Are there any government guidelines on heating efficiency?
Yes. Boilers and furnaces have ratings called A.F.U.E. (Annual Fuel Usage Efficiency). Compare for yourself. There are high efficiency boilers and high efficiency furnaces. But remember that A.F.U.E. only measures how well the boiler or furnace converts fuel into energy to heat the home. The way the heat is distributed throughout your home affects your comfort level and the system efficiency and the operating cost. The true efficiency of a heating system is a combination of the A.F.U.E. of the appliance and the efficiency of the distribution system. Baseboard distributes heat far more efficiently that a ducted system.
