There’s a lot of perks that come from purchasing a new furnace, but the biggest is watching your energy bill decrease. That’s why this article focuses on how purchasing a new furnace can save you money.

 

A BETTER FURNACE

If you haven’t bought a new furnace in a while, you probably haven’t noticed their increased efficiency. A decade or two ago, furnaces in B.C. and the Vancouver area topped out at a rating of 80%. Back then 80% was considered great. Today however, newer systems provide ratings of 96-98%. That 18% leads to significant savings.

 

In a small, well-insulated home, a single stage, 80% furnace might make your winter heating bill $200/month. Upgrading to a single stage, 98% furnace saves you about 18% or $36/month. If you have a large home and are paying $400/month with an 80% furnace, then your savings increase to about $72/month when you upgrade to 98%.

 

If your furnace is even older, from the 90’s for example, then it may rate as low as 65%. That means the savings in a large home would be $132/month. Likewise, if your home is not well insulated then the savings from upgrading will be even more significant.

 

WHAT ARE HEATING STAGES?

A single stage furnace runs at 100% capacity, all of the time. This can cause the furnace to wear out a bit quicker. If you’re using a 100,000 BTU per hour furnace, it will always burn at 100,000 BTU. In comparison, a two-stage furnacecan run from 70% to 100% capacity, depending on your preference. This means it’s not working as hard because a 100,000 BTU furnace would be operating at 70,000 BTUs per hour. That saves your electricity and extends the life of your furnace…. Double the savings!

 

NO REPAIRS NEEDED

Furnaces old and new need regular maintenance and inspections. However, the older a furnace gets, the more repairs it might need. This can get costly over time, especially if any of the service calls are emergency or happen after hours.

 

TIPS FOR KEEPING YOUR HOME COMFORTABLE

If you’d like to hold out and get one more winter with your current furnace, there are a few things you can do to reduce your utility bill in the meantime.

  • JOIN A COMFORT PLAN: Some customer-centric heating and cooling specialists, such as Thomson Industries, offer a home comfort plan. This helps reduce your utilities by ensuring your HVAC system is well maintained and your ducts clean.
  • MAKE USE OF WINDOW COVERINGS: Just as curtains are great for keeping out the sun, cooling the room in the summer; leaving them open in the winter allows your room to warm naturally from the sun.
  • CONTROL HUMIDITY: Using a whole-house humidifier will let you keep the temperature of your home lower by a couple of degrees in the winter. Your family won’t feel any colder and your utilities will stay low.