We’re getting into the coldest days of the year now, and a lot of homeowners are being faced with an crucial decision: my 20 year old furnace is dead, what kind of furnace should I buy? Should I get the cheaper model or the more expensive one that has the higher efficiency rating? Is two stage operation or a variable speed fan worth the additional cost?

A good place to start is to figure out your current heating costs. whether you use natural gas, what other natural gas appliances do you have? whether you’re only other natural

gas appliance is a hot water tank, that will typically consume $200-$300 in gas every year. A gas stove will typically consume less than $50 in gas a year. The rest should be used by your furnace.

Another method to determine the energy costs of your heating is ask for your month by month energy costs for the last year (or more) from your utility company. The difference amoung your gas costs in the winter and the summer provides a good estimate of your heating costs. (more…)

Orginal post by Home Improvement Guy