It's the same for getting to the airport in a nonchalant fashion; you cannot pull into the airport parking garage five minutes before your flight is scheduled to take off. Prior to 9/11, you might have had a chance to make that flight. No way in post-9/11.
Talk to many industry insiders, and the same can be said regarding the current sales pitch in the HVACR ranks - namely, the good-better-best approach. In their opinion, it's no longer doable and certainly on the way out - especially with 13 SEER being the national minimum efficiency standard for residential central air conditioners and heat pumps beginning Jan. 23, 2006. It's on this date that manufacturers can no longer build equipment less than 13 SEER.
With the higher efficiency standard, many experts agree that selling the value of comfort - versus the current status quo: level of efficiency - is the way to go. And, many are saying if you have not accepted the change already, you had best better do so in a hurry.