Tim P. had lived in his house for about 4 years. “After a few years, I wasn’t getting the cooling I needed from my central AC.” Plus, he had to pay to have the Freon refrigerant refilled every year.

The house was over 20 years old and the HVAC system was the original, installed when the home was built.

Tim called an Ameren Missouri Heating and Cooling Program participating contractor to look at the system. The contractor ran an efficiency analysis that showed the system was, as the contractor put it, “on its way out.”

After the participating contractor reviewed the options, benefits and rebates with Tim, he decided to replace his systems. The participating contractor installed a SEER 16 central air conditioner, along with a new furnace.

Tim also purchased a new smart thermostat that automatically adjusted the heating and cooling according to whether his home was occupied or was about to be occupied. This saved energy when he wasn’t home and increased comfort by pre-heating or pre-cooling his home when he was on his way home.

Tim noticed an immediate improvement in the heating and cooling of the house. The home was more comfortable and his energy use was lower. In fact, his energy use dropped about 25.4% in cooling months compared to previous years’ averages. Tim was keeping his house cooler and he saw a 10–15% decrease in his energy bill.

Tim received a rebate from Ameren Missouri for the air conditioners, as well as for the new smart thermostat. He said the Ameren Missouri Heating and Cooling Program process was easy since the contractor did all of the work, and the rebates were a “huge part” of his decision to upgrade the system as he did.