S.E.E.R. stands for Seasonal Energy Efficient Ratio. Found on an air conditioner’s yellow “Energy Guide” sticker, the SEER rating measures how efficient an air conditioner is. The higher the air conditioning’s SEER rating, the more efficient the air conditioner is. The greater efficiency translates into less energy used and lower electricity costs.
In order to understand how the SEER rating of one’s air conditioner affects electricity costs, a real world example is helpful. However, the greater the air conditioner’s SEER rating, the more the unit will cost. If you bought an air conditioner with a rating of 10, every hour it runs it will cost $0.10 per hour. This assumes your electricity costs $0.20 per KWh and your air conditioner is a 5,000-BTU cooling unit.
Comparing SEER ratings to SEER ratings, another real world example helps understand what SEER means. Assuming you have two air conditioners, one with a SEER rating of 13 and one with a SEER rating of 16, both 3-ton (36,000 BTU) air conditioning units in the same climate with all other variables constant, the operational costs would be different. While the air conditioning unit with a SEER 13 would cost approximately $500 annually, the air conditioning unit with a SEER 16 would cost approximately $400 annually.
SEER ratings and air conditioning power efficiency is always changing. In January 2006, the United States federal government mandated all central air conditioning units be at least SEER 13. However, the air conditioning industry already has SEER 18 and even SEER 23 rate air conditioning units, providing even greater power efficiency. For example, the average homeowner in the Sunshine State who runs a SEER 16 air conditioning unit versus a SEER 13 unit can save more than $2,000 annually. This assumes a life-span of 12 years, nearly 3,000 hours of cooling and electricity costs of $0.11 per kWh.
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