Everyday Tips
1. Turn your thermostat down to at least 68 degrees when you are home. Reduce the setting to 55 degrees before going to sleep or leaving the house. For each degree you turn down the thermostat in the winter, you’ll save three to five percent on your heating costs. Note: Heat pumps operate better in a smaller temperature range, so try to keep a steady temperature setting.

2. On sunny days, open the curtains and blinds to let the sun warm your home. At night, close the curtains to trap heat inside.

3. Keep furniture and curtains away from heat registers and baseboard heaters.


Maintenance
1. Have your heating equipment serviced annually by a professional.

2. Clean or replace your furnace filter once a month.

3. Vacuum furnace air intakes, registers, and baseboard heaters. Dust lowers the efficiency of your system by blocking airflow.

4. Inspect your duct system for air leaks. Duct system joints can come loose, causing you to lose warm air into your attic or crawl space. Call a professional to help inspect and repair your system. Note: If you choose to fix duct leaks yourself, use duct mastic, not duct tape.

5. Inspect your home for air leaks. Consider caulking windows, adding weatherstripping to doors and sealing other leaks in an effort to keep the heat inside your home.


Selecting/Installing
1. Install a heat pump, the most efficient form of electric heat in moderate climates. Heat pumps are rated by their heating season performance factor (HSPF), which increases as efficiency increases. Look for an HSPF of 8.0 or greater.

2. Look for an ENERGY STAR®-qualified heat pump, typically 20 percent more efficient than other systems on the market. An ENERGY STAR system may be more expensive to buy but will save you money over the life of the product.

3. Install a programmable thermostat and set the temperature to match your schedule. Based on your preferences, the thermostat will automatically turn your heat down while you sleep or are away from home. (If you already have a heat pump, be sure to purchase a special thermostat specifically designed for heat pumps and adjust the setback temperatures to limit the use of the backup furnace.)

4. Insulate ductwork – the network of tubes that carries air from your furnace to each room – if it runs through an unheated portion of your house (i.e. crawlspace, attic).

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