The GE AEQ06LM lacks the Energy Star rating its sister system, the GE AEM06LM, has. Side by side, these two systems are almost imperceptibly different. By the numbers, however, they begin to distinguish themselves.

The GE AEQ06LM is slightly smaller than its sister in overall height, depth and width, yet this only translates to a mere 1 pound difference in the weights of the two systems. All the bells, whistles, and aesthetics of each system are comparable. The only major differences to be found here are in the overall BTU outputs (the GE AEQ06LM is rated 300 BTU less than its sister) and in the EER (9.7 on this unit versus 10.7).

BRAND	GE
MODEL #	AEQ06LM
Capacity and Efficiency		Control and Usability
BTU	6,000	Fan	3 Cooling, 3 Fan Only
Type	Cooling	Controls	Digital, with Remote
EER	9.7	Filter Type	Slide-Out, Washable
Energy Star	No	Timer	24 Hour Delay
Chassis Type	Fixed	Automatic Thermostat	Yes, Electronic
Power Usage and Warranty		Dimensions
Volts	115	Height	12.4"
Cool Amps	5.6	Width	17.7"
Cool Watts	620	Depth	13.3"
Heat Amps	Not Applicable	Min Opening Height	13"
Heat Watts	Not Applicable	Min/Max Opening Width	24.5"/38"
Warranty	Limited 1-year, Parts and Labor	Weight	48 lbs.

Still, it is rather hard to recommend the Energy Star rated system over this one as the accompanying federal Energy Guide for each unit only shows a difference of three dollars in the projected operating costs. This makes sense considering these systems are only intended to cool a space of about 200 square feet. However, when the differing cooling capacities of these two systems must also be considered an an apple-to-apples fashion, this operating cost difference is closer to five dollars a year. This obviously depends on your local utility rates and usage, but it is really only in the systems with greater BTU output that a financial impact can really be weighed.

We were able to find this unit online for a paltry $155 at the time of this posting. At around $55 cheaper than the energy efficient model, it would take around 11 years to recoup this large a difference in price. That said, the likelihood of a unit being plagued by any number of system issues is very high at this point in its life, and the cash implications of the energy savings so low over this period of time that the Energy Star rating is almost negligible to the point that we would only recommend the Energy star unit over the AEQ06LM based solely its extra capacity if your space is notably larger than about 200 square feet.