Everything You Need to Know About Home Heating - Efficiency Smart

Everything You Need to Know About Home Heating

January 14, 2026

There are many ways to heat your home. Maybe you inherited a heating system that you're unfamiliar with, or you're considering upgrading to a new system and wondering what's the most efficient. Great news: You've come to the right place. This is your one-stop shop for learning about home heating. Let's dive in!

The Three Parts of Your Home Heating System

All heating systems have three parts: The heat source, the heat distribution system, and the control system. 

  1. Heat source: This is the mechanism that generates heat for your home. Common heat sources are furnaces, boilers, and heat pumps. 
  2. Heat distribution system: This is the way that heat is moved around your home. Think of ductwork or radiators. 
  3. Control system: This is how you manage your heat distribution. Most homes have at least one thermostat. Thermostats can be manual or smart. 

Expand the sections below to learn more about each of these.

  • Let's take a look at the different types of home heat sources. 

    Note: Here, efficiency is a measure of how much heat is generated for every unit of energy used. For example, electric resistance heating is almost 100% efficient, but it uses a lot more energy than other systems. 

    Furnaces

    A furnace heats air and blows it into ducts for distribution throughout the house. 

    • Efficiency: 59-98%, depending on model and age
    • Life Expectancy: 15-30 years
    • Fuel: Natural gas, propane, heating oil, electricity
    • Pros: Less expensive, and gets up to temperature quickly 
    • Cons: Can be loud and expensive to fix

    Energy-Saving Tip: Change your furnace filters regularly to ensure optimal performance, which helps reduce energy use. 

     

    Boilers

    A boiler heats water and sends it through pipes as either hot water or steam. When the heat has been used up, the water returns to the boiler and the process begins again. 

    • Efficiency: 50-90%, depending on model and age
    • Life Expectancy: 15-30 years
    • Fuel: Natural gas, propane, heating oil, biodiesel blends, electricity
    • Pros: Works well for zone heating where you heat specific areas and not others, and can also supply hot water in lieu of a standalone water heater
    • Cons: Expensive to install, pipes can freeze, and it takes longer to heat up water than air 

    Energy-Saving Tip: Install a smart thermostat to control zone heating in your home.

     

    Heat pumps

    A heat pump pulls heat from outside the home and moves it inside. (Heat pumps also provide air conditioning, which is a reversal of that process: Heat from inside is pulled to the outside to cool the home.) Since heat pumps move heat instead of creating it, they can deliver 3–4 times more heating electricity than they consume, making them 300% efficient.

    • Efficiency: 300
    • Life expectancy: 15 years
    • Fuel: Electricity
    • Pros: Can provide both heating and cooling, highly efficient, and rebates are available 
    • Cons: Installation can be expensive, and backup heat may be required, especially if the system is not a cold climate model

    Energy-Saving Tip: Heat pumps work most efficiently at a consistent temperature. Don't turn down the thermostat when you're away from home, because it will require more energy to get back up to temperature. 

     

    Resistance electric heating

    Heat is created by running an electric current through a wire.

    • Efficiency: 95-100% 
    • Life Expectancy: 20+ years
    • Fuel: Electricity
    • Pros: Typically cheaper to install 
    • Cons: The most expensive way to heat your home, can also be a potential fire hazard.

    Energy-Saving Tip: Turn the heat down or off when you're not in the room to save electricity. 

  • There are a few different ways that heat gets moved around your house. 

    Forced air 

    A forced air system uses a network of ductwork to transport heat from your furnace to the various rooms in your home via vents in the floor or walls.

    • Compatible Heat Sources: Furnace; whole-home heat pump
    • Pros: Can also be used for cooling
    • Cons: Can spread dust and allergens through the house

     

    Hot water and steam radiant

    Hot water or steam is piped through radiators or baseboards. 

    • Compatible Heat Sources: Boiler
    • Pros: Quiet
    • Cons: Slow to get up to temperature, furniture must be rearranged 

     

    Electric baseboards

    Hot air is released from the top of the baseboard. 

    • Compatible Heat Sources: Electric heat
    • Pros: Quick to get up to temperature
    • Cons: Furniture must be rearranged, easily damaged, expensive to operate 

     

    Ductless mini-splits

    A fan blows hot air from a wall-mounted unit. 

    • Compatible Heat Sources: Heat pump
    • Pros: Good for zone heating, can be used for air conditioning too, Rebates are available
    • Cons: Requires sufficient wall space 

  • Most homes have at least one thermostat. Homes with zone heating (like mini-split heat pumps, hot water baseboards, or electric baseboards) might have one thermostat for each zone. To reduce energy use in your home, consider installing a smart thermostat. It's an inexpensive upgrade that can make a big difference by controlling all your heating and cooling needs from a single place. 

    See Efficiency Smart’s rebate on smart thermostats.

Did You Know?

Electric resistance heating is the most expensive way to heat your home. If your home has electric resistance heating, it might be worth upgrading your heating system to save money on your heating costs. 

Considering an Upgrade?

When shopping for a new heating system, look for ENERGY STAR®-certified equipment, which generally costs less to operate because it's more efficient. Get multiple quotes for installing your new system so you can get the best deal. Not sure which questions to ask your contractor? Give us a call, and we'll help you make a list. 

Maintenance Tips

A well-maintained heating system runs more efficiently. When your system has to work extra hard due to clogged filters or broken parts, it uses more energy. Here are some easy ways to keep your equipment in tip-top shape:

  1. Clean or replace filters regularly.
  2. Have your system serviced regularly.
  3. Make sure vents and baseboards aren't covered by furniture.
  4. Check your ductwork to make sure it's properly sealed.  Use HVAC or foil tape to patch up any cracks. 

More Ways to Save Energy

Maintaining your heating system isn't the only way to keep your home warm. Here are some other things you can do to keep the warm air inside and the cold air out:

  1. Consider air sealing and insulating your attic and basement. Your home will retain more heat, which could also save you money on energy bills.
  2. Use weatherstripping and caulk to seal cracks around your windows and doors.
  3. Make sure your ceiling fans are spinning clockwise to push hot air down, which makes the room feel warmer.
  4. Open your curtains during the day to let the sun heat your home, and close them at night to keep heat inside.
  5. Install a smart thermostat to optimize your home's heating and cooling performance.

Learn More

Efficiency Smart's energy experts can help you with your home heating questions. Call us at 877-889-3777 or email [email protected]. 

Find More Ways to Save Energy and Money In Your Home

Visit our Resources page to explore tips and tools to improve your home's energy efficiency and save money. 

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