What is an AFUE Rating and Why It Is Important?

What does AFUE stand for? AFUE is an abbreviation for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. It is important, because the FTC requires that all new furnaces and boilers display the AFUE ratings. It allows consumers to compare the energy efficiency of different furnaces and boilers.

Many consumers have confusion over what Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency actually means. The easiest way to explain it is that it is a measurement of the amount of heat a fuel burning appliances produces in relation to the amount of energy it consumes in one year. For example, a furnace that has an 80% AFUE rating turns 80% of the energy it uses into heat. Furnaces that were installed 15-20 years ago have much lower AFUE ratings (sometimes as low as 55% for older models).

How do you know what is considered a high efficiency furnace? The new minimum AFUE rating for new furnaces is 78%. According to the EPA, a mid-efficiency unit has an AFUE rating of between 80 and 83 percent, and a high-efficiency unit has a rating between 90 and 97 percent. Either of these furnaces can work for your needs. A high efficiency furnace will use less energy which will save you money on your monthly energy bills and leave a smaller carbon footprint. However, high efficiency furnaces will cost you more money upfront.

AFUE allows you, the consumer, to compare apples to apples. If you need helping deciding what AFUE rated furnace your home needs, please call Around The Town. We will do whatever it takes to help you decide on what new furnace best fits your home’s needs.