Generally speaking, how much more energy efficient would a m...

[ralphcassjr]

Generally speaking, how much more energy efficient would a modern heat pump be than one that is approx 25 years. I live in North Carolina and we have temperatures regularily well below freezing Dec. through March. It is not uncommon for the temp to drop to single digits. Also, this being the case with the climate is this the way to go or a gas furnace [propane] and a central A/C unit?

[HVACdocAZ]

25 years ago the best rated unit was 10 SEER
the energy standard is now13 seer and they go up to 19+ seer
seer = "seasonal energy efficiency rating"
the higher the seer the better the efficiency

If you purchased a 13 seer unit ...depending on your climate....you can expect a 30% on average reduction in the amount of energy your unit consumes. As you go up in seer the savings just gets better.

keep in mind that the HVAC industry is at a major crossroad. The Freon we have used for 30 years now has been R-22. As of 2010 the goverment has banned the production of R-22 heating and cooling systems and soon they will stop production of R-22 all together. So make it a priority to make sure your new system has the new Freon R-410a.

You dont want to be 6 - 7 years done the road with a freon leak and find out you have to buy a new unit again.

good luck