Sunday, March 8, 2009

Deadline nears to take advantage of tax credits for high-efficiency HVAC systems

Chicago based woman-owned HVAC firm Premium Mechanical empathizes with budget-conscious homeowners; urges them to take advantage of substantial cost savings


“Home owners who have been waiting to replace their furnaces and central air conditioning systems with new high efficiency products now have a good financial incentive to take the plunge,” according to Betty Pendley, owner of Premium Mechanical, Inc., one of only a few Chicago based woman-owned full service heating and air conditioning firms. furnaceThe American Recovery and Revitalization Act of 2009, which was passed into law on February 17, gives homeowners significant incentives to install high efficiency units.

It’s a great time to go green with your heating system,” said Pendley, whose 8-year old company has earned a zero-complaint status from the Better Business Bureau. “Not only are there substantial tax credits from the new federal stimulus bill, but at least two local gas companies, People’s Gas and North Shore Gas, are adding to the deal by offering their own rebates on gas furnaces.”

The new federal law enables home owners who purchase qualifying heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems (HVAC) for their primary residence to receive a tax credit equal to 30 percent of the cost of qualifying equipment, including installation—with a maximum of $1,500 per tax credit.

“The new legislation covers purchases through December 31, 2010, but right now there is an even greater incentive for people to upgrade or replace their system sooner rather than later,” says Pendley. “North Shore Utility and Peoples Gas are offering rebates to customers who purchase these qualifying systems by April 30.” Energy star rated water heaters can earn from $75 to $400 in rebates, depending on their efficiency; boilers, from $350 to $600 depending on efficiency; furnaces,from $350 to $450 depending on efficiency.

“We are an authorized dealer of many different types of qualifying systems,” said Pendley,“and installation usually takes only one day.” Premium Mechanical receives many calls from homeowners because, increasingly, they are concerned about their utility costs. “We are working with a wide range of homeowners throughout the Chicago metro area and at all price points. People are astute about the cost of energy and want to find ways to cut back on their utility bills,” observes Pendley. “What many of them don’t realize, until they call us, is that new HVAC systems can significantly reduce energy usage, even if the current systems are not really that old. They also don’t often recognize that, in most cases, installation is straight forward and quick.

hvac 2 roofThe new tax legislation covers a number of different HVAC systems. Split system air conditioning systems must achieve both a 16 seasonal energy efficiency rating (seer) and a 13 energy efficiency rating (eer). Split system heat pumps must reach 15 seer, 12.5 eer and a heating seasonal performance factor rating (HSPF) of at least 8.5. Gas furnaces qualify if theyattain an annual fuel utilization efficiency rating (AFUE) of 95%. Packaged air conditioning, heat pump or dual fuel systems must reach ratings of 14 seer, 12eer and 8 HSPF.


“We are an authorized dealer of systems from several major manufacturers and so we can recommend the right system at the right price,” says Pendley. “In addition to factory warranties on all products, we offer five years of free warranty labor.We want to help Chicagoans go green and save money—and there is truly no better time than now. But we do recommend that homeowners womancheck with their tax advisors to get expert advice on how to get the most from these new tax benefits.”

Pendley also advises homeowners who aren’t ready for a new system to be sure and have their system checked and cleaned annually. They can save money on their utility bills while preventing costly repairs.

Premium Mechanical, Inc. is located at 5550 N. Kimball in Chicago. The company’s highly regarded installation,maintenance and repair team has more than 100 combined years of experience and has earned an impeccable reputation for quality and service. Premium Mechanical’s friendly team of professional consultants are happy to review homeowners’ HVAC systems, recommend the optimal solution and answer questionsabout how they can improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

Betty Pendley has been in the HVAC business for nearly 20 years. She and her company have been featured on WIND-AM radio for providing free installation services for Habitat for Humanity. For more information, please contact Premium Mechanical at (773) 267-4477, or send an email to premiumheatair@aol.com. Visit the website at www.premiummechanicalinc.com.

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