Cooling # Efficiency standards in the North region The DOE North region covers 30 jurisdictions. For split-system air conditioners under 45,000 Btu/h the minimum is 13.4 SEER2, and at 45,000 Btu/h and above it is 13.4 SEER2. The standard is enforced by date of manufacture of the unit itself. Heat pumps are the exception — they only have to meet the nationwide standard, wherever they are installed. Jurisdictions 30 AC <45k Btu/h 13.4 SEER2 AC ≥45k Btu/h 13.4 SEER2 Enforced by Manufacture **Jurisdiction notice. **Efficiency standards, refrigerant rules, incentives, and licensing are set federally, by region, and by state, and they change. This page reflects DOE guidance of October 5, 2022 and 10 CFR 430.32 as of 2026-08-17. Verify before purchasing. ## Which states are in the North region? DOE divided the country by population-weighted heating degree days. The North region covers 30 jurisdictions: Alaska · Colorado · Connecticut · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Maine · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New York · North Dakota · Ohio · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Dakota · Utah · Vermont · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming The North is the default region — states with 5,000 or more heating degree days. ## What minimums apply in the North region? Minimums for split-system and single-package air conditioners in the North region, in force since 2023-01-01. Source: DOE. Capacity SEER2EER2 less than 45,000 Btu/hr 13.4—45,000 Btu/hr and above 13.4— **Heat pumps are different.** Regional standards do not apply to heat pumps. A heat pump only has to meet the nationwide standard, wherever it is installed. The nationwide minimum for a split-system heat pump is 14.3 SEER2 and 7.5 HSPF2. ## How is the standard enforced here? In the North, the standard is based on the product's date of manufacture. A unit manufactured before January 1, 2023 may still be installed in the North after that date, as long as it complied with the standards in effect before January 1, 2023. In the North, a unit manufactured before the change can still be legally installed if it met the standard in force when it was built. That does not make it a bad buy on its own, but ask for the actual efficiency figure and weigh it against what the unit costs to run. ## What should a bid show you? Three bids rarely quote the same job, so comparing headline price compares three different things. The one that was done properly shows its work, and you can check it line by line: - Model numbers for the outdoor unit, indoor coil, and air handler or furnace. - The **AHRI reference number** for that exact combination. A rating applies to a matched system, not to an outdoor unit on its own. - The SEER2 and, on a heat pump, the HSPF2 of that combination. - The Manual J result the sizing came from. - The measured static pressure and any duct work included. - The permit, and who pulls it. - Labour warranty, separate from parts, and whether registration is required. [The full red-flags checklist](https://hvacbuddy.shop/hiring/). ## What actually drives the cost? We publish no national average price, and the reason matters: an average across every house, region and system type is not a number you can act on. A replacement that includes duct modification, an electrical upgrade and a permit is a different job from a straight swap, and both read as "system replacement" on a one-page proposal. What actually drives your number: - **Equipment capacity and tier**, which should come from the Manual J rather than the old nameplate. - **The ducts** — whether they can move the air the new equipment needs, and what it costs if they cannot. - **Electrical work**, if a circuit or panel change is required. - **Permit and inspection**, usually required. - **Refrigerant** — current equipment uses R-454B or R-32; remaining pre-2025 R-410A stock may price differently. [What a bid should itemise](https://hvacbuddy.shop/costs/) · [operating cost calculator](https://hvacbuddy.shop/calculators/). ## Which efficiency numbers can you actually compare? If you are comparing efficiency figures, check which generation they belong to first. On January 1, 2023 DOE changed the test procedure and renamed three metrics: SEER became **SEER2**, EER became **EER2**, and HSPF became **HSPF2**. The current procedure measures at a higher external static pressure, much closer to what equipment meets once installed in a real house on real ductwork. DOE is explicit about the consequence: "Although SEER2, HSPF2, and EER2 ratings are similar to ratings using the original metrics, they are not directly comparable. Compliance with the new standards for each model must be determined based on its measured SEER2, HSPF2, or EER2." In practice: a SEER figure from a 2019 article cannot tell you whether a quote reading SEER2 is good, bad or identical. That is why we publish no conversion factor. We do not publish a SEER-to-SEER2 conversion factor. DOE states that ratings on the new metrics are "not directly comparable" to ratings on the original metrics, and that compliance must be determined from the measured SEER2, EER2 or HSPF2 value. Approximate multipliers circulate widely, but they vary by equipment type and configuration, and using one to compare an old article's number against a number on today's quote is how homeowners end up believing they were offered less efficiency than they were. Compare like with like: ask for the SEER2 figure, and check it against the AHRI certificate. The nationwide minimum for a split-system air conditioner is 13.4 SEER2, and for a split-system heat pump 14.3 SEER2 with 7.5 HSPF2. [What each metric measures](https://hvacbuddy.shop/efficiency/) · [minimums by region and state](https://hvacbuddy.shop/efficiency/standards/). ## How is the right equipment size decided? Nearly every persistent comfort problem traces back to equipment size, and size is decided before the first box arrives. The standard is the ACCA **Manual J** load calculation (ANSI/ACCA 2 Manual J - 2016), which totals the heat gain and loss of your specific house: orientation, window area and type, insulation levels, air infiltration, internal gains, and your local design temperature. What a Manual J is *not*: square feet per ton, and not the old unit's tonnage. The first ignores everything that makes one house different from another. The second assumes whoever sized the old equipment got it right, and propagates their error for another fifteen years. Oversized equipment reaches the setpoint and shuts off before it has dehumidified, so the house ends up cold and clammy at the same time. Every start is also the hardest moment in a compressor's life, so wear accelerates. And you pay for the surplus capacity twice — once to buy it and again to run it. Ask for the completed Manual J in writing, not the claim that one was done. [What it contains and how to read it](https://hvacbuddy.shop/sizing/manual-j/). ## How can you verify any of this yourself? Everything regulatory on this site traces to a primary source and carries the date it was read: DOE for efficiency standards, EPA for refrigerants and Section 608, the IRS for tax credits, and ACCA for load calculation. The sources for this page are listed at the end with the date each was consulted. If you find a different figure elsewhere, check two things before deciding which to believe: whether the page says which generation its efficiency metric belongs to, and whether it carries a visible review date. Most of the outdated content in this category fails both tests. Sources (2) - U.S. Department of Energy — [Central Air Conditioners — Conservation Standards guidance (Final, October 5, 2022)](https://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/pdfs/2023_CAC_Standards_FAQ_10-5-2022_Final.pdf) (accessed 2026-08-17) - Code of Federal Regulations — [10 CFR 430.32(c) — Energy conservation standards for central air conditioners and heat pumps](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-10/section-430.32) (accessed 2026-08-17) By [HVACBuddy Editorial Team](https://hvacbuddy.shop/authors/editorial-team/). Last reviewed: 2026-08-18. Verified: 2026-08-17 HVACBuddy publishes independent information. We do not install or service equipment, we do not dispatch contractors, and we do not sell leads. Nothing here is engineering, tax, or legal advice.