By Jim Wheeler
It’s a sad fact that although many homebuilders and remodelers offer all sorts of upgrades, from plumbing fixtures to swimming pools, few offer upgrades to air-conditioning systems. Yet, after the home has been lived in for a while, one of the most frequent homeowner complaints (and warranty calls) is about the way their air conditioners work or how much energy they use. The good news: That's not the way it has to be.
There are so many things to consider when it comes to providing better, more comfortable cooling and heating systems. However, let’s start off with energy upgrades and look at ways in which they can be sold and financed.
Of course, your model houses (if you have such) are poor places to show all the air-conditioning options that are available. Your clients can't see them, nor can they live in the model house. However, you can present them with a list of the types of units available and show the energy savings for each.
Perhaps it would be best to offer three different packages, which can vary, depending on your local climate. The farther north you live, the more important it is to have super-high-efficiency heating; the farther south you live, the more important high-efficiency cooling options become.
More efficiency, better performance
Typical natural-gas furnaces start at 80% efficiency (AFUE), but better models are available that are closer to 100% efficiency. That's a big improvement over the units that were available just 20 years ago, when they averaged about 60% efficiency.
We'll go into more detail with air conditioners, though, since the cooling season is almost here. Starting in 2006, residential air conditioners will be required to be at least 30% more efficient that they are now. The current efficiency minimum is 10-SEER (or BTUs of cooling per watt of electricity consumed); the new efficiency minimum will be 13-SEER. However, almost all manufacturers already offer higher-efficiency options in ranges to near 20-SEER, so even greater energy savings are available to your clients. And in most cases, the higher the efficiency of the unit, the more comfortable and reliable they are.
Besides using just a list to present upgrade options to your clients, why not ask your favorite HVAC contractors to provide their own showrooms and salespeople? After all, they also have something to gain by selling better products, and they're in an even better position to explain the latest technology to the customer.
Keeping the payments down
I know that everyone is concerned about not selling so many options that the customer can’t qualify for a loan. However, at least one major lender (Fannie Mae) will raise the qualifying limit if the potential buyer purchases energy-upgrade devices. The idea is that if homeowners have lower utility bills, they can afford a more expensive home.
These Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs) are offered through Fannie Mae's Housing and the Environment Initiative, which promotes the design, construction, and purchase of more efficient homes. According to their website, www.efanniemae.com, "The EEM allows borrowers to qualify for a larger mortgage as a result of the energy savings. The EEM benefits those buying new, energy efficient homes or those purchasing existing homes that need energy improvements." The website also provides information about participating lenders.
Energy upgrades on air conditioning, heating—even insulation and water heaters—don’t have to be a liability for home financing. In fact, the homebuyer comes out ahead in two ways: lower mortgage payments and lower energy costs. That's definitely a "win-win" situation!
Jim Wheeler is an award-winning writer and teacher with more that twenty-five years in the field of HVAC. He may be reached by e-mail at jimwheeler@ij.net.
| 
