If you’ve lived through a Utah winter, you know that even when it’s unseasonably warm for a stretch, you still need an effective heating system to get you through. As such, we hope that each year you invest in maintenance for your heater to ensure it operates as effectively and efficiently as it should for as long as it should. But is there anything else you can do to use your heater more affordably? Heaters can only maintain so much efficiency and work so well, even with regular tune-ups, so you may think there’s a limit to how much you can save. But we have some tips that will help you get the most efficient performance you can get from your heater. Even making some small changes can reduce your energy costs.

Should You Upgrade Your Heater?

If you have a heating system that’s 15+ years old, it’s going to start experiencing issues. Soon you won’t be able to expect it to perform efficiently at all. If your budget allows, we recommend looking into a heating system upgrade for an immediate effect on efficiency.

Replace Your Thermostat: If you still use a standard thermostat, consider upgrading to a digital thermostat. Taking this one step further we advise installing a programmable system that ensures you have total control over your home’s temperature, allowing you to use your heater more efficiently. Additionally, setting your thermostat a little lower can help improve efficiency too—you could go from setting your home to 72° when you aren’t there to 68° or so.

Adjust Your Vents: Adjust your vents to 25% closed to create pressure. This pressure increases the flow out of the register to a higher velocity. The air then is pushed further into the room and circulates better. This creates a more comfortable room. This also reduces hot and cold spots in each room.

Schedule Maintenance: We mentioned this above, but it can’t be understated! Scheduling maintenance on an annual basis—or biannual, if you have a year-round heat pump system—ensures that our professional technicians have the chance to thoroughly inspect, clean, and adjust any parts to help your heater perform better.

Filtrite filters: We do not recommend Filtrite filters. They are over restrictive and create low air flow in the duct system. If you want higher efficiency filter you might want to look at installing a 4” media style filter.

Return Air vents open: Make sure all your Return Air vents are not blocked and are cleaned regularly. This will allow for better air flow in each room.

Run your furnace fan all the time: Perhaps you already know that running your furnace during the summer can help distribute air more evenly, meaning you can turn your thermostat up a few degrees, effectively improving its efficient operation. But did you know you can use this same concept in the winter? This also helps reduce hot and cold spots throughout the home.