Five ways to improve the efficiency of your gas heating system

Nearly half of your home’s energy usage comes from your heating system, and thus it’s your largest energy expense. You can keep costs down by not cranking the temperature 24/7 while also having equipment inspected and maintained at least once a heating season. That’s only part of the solution to save on those heating bills.

From smaller add-ons to bigger changes, here are five ways you can upgrade your gas heating system, resulting in a more comfortable home and lower gas bills.

Weatherize your home with insulation and air sealing

One of the most effective ways you can impact the comfort of your home and improve efficiency of your heating system is through home weatherization. Adding insulation and sealing up drafty areas keeps heated or cooled air inside your home and the winter cold and summer heat out. As a result, your heating system won’t have to work as hard to keep you comfortable, prolonging its life.  

Upgrade to high efficiency natural gas heating equipment

When it is time to replace your heating system—after 15-30 years, depending on how well it has been maintained—look for high-efficiency equipment to deliver plenty of comfort with less energy required. High-efficiency equipment may cost a little more upfront, but long-term savings in energy and maintenance costs make it a wise investment. What’s even wiser? Taking advantage of equipment rebates and seeing if you qualify for 0% HEAT Loan financing.

You don’t need to replace your heating system entirely to make it more efficient. Here are some add-ons that can lead to big savings.

Add outdoor reset controls to a gas boiler

The temperature of your boiler can be automatically adjusted up or down depending on the outdoor temperature when you add weather-sensitive reset controls. This means your boiler won’t get unnecessarily hot on those milder winter days. The result is up to 10% savings on heating costs.

Use a heat recovery ventilator

Warm air that escapes through your home’s ventilation system contains wasted heat energy. But up to 70% of that heat can be recovered with a heat recovery ventilator and sent back into your home, lessening the need for your heating system to run in order to make up for that wasted energy.

Install a Wi-Fi thermostat

Wi-Fi thermostats take the energy saving potential of programmable thermostats and add a host of features that make it even easier and more convenient to manage your home’s temperature. Wi-Fi thermostats let you control temperature with your smartphone, so you can adjust your comfort whether you’re on your couch or en route back to your house on the evening commute. Some models will automatically adjust based on your schedule or the current weather. Using a Wi-Fi thermostat to manage temperature settings can help you shed up to $180 off your energy bills.

Ready to improve the efficiency of your gas heating system? The Sponsors of Mass Save^® are offering rebates on gas equipment, products and services. Check out new rebate opportunities for 2018 by clicking here.