With every other day in Houston being either sweltering hot or below freezing, it is hard to decide whether to open the windows or start the fireplace – much less know whether to start the heater or the air conditioner.   While you’re sitting around trying to decide what the weather will be tonight… we thought you could use some factoids about home heating:

• Space heating is the largest heating expense in the average U.S. home, accounting for about 45% of energy bills.
• The most common home heating fuel is natural gas. It is used in about 57% of American homes.
• Between 2007 and 2012, the average U.S. home spent more than $700 on heating using natural gas & more than $1700 on heating homes using heating oil.
• Before upgrading your heating system, improve the efficiency of your house. This will allow you to purchase a smaller unit, saving you money on the upgrade & operating costs.
• The efficiency of combustion heating appliances (furnaces & boilers) is measured by Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE).
• In 2011, heating equipment was involved in an estimated 53,600 reported U.S. home structure fires, with associated losses of 400 civilian deaths, 1,520 civilian injuries, and $893 million in direct property damage. These fires accounted for 14% of all reported home fires.
• Space heaters, whether portable or stationary, accounted for one-third (33%) of home heating fires and four out of five (81%) of home heating fire deaths.
• The leading factor contributing to home heating fires (28%) was failure to clean, principally creosote from solid-fueled heating equipment, primarily chimneys.