When the weather turns cold, most of us turn to the comfort of home—and that means regular use of our furnace. Having your furnace come on too frequently, however, can result in wasted energy and high utility bills. Fortunately, it’s not impossible to heat your house efficiently. Here are some useful tips for keeping your Gaithersburg house warm without overusing your HVAC system.

Purchase a programmable thermostat.

If nobody is home, running the furnace to keep it warm amounts to wasted money. A programmable thermostat provides you with greater control over the temperature of your house. You can either set a schedule for your thermostat to raise and lower the temperature throughout the day, or you can check in to adjust the temperature using your computer or mobile device. This will help you keep your energy expenses in check, since your HVAC system won’t be heating or cooling your home when it’s not necessary. You can also watch our helpful video discussing the features and importance of thermostats.

Schedule a pre-winter furnace inspection.

If your furnace is well maintained, it’s more likely to provide you with consistently high-quality service when you need it. Having your furnace checked by an HVAC professional prior to the start of the winter months is a smart way to ensure that nothing is amiss. To keep on top of your heating and cooling needs for both summer and winter, you might consider purchasing an HVAC maintenance agreement, which provides for two annual inspections of your system.

Replace your furnace filter regularly.

In order to keep your furnace running at top capacity, it’s important that it doesn’t become clogged. This means that you should learn how to replace the filter in your furnace. Changing out your furnace filter for a new one every month—or more often, if necessary—is a good idea during the winter months, when your furnace sees heavier use.
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