I'm just off the phone with an air conditioning tech who tells me the EPA changed the rules on older Freon production earlier this year, tripling the cost of what's known as R-22 refrigerant. The changes apparently came as a surprise, and appear to be in addition to the previously published EPA scheduled phase out of R-22.
Summer's coming. And as people get their system checked, they're getting sticker shock when they see the bill.
Don't blame the tech or his (or her) company. Blame rests with the Environmental Protection Agency.
The only media coverage of the R-22 situation I can find is a story from The Florida Times-Union, which describes this year's Freon prices as radically higher. And it sounds like my tech gives me a break by only tripling what he charges for Freon. According to the Times-Union report, the cost of R-22 has tripled to quadrupled compared to last year.
In tough economic times when many households are struggling, and gasoline prices are rising, a drastic hike in cost of keeping cool this summer seems like something the government could have easily held back on.
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