF options available, 80 AFUE or 7.7 HSPF is the lowest efficiency allowed by law

NOTE: Assuming your energy upgrades can achieve at least a 30% energy reduction, there are no minimum heating efficiency requirements for Louisiana HERO program eligibility.

SELECTING NEW EQUIPMENT:  The first step is to have TGHA perform a home energy assessment and build an energy model of your house.  Your one-page report will specify the projected annual energy savings for at least two different HVAC options.  The second step is to get HVAC contractor price quotes for these different options to confirm that choosing higher efficiency units will be a good investment.  Based on their expected service life, choosing higher efficiency equipment means that you’ll enjoy lower annual energy bills for 12 to 20 years.

SELECTING A HVAC CONTRACTOR:  Naturally, you can choose any contractor that suits you.  For your convenience, we provide an alphabetical list below of some of our preferred local contractors.  Please note that we do not have any financial interests in these companies nor do we accept any rewards from them.  They are “preferred” simply because they have done good work for previous clients and they understand what is required for you to receive government incentive money for upgrades.