Energy efficient home heating
You don't have to live in an icebox to save on heating bills!
Just because you have a newer furnace doesn't mean you're getting energy efficient home heating out of it. Even a 90%-efficient furnace can waste energy - if it heats your house hotter than it needs to.
Here are the main topic pages in my energy efficient home heating section:
The most efficient home heating system looks at seven options for heating your home, and the costs and benefits of each.
Energy efficient electric heaters is my most popular heating page. If you're already heating with electricity, or thinking of adding an electric heater, look here for ideas on what types of heater will work for you.
Energy saving furnace describes the savings you can obtain by switching to a high efficiency furnace - savings in lifetime energy and maintenance costs and in carbon emissions, not to mention increased comfort and convenience.
Quartz space heaters are a particular kind of electric heater that provides heat only to solid objects its beam of infrared heat points at, so you can keep yourself warm in a drafty room without losing heat to the out of doors.
Natural gas advantages and disadvantages. For anyone wondering how natural gas stacks up against other heating sources, both for space heating and for other uses such as cooking and hot water.
Energy saving geothermal heating and cooling systems are expensive to install but they are extremely inexpensive to operate, and very quiet and reliable.
Solar power pros and cons, covering both solar electric and solar heating systems
Advantages and disadvantages of geothermal systems are described so you can decide whether you want to spend a big chunk of money up front in order to save substantially on future energy and system maintenance expenses later on.
I'm always amazed, when I visit my parents in the winter, how cold it is in their house. Energy efficient home heating, for them, didn't require an expensive new furnace. Instead, it meant turning down the thermostat and wearing sweaters and slippers.
Not only are they perfectly comfortable spending their days indoors at 59F (15C), that lower temperature keeps their internal furnaces burning a little hotter, so they maintain their trim, youthful figures into their 70's!
I'm not quite as cold-tolerant as my parents, and my wife likes it nice and warm (she grew up in milder climates than Toronto: Nigeria and Ohio). So we compromise: a programmable thermostat keeps the house comfortable when we're up and about inside the house, and down into my parents' comfort zone when we're asleep (and covered by a heavy duvet) or out at work.
What's the best option for a home heating system? I've identified seven choices and try to help you find The most efficient home heating system so you can decide what types of heating systems are available and what makes sense for you.
If you live in a house heated with electricity, you are probably paying more than you need to for your home heating. My brother has lived in an electrically heated house for twenty years and has found countless ways to cut his heating bill, from upgrading insulation and windows, to recapturing lost heat from hot water going down the bathroom drain. If you're already heating with electricity, or thinking of adding an electric heater to an extra room (back porch office, garage for example), check out Energy efficient electric heaters for ideas on what types of heaters are out there and how to choose the right one for your situation.
If you want to heat your home with a renewable fuel but don't have the energy to chop your own wood, how about a pellet stove? Pellet Stove Fires provides helpful information on this comfortable, economical, and environmentally friendly heating choice.
And don't forget the many other green living choices you can make in your home - see GreenFootsteps.com for lots of tips and techniques to help you live a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
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