As temperatures start to drop people are avoiding turning on their heat because they don't want to pay for it yet. But there are some things you can do to make sure your home is as efficient as possible, like by changing the filter on your furnace once per heating season.
"The primary driver of maintenance is the lack of maintenance on the air filter," laughs Heath Atkerson of Doty Mechanical Inc.
Atkerson says a lot of people don't change their filter nearly as often as they should, and it can lead to higher heating bills and eventually equipment failure. He also says it's important to have your furnace looked at by an expert on a regular basis, or about once a year.
"To keep it operating at peak efficiency, it really should be looked at once every heating season," he explains.
Outside of the furnace, Terry DeDoes of Consumers Energy says there are other ways you can make sure your home is efficient and ready for winter:
"Gaps around your windows or doors, make sure you have good weather stripping around there. Just a 1/8 inch gap around your door equals say a hole the size of a softball in your door that goes unrepaired."
DeDoes says programming a thermostat to turn off when you're at work and asleep can save up to 15% on a heating bill.
