And if that’s not enough, the media (newspapers, tv, radio and magazines) all join in the shrill cacophony, aided and abetted by every service station proclaiming the current price in huge signs, nearly impossible to miss as you drive along the streets and highways.

     So it is not without a certain amount of envy that we too, long for ways to daily remind our customers of the high cost of cooling and heating their homes (and what they can do about it) rather than the months (years?) it now takes.

     Subconsciously, I think many people use the cost of a gallon of gasoline as an inflation barometer and subsequently of well being. And yet, somehow these same people are not nearly as conscious of rapidly rising costs in other forms of this same petroleum product (natural gas, electricity, LP gas and fuel oil) when it comes to heating and cooling our homes, even though they are closely related.

     I’ll bet that 8 of 10 people you meet on the street (or in the mall) can tell you within pennies, the cost of a gallon of gasoline today (and 5 out of 10 can tell you the miles per gallon their vehicle delivers). Contrast this with the average homeowner, who I daresay, has not the vaguest idea of the cost of a cu ft of natural gas or a kilowatt of electricity, even though the former (gasoline) is only used 2 or 3 hours a day while some form of the latter (natural gas & electricity) is used in most homes nearly 24/7/365.

     Even more important, trying to improve the efficiency of an automobile (more miles per gallon) usually results in (1) less usage (2) a smaller car with fewer conveniences. Contrast that with what can be expected when one of today’s high efficiency HVAC systems are installed. Just the opposite!

     In addition to fantastic benefits that include more comfort, quieter operation, more convenience, the peace of mind from longer equipment life, and fewer problems, there are real savings in the cost of operation, that depending upon the age of the existing equipment, borders on “unbelievable”.

     Bear in mind that any air conditioner or heat pump that is 10-15 years old has a SEER rating (Gov standard of efficiency) of about 6. That’s because that was the highest rating available back then. Compare that with some of today’s equipment that has SEER ratings of 18 or more. For a comparison of what this means in energy savings, check the chart below: