With the colder season bearing down on us, there is a trend of people trying to devise a way to lower their heating bill this winter/cold season. The way to lower heating bills is to use less heating fuel. For most, this means use the furnace less.

But how do you use the furnace less without feeling cold around the house? Turning down the thermostat obviously uses less fuel (sometimes) because the furnace runs less. But that isn’t always practical, because it may leave you feeling cold. And uncomfortable.

Lets examine fireplaces and if they save energy.

Believe it or not, there are numerous ways to actually get your old, inefficient furnace replaced for free, or at least at very little cost. And we’re talking about quality, Lennox furnaces, Rheem, Carrier, etc.
Basically, you take advantage of the numerous credits and rebates that are floating out there right now. During the down time (the warmer months, or months just coming out of the cold season right up to the end of summer) a lot of heating contracting companies and the furnace manufacturers are int he middle of a …

Around this time of year, a lot of people (at least in the USA) turn their attention to their taxes. Its the wonderful time when all your expenses and income gets examine and run over with a fine tooth comb. Its also when people realize that they can take deductions or get credits for things they never knew about. In this first article of a series, we’ll look at possible tax credits for buying/installing a new furnace for your home.

If you’re in the market for a new home, you might want to consider looking for one that uses energy more efficiently than your current home.
In order to do this, you need to know how much energy your home currently uses. (If I could make a recommendation, check out the Energy Audit kit at http://www.energyaudits.net…shameless plug.) This kit will tell you how much energy you use currently.
Anyway, the kit also contains a “home buyer’s checklist” which outlines what you should look for in your next home (or apartment). But here’s …

This is a loaded question and unfortunately is one I can’t answer without a lot more information. I can break it down for you as best I can generically and let you plug in the numbers yourself.
First, understand that all furnaces are not created equal. Some are energy star certified, some aren’t. Some are high efficiency units, some are not. Some are old, some are new. Some are sized correctly for the living space, some are not.
Let’s take the variables one at a time. First, I’m going to assume that …

Right now, it’s a real buyer’s market out there. Interest rates are very low (if you can get approved) and real estate prices are plummeting. New home construction and remodeling have stopped. And the economy is still trying to shake off the cold, so to speak.
So, ideally, if you are looking for a new home right now you should be looking for features that will save you money on your energy bills. You can’t afford to have high energy bills.
When you look through a house, keep energy efficient thoughts in …

Finding and setting the optimal temperature may be a science in itself. You have to take into account the heat you use with your comfort level based on your activity.
For example is it necessary to have the heat turned way up at night while you’re asleep in your bed?
Do you need the heat turned off at any time?
You need to find the balance that suits you best.
I suggest playing with it some, but don’t make it too high or low.
In the winter set it no higher than 68 or 70 …

Basically, make sure the thermostat location isn’t too hot, or too drafty. The thermostat measures the temperature and locating it in either location can throw off the reading.
The effects can be disastrous for your utility bill.
The area might be warm, so the thermostat will be tricked into thinking the heat has done its job and turn it off. Actually, just the area where the thermostat is located is warm because it is directly over or very close to a heating vent.
The opposite is true as well. If …

There’s an argument to be made for cleaning your heat registers…actually, there’s several.
First, there’s the energy argument. In theory, especially in forced air systems, air flow is reduced as heat or air registers become clogged and otherwise dirty. Anything that reduces airflow has the potential for jacking up your energy bills because the furnace (or a/c for that matter) has to work harder to attain the desired room temperature.
And for non forced air heating systems (radiant heating for example), if the heating apparatus is dirty, the furnace (or heat source) …

Cost: $8 and up
Estimated Effort: 10 minutes
Approximate Savings: 10% or more
If your furnace is located in an unheated area like an unfinished basement, you might already have guessed that a lot of heat can potentially be lost in the ducts themselves. Between the furnace itself and the vents, even with no holes in the ducts, some estimate that as much as 15 – 30% of the heat from your furnace can be lost when it travels through an unheated area like a basement.
That’s a lot of heat loss!
If …