These steps, most of which you can do yourself, will help cut your utility bills, protect your investment and possibly increase the value of your home. Get Your Furnace Serviced Investing in an annual service for your home heating system will save you money in the long run. For about $100-$300, a technician will inspect your furnace, boiler or heat pump to be sure the system is clean and in good repair, and that it can achieve its manufacturer-rated efficiency. The inspection also measures carbon-monoxide leakage. If you do this in the fall, you’ll minimize the chance of being 200th in line for repairs on the coldest day of the year. Look for a heating and air-conditioning contractor that belongs to the Air Conditioning Contractors of America and employs technicians

1. Install a Programmable Thermostat A programmable thermostat allows you to preset temperatures for different times of the day because you don’t need to keep your home at 68 degrees around the clock. Although one shouldn’t be used with heat pumps, a programmable thermostat is a real money-saver with air-conditioning as well as with heat. Choose a setting on the low end when you’re sleeping or are away and go with a higher setting at other times (see table bellow) for savings of between 10 and 20 percent of your bill. Some units can store up to four temperature settings each day — e.g., morning, day, evening, night. All have a manual override switch. You can generally install a new thermostat yourself. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, but typically you