As the country heats up over the summer months, the price of staying cool will get more expensive in the years to come. Starting in January 2006, all home units of central air conditioning and heat pump systems will have to reach a 30 percent higher level of energy efficiency. The US Department of Energy is hoping that the mandate will cool the need for new power plants and keep energy consumption under control.

"That'll save a minimum 23 percent on every new home or air conditioning system sold in the United States, 23 percent less electricity used," says Steven Bouman, Energy Marketing Specialist for Mohave Electric Cooperative in Bullhead City, Arizona.

While old systems, which are typically at 10 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) or below, will not have to be changed, eventually as they break down and need to be replaced the price will be higher to replace them with a more efficient air conditioning system.

"It's going to cost people more money to install a new [air conditioning] system… because of the new US mandate," says Donald Berger, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Supervisor at My Plumber in San Diego. But "you don't have to go back and retrofit all of the houses that are in existence," says Bouman.

Air conditioners typically last approximately 10-15 years. After 2006 as the old ones wear out the new equipment with the new 13 SEER will be the minimum rating homeowners will be able to purchase.

"Unfortunately, the higher the SEER rating the more expensive the system; anything in energy efficiency, the better the system is the more you pay for it," says Bouman.

The last rating was set in 1992 at a 10 SEER. Initially the new 2006 mandate had been challenged but opponents were defeated. The mandate and expected wide usage of the new SEER systems by 2020 is predicted to save consumers an estimated $3.4 billion in energy costs and ward off the construction of 150 power plants in the decade to come, according to Alliance to Save Energy, an advocacy group.

Air conditioning systems have been on the rise and are expected to continue to become more and more popular over the next several years. With larger homes to cool, our electricity is being heavily stressed by cooling systems. According to The Energy Information Administration, 15.4 percent of all the electricity delivered to homes annually is used on air conditioning systems. While that may not seem extreme, the electricity is being used up in a short window of time which can cause blackouts by overstressing the generating capacity.

The good news is that the new high energy-efficient systems will likely pay for themselves in time.

"If you're building your house and you have to put two air conditioners in that house and if you spec out the house for a 12 SEER system, but you want to see what a 14 or 16 [SEER system] payback would be, then we do the mathematics to figure out how long it's going to take before you recover that investment. Generally it's not very long," says Bouman.

Depending on where you live and the frequency of usage, a new 13 SEER air conditioning system could save up to $800 a year, says Berger.

"A lot of old air conditioners that are out there are only seven, eight or nine SEER and that's what we've been replacing. [Homeowners'] savings could be between 50-70 percent in savings if they went to a 13 SEER unit," explains Berger.

The difficulty, though, is changing the old systems. There are two parts to an air conditioner -- the outdoor condenser and the indoor evaporator which sits on top of a furnace.

"Most furnaces are 47 inches tall and then the new evaporators with the 13 SEER ratings are going to be twice as large as the 10 SEER. So the retrofit replacement is going to be very difficult to do and in most cases in San Diego County and Southern California we are not going to be able to do it because we don't have enough height," warns Berger.

Despite the challenges, the 2006 mandate is expected to eventually drastically help ease the pressure on our nation's electricity grids, especially during peak power usage.

Published: August 23, 2004

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Phoebe is a writer, speaker, and author. She is the Director of Business Development for Quality Service Certification and a trainer in customer service for the real estate industry. She is a Realtor with The Guiltinan Group, a division of Prudential California Realty. Her articles, feature stories, and columns appear in various publications including The Coast News, Del Mar Village Voice, and Rancho Santa Fe Review in San Diego. Phoebe worked for KGTV/10News in San Diego as a Newscaster, Reporter and Community Affairs Specialist for more than a decade. Phoebe's writing is also featured in Donald Trump's book: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received. She is the author of If the Trash Stinks, TAKE IT OUT!: 14 Worriless Principles for Your Success. Contact Phoebe at 858.259.3646 or . Visit PhoebeChongchua.com for more information.