This week I had our furnace serviced as part of a regular maintenance package. We’ve gotten into the habit of doing this when our air conditioning broke down a month after moving into our home. You can imagine what it would be like having no AC in the middle of August. I contacted Advantage Heating and Air (Lawrence) through a reference from our real estate agent, and since then we’ve had the twice annual check ups — air conditioning in the spring and furnace in the fall.

So when I was setting up my fall appointment, I decided to ask Randy Ortiz of Advantage if he had any tips for saving on our heating bills this winter. This is what he had to say:

• Change your filter regularly. Randy says that if the filter is changed as recommended by the filter or furnace manufacturer, 71 percent of service calls could be avoided. He says pleated filters are the best, and usually need to be change quarterly. A brand he recommends is Honeywell. Other filters usually need to be changed monthly.

Here is a dirty filter:

Here is a clean filter:

• Install a programmable thermostat. You can have this done through Advantage Heating and Air for a cost of $125 to $300 installed. Programmable thermostats can also be purchased at Home Depot and installed by the homeowner. With this type of thermostat, you can set the temperature lower when you’re not home for long periods and increase the temperature an hour or so before you return. Randy recommends professional installation of the programmable thermostat if you have a heat pump.

• A humidifier can make the temperature in your home feel up to two degrees higher than it actually is.

• He also stresses that regular maintenance on your furnace will increase its longevity, and keep it running efficiently. One thing he points out, furnaces that have a pilot light are becoming obsolete in terms of their efficiency.

If you’re looking to purchase a new furnace or air conditioning unit, as part of the federal government stimulus package, you can receive 30% of cost, up to $1,500 tax credit, on the purchase of qualifying furnaces or air conditioning units. For more information, go to Energystar and click on tax credit for energy efficiency.

I’m a stickler when it comes to good service, and Advantage ranks up there for the quality of service they perform. I have been pleased with the employees I speak with on the phone and the service reps that come to my home. I agree with Randy that regular maintenance on your furnace keeps it running efficiently which saves us money, and in the long run can help avoid major problems.