Do Old Furnaces Consume a Lot of Electricity?

Writer • Mar 26, 2020

If you have an old furnace in your home, you might be wondering what sort of effect this is having on your home’s energy efficiency and your monthly utility bills. This really depends on the model of the furnace and just how old it is. But in general, any time a furnace is getting closer to the end of its usable life, you can expect it’s probably not going to be operating as efficiently as it once did, even if it started off as a relatively efficient unit.

This means holding on to an old furnace for too long can actually begin to cost you more than replacement would. Here are some issues to consider when it comes to old furnace power consumption in Portage, MI.

Efficiency has greatly improved

Older furnaces have nowhere near the level of energy efficiency you’ll find in the newer models on the market today. Even just in the last decade our standards of efficiency have changed significantly. It wasn’t that long ago that 80 percent efficiency was considered acceptable and “efficient,” but today the more efficient models on the market will deliver efficiency ratings of up to 95 percent. That 15 percent makes a big difference in the amount of energy you expend, and thus how much you are paying for your utilities every month.

Not only is fuel efficiency better in today’s furnaces, but you’ll also find the individual components of newer furnaces are much more efficient themselves. Moving parts on older furnaces required more energy to operate, whereas today’s furnaces have been designed “smarter.” The fan, blower and motor on older furnaces will take more energy (and thus, money) to operate. The difference is especially noticeable during times of extreme temperatures.

In this way, upgrading to a new unit can save you quite a bit of money on your utility bills and significantly cut down on your carbon footprint.

Cut out costs of frequent repairs

It stands to reason that older furnaces approaching the end of their usable lifespan need to be repaired more frequently than newer models that were just recently installed. After all, they’ve built up a lot more wear and tear over the years. The frequency of repairs that older units need can result in some big costs that you’d probably like to eliminate. Your decision to replace the old furnace rather than continue to make regular repairs could save you quite a bit of money in the long run.

Lowered home value

If you’re preparing to sell your home, you’ll find a newer, more efficient furnace will be an attractive feature to add to your listing, and will even increase the value of your home when you get an appraisal done. This is because home buyers want to see newer models so they don’t have to worry about replacing the furnace themselves within the first few years after they move in.

For more information about old furnace power consumption and whether old furnaces use a lot of electricity in Portage, MI, contact the team at All Brands Heating & Cooling today.

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