Summer is upon us, and with that comes the constant running of air conditioning units. ARS/Rescue Rooter, a national provider of residential heating, ventilation, air conditioning (or HVAC) and plumbing services, released a list of the 25 most energy-efficient cities and regions in America based on HVAC systems.
Monmouth County ranked No. 15 out of the list of 25 based on the installation of energy-efficient residential cooling and heating systems through ARS/Rescue Rooter’s network of service areas in the U.S.
“Adopting energy-efficient cooling and heating equipment helps our customers save on energy costs that come with owning a home,” Scott Boose, CEO, ARS/Rescue Rooter, said. “By embracing energy-efficient cooling and heating equipment, we can significantly reduce our energy consumption, and help our customers save money.”
The Top 25 energy efficient cities and regions in America are:
1. Riverside, California;
2. San Antonio;
3. Cincinnati;
4. Seattle;
5. Alexandria, Virginia;
6. Houston;
7. Orange County, California;
8. Kansas City, Missouri;
9. Tampa, Florida;
10. Columbus, Ohio;
11. Chicago;
12. Laurel, Maryland;
13. Austin, Texas;
14. Memphis, Tennessee;
15. Monmouth County;
16. Boston;
17. Dallas-Fort Worth;
18. Atlanta;
19. San Francisco;
20. Orlando, Florida;
21. Indianapolis;
22. Richmond, Virginia;
23. Las Vegas;
24. Detroit;
25. Vero Beach, Florida.
Energy efficiency is measured in two different ways. The efficiency of an air conditioning unit is typically measured using a metric called Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, or SEER. The efficiency of a furnace is typically measured using a metric called Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, or AFUE. In both cases, a higher rating indicates a more efficient unit.
ARS/Rescue Rooter ranked the cities and regions by those with the highest mix of high efficiency units (higher end SEER/AFUE values) relative to the total units installed in that market. The analysis looked at the installation of furnaces with an AFUE rating of 80 or greater and air conditioning units with a SEER rating of 14 or greater in markets where more than 200 air conditioning and heating units were sold during 2022.
The Inflation Reduction Act that was signed in August 2022 provides tax incentives for eligible homeowners to make energy efficient improvements. Homeowners can receive an annual tax credit of up to $3,200 per year for heat pumps, other qualifying HVAC systems and water heaters, and certain other efficiency improvement projects, such as improving insulation.
