Secrets of Rebates




Don't let the HVAC rebate motivate your buying decision unless all other factors are equal.

At some point in your shopping, someone will probably tell you about a rebate that the electric or gas company is offering on a particular efficiency. Utility companies in Minnesota and across the country offer rebates to reduce their overhead by reducing consumption (with higher efficiency systems), but may not be what you need. Accept the rebate only if it is for the type and size of unit you need.

Here's one way that a lot of HVAC companies use to qualify for a rebate that usually causes more harm than good:

Cooling systems (evaporator coil and condensing unit combinations) are rated by SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). These SEERs are determined by one of two very different ways.

  1. The manufacturer, who makes their own coils and condensing units, must hook up and run the systems in their facilities and provide a SEER rating that is submitted to the ratings publisher, ARI. ARI then prints these ratings in a large ratings book.
  2. Third party manufacturers make coils that can supposedly be matched with any brand air conditioner. Since these "magical" coils can match any air conditioner, they can't be physically tested with every possible unit on the market. Therefore, the third party manufacturer is allowed to submit computer-generated ratings to ARI. This rating is sometimes falsely inflated by running on a computer simulation rather than an actual system. These ratings assume complete matching of furnace type, furnace size, coil size and condenser.

These inflated ratings seem great because they qualify for rebates at a much lower upfront cost than the manufacturer's properly matched set. The problem is that the consumer usually pays more in the end because the coils turn out to be much less efficient and often harmful to the rest of the system. The worst part is that the efficiency ratings do not consider proper matching of duct sizes. By this point you should know that a properly matched furnace, coil and condenser doesn't amount to a hill of beans of the duct sizes won't accommodate their proper airflow.

If the rebate is offered on the equipment in the size, brand and efficiency level you want, and your trusted contractor thinks it will work for you, that's great. Consider it a bonus.

Don't let the HVAC rebate motivate your buying decision unless all other factors are equal.

For more information on high efficiency furnaces, SEER and HVAC rebates, contact us. Minnesota based Total Comfort has been serving Minneapolis/St. Paul residents for over 50 years.