Heating and cooling your home uses more energy and drains more

energy dollars than any other system in your home. Typically, 61% of

your utility bill goes for heating and cooling. What’s more, heating and

cooling systems in the United States together emit over a half billion

tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, adding to global

warming. They also generate about 24% of the nation’s sulfur dioxide

and 12% of the nitrogen oxides, the chief ingredients in acid rain.

No matter what kind of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning

system you have in your house, you can save money and increase

your comfort by properly maintaining and upgrading your equipment.

But remember, an energy-efficient furnace alone will not have as great

an impact on your energy bills as using the whole-house approach.

By combining proper equipment maintenance and upgrades with

appropriate insulation, air sealing, and thermostat settings, you can

cut your energy bills and your pollution output in half.