During the winter, the last thing you want to do is turn down your furnace to reduce your energy costs. While you might be able to put on more layers to feel warmer, you'll still feel freezing after you've taken a shower or early in the morning after you have woken up. However, there are fortunately other ways to stay warm while lowering your heating costs.

Inspect Your Ductwork

Make sure your ductwork is inspected to ensure that heat is not escaping from your home. You will want to make sure that all the areas where heat might escape are sealed so that your furnace does not have to work harder to keep your home warm.

Use a Space Heater

In addition to your central heating unit, you could use a space heater. Then, the room you are currently occupying can keep you extra warm while you lower the thermostat for the rest of your home.

Service Your Filters

Make sure to check your furnace filters regularly to make sure that it doesn't become dirty. Failing to replace a furnace filter will force it to work harder because air circulation will be impeded. Some filters are disposable and you will need to purchase new filters regularly while other filters can be rinsed with water, dried, and reinstalled in your furnace.

Tune-Up Your Furnace

Make sure to have your furnace serviced regularly. Generally, you will want a furnace tune-up once a year. As your furnace becomes worn down, it will operate less efficiently and will cause your heating bills to become higher. As your heating bills are higher, you might feel like your home is never getting warmer. 

Purchase a New Furnace

When your furnace has gotten too old and is no longer operational, you may also need to have it replaced with a new unit. Fortunately, this might be an exciting opportunity to save more money. You might be able to install a furnace that is newer and more advanced. Furnace manufacturers are constantly looking for new ways to make their furnaces more efficient and standards for efficiency are always going up.

You may also choose to install a furnace that uses more energy-efficient fuel. Your original furnace might have been powered by electricity, which might be convenient, but is not as efficient as oil and natural gas furnaces. A heating contractor will be able to inform you about the most affordable heating option for your home.