In 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched its Energy Star rating program voluntary labeling of products that meet strict energy efficiency guidelines. Now partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy, the EPA estimates that in 2008, this program saves enough energy to prevent the emission of greenhouse gases enough that would be equivalent to those produced by 29 million automobiles.

It is also estimated that customers saved $ 19 billion in the same year on their utility bills. Since the Energy Star rating has been added to home heating and cooling equipment in 1995, and utility costs for heating and cooling account for about a third of household energy bills each year, this means that owners can save money by installing air conditioning equipment with high efficiency ratings.

If your house has a central air conditioning unit that has more than twelve years of age, you may want to consider purchasing a new classification model. Air conditioning equipment that qualifies for Energy Star rated has a much higher efficiency than older standard models do. This results in an efficiency of around 14% higher when using the Energy Star model as opposed to a standard which in turn translates into huge savings on utility bills and emissions of greenhouse gases. Although the initial cost of energy star units air conditioning can be greater than the standard units, the additional cost will be more than offset by lower energy costs over the life of the air conditioner.