Contractors suffer from consumer pessimism when it comes to new products for the residential customer. Terms like zone control, heat pumps, tankless hot water heaters, UV light sterilization, electronic air cleaners, and energy recovery ventilator/heat recovery ventilator (ERV/HRV) are all foreign to most homeowners. Contractors may as well be selling flying washing machines. How then, does the contractor sell these new technologies?
The current push for energy efficiency has been a key to residential technology upgrades. Once introduced to the concept of saving large amounts of money for energy-efficient heating and cooling, residential customers are impressed and ready to buy. The initial installation cost, however, is a stunning deterrent, making customers quickly change their minds and revert to the lesser-priced option. So, how do contractors clinch the deal? Is there another benefit to new HVAC technology that customers aren't considering?