What you can do:

1. If you have a forced air furnace change your furnace filter every 1-3 months.
2. Have your furnace cleaned and serviced annually if it is an oil furnace, once every two years for natural gas or liquid propane gas furnaces.
3. A forced air furnace will have heat ducts for moving heated air from the furnace to the living quarters in the home. All ducts in unheated basements should be insulated.
4. If your heating system uses hot water to transport heat to the living quarters (hydronic heating system) be sure to insulate all hot water pipes in unheated basements.
5. When you are in the market for a new furnace or if your furnace is more than 15 years old and is in need of repairs consider buying a new energy efficient furnace. A 15 year old oil furnace with a heating efficiency of about 70% can be replaced with a furnace of 86% and the annual savings would be about 20% of the total heating bill. The savings on energy can pay for the cost of the furnace within 2 or 3 years.  To maximize your savings air seal and insulate your house first, so you get buy a smaller more efficiency furnace unit.

Savings:

1. Changing your furnace filters every 1-3 months can save as much as 5% on your heating bills (up to $100/year).
2. Keeping your furnace cleaned and serviced can save 5-10% on fuel bills, and also reduces the chances of costly repairs or equipment breakdowns in the middle of the winter.