
The most useful thing is the searchable table that lists local providers, their reputation for quality, and their index pricing.
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Generally, these ratings include an "advice" article about the service provider type - how to contract with a provider, do's and don'ts, that kind of thing. They also include a survey "quality" ranking - that is, the number of respondents who rate the firm as "excellent" for quality of work. A provider that's listed as being "$90" will generally be 10% below the area average. They provide three levels of review - "Ratings", "Comments", and "Advice"įor a "Rating" article, they perform a survey, measuring quality and a baseline "price" index- which illustrates the pricing of a particular service relative to other service providers -they obtain estimates for a number of services, and then create an index price, using "$100" as the index.

The best way to cut home energy costs is the most obvious one: Dial down your thermostat, and get and use a programmable is an independent service provider review organization that provides reviews and ratings of many service providers, from auto mechanics to Wood Floor refinishers. Before upgrading your equipment, make sure your attic is well-insulated and seal up easy-to-fix leaks (at, you’ll find advice on these topics). Investing thousands of extra dollars in ultra-efficient equipment makes no sense if your home is drafty or poorly insulated, or your thermostat is pegged on Tahiti during the winter.The same is true when comparing furnaces that have one- or multiple-stage burners. If you are comparing the energy efficiency of two different units with similar energy-efficiency ratings - one with variable-speed capability and the other without - the one that can run at variable speeds will use less energy. A variable-speed blower, for example, usually runs at a constant low speed to maintain the correct temperature, increasing speed and energy use only as needed.
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Presence of these gadgets won’t be reflected on their models’ efficiency ratings because ratings are determined while equipment operates at full capacity.
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Ground-source heat pumps (also called geothermal systems) provide very low heating and cooling bills, but these systems are extremely expensive to purchase and install - typically $30,000 or more.Such systems offer low energy costs, but because they are priced a lot more than standard furnace-A/C combos, it takes a long time for their energy savings to offset the extra expenditure.



For air conditioners, in this area it usually doesn’t make sense to pay more for a highly energy-efficient air conditioner rather than a basic unit.The resulting energy savings from more efficient equipment quickly “pays off” extra purchase costs. For furnaces, it usually makes sense to pay extra for a more efficient unit, compared with buying a minimally efficient model.
