We'll just assume that in the past twenty years, you've purchased an appliance or two adorned with the Energy Star logo. We'll also assume that, unless you've been in the market for a new piece of heating or cooling equipment in the past couple of years, you've never heard of Energy Star's 'Most Efficient' label. Whether you're in the market for new HVAC equipment now or later, it's a good idea to learn about this exciting new program.Redefining energy-efficiency standardsFor two decades, the Energy Star logo has stood for energy efficiency, helping millions of consumers with purchasing equipment that met high standards. As time has passed, however, better technology linked to energy efficiency has allowed more appliances to carry the Energy Star logo than ever before. In fact, this is exactly why the new Most Efficient program began.Lower energy costsEven though the initial cost of a unit backed by Energy Star's 'Most Efficient' label may be higher, you can enjoy years of savings due to the higher efficiency ratings. To illustrate what this means, consider the fact that a furnace's AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) rating must be a minimum of 97 percent to qualify. Plus, air-source heat pumps must now exceed 65,000 Btu/h (British Thermal Unit per hour) in order to be considered Most Efficient. And when it comes to being awarded the new label, third-party testing must now take place, whereas manufacturers could previously test and certify their own products.Easy to findEnergy Star doesn't want to make it confusing when you shop for new equipment, which is why you can access a list of the 2013 Most Efficient on their website. Not only will you be given a run-down of each unit's capacity, you'll also find details including the estimated annual energy usage, estimated annual cost of operation, and overall capacity of the appliance.For more expert advice about Energy Star's Most Efficient label, or for questions relating to home comfort, please contact the professionals at Air Assurance. We have been serving the HVAC needs of the Greater Tulsa Metropolitan area since 1985.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock