When it comes to heating, a heat pump is often the most efficient option. Geothermal heat pumps access underground thermal energy and can transfer about 4 units of heat for each unit of electrical energy they consume, making them the most efficient air conditioning system for both heating and cooling. The energy efficiency rating, or EER, rates the maximum efficiency of a unit. It's a more important factor than SEER if the climate you live in is consistently hot and dry during spring and fall.
The highest-efficiency systems are rated at 13 EER or more. In general, furnaces are the most efficient heating systems, especially if you have natural gas. They work by heating the air with a component called a heat exchanger and pushing it into the house through a duct system, using a fan (often referred to as a blower). Along with the fact that they have high efficiency rates, one of the biggest advantages of furnaces is their relative affordability.
From the start, window air conditioners have been ranked as the champions of cooling smaller rooms and are considered to be the most common type of air conditioning. They come in several sizes and are suitable if you want to cool a small area. Let's say you choose a large window air conditioner. In that case, you can even cool a small house, considering that it is single-story or open-space.
This topic only covers central heating systems. If you're looking for high-efficiency portable heaters, you can read our Buying Guide for the Most Efficient Portable Heaters. The most efficient heating system for your home is the system that reduces your energy consumption in the most cost-effective and realistic way. These ratings come from Energy Star's list of the most efficient heat pumps. The downside is that the operating costs of the most efficient furnaces can be two to three times higher than those of the most efficient gas furnaces.
Although the efficiency is the same as that of gas boilers, some of the heat is filtered through the ducts. This means that the operating costs of gas furnaces are higher. If you're interested in the most efficient cooling system, read our guide to the most efficient air conditioning here.
