Your furnace is one of the most important appliances in the home. Providing you with adequate heating, they are especially vital throughout the cold, winter months. However, did you know you could be paying more than you need to? If it isn’t working efficiently enough, you will end up paying more on your heating bills than you should be. Below you’ll discover some of the best furnace tips to lower your heating costs.

Replace the filter

Did you know it is important to frequently change the filter on your furnace? If you want to ensure it is working as efficiently as possible, you will want to change it every month. However, you can get away with changing it a little less frequently. Ensuring you have a fresh filter installed can save you up to $60 per year. It is the filter’s job to protect the motor and the blower. If the filter becomes clogged, it will use more power as the motor needs to work harder.

Keep up with maintenance checks

It is better to prevent something from going wrong than it is to fix it. Therefore it is recommended you have the furnace professional checked over at least once a year. Ideally this should be done before winter sets in. That way you will be aware of any problems before you need to start really using it. The maintenance check costs less than $100 and will be a lot cheaper than repair costs if something does go wrong and it wasn’t picked up early enough.

Take a look at your duct system

How much thought do you give to the duct system in your home? Chances are this isn’t something you think about at all. However, the duct system is responsible for carrying heat from the furnace into the rooms of your home. If they aren’t insulated properly then a lot of heat could be escaping. Making sure the ducts are properly sealed and insulated could save you hundreds of dollars on your annual heating bills.

Think about long term savings

If you want to make a real difference to your energy bills, it may be worth investing in a more energy-efficient furnace. Sealed combustion furnaces tend to be the most energy-efficient and safest models available. They may come with a larger purchase price, but the savings you make will be worth it in the long term.

Overall keeping your furnace well maintained and following the tips above will help you to make a big difference to your heating bills. Sometimes you have to think about the long term savings you will make rather than the initial money you are paying out to make improvements.