The below article explains how not being proactive in taking care of your home heating problems can be very expensive.  Always great information from AskBoyd.com

Crisis Management Is Expensive

October 9, 2008

Ok, so it is now October and since the end of the last heating season, you have said “There is no way that we can make it through the next winter with our current furnace”.  Either because it has come to the end of it’s useful life, or because you are sick and tired of spending $200 a month to heat the house and you are sending $80 a month out the chimney and you want to increase your homes efficiency and tighten your budget.Whatever the reason, the one thing that is certain, by waiting you increase your odds of having to make that fateful call to the HVAC contractor in the middle of the night or on Sunday to “Fix” or “Replace” the furnace that you promised yourself you would take care of before the next winter season.

The opportunity has been under your nose the whole time.  You are now faced with the decision to repair your system for $1000 (and that could be to replace a $100 part.  They do that to get you to make the decision to replace) or you are being told that for $4,000 you can have a new furnace installed in the next 24 hours.  But, If you don’t let them do it, you will be warned that “everyone is busy” and it may be weeks before anyone can get to you.  Grrrrrr, that makes me mad.

Your alternative is to do a little research, find a company that offers name brand quality equipment, is personal enough to help you with your choices and buy the furnace yourself.  Then  find a good sensible local HVAC pro who will be happy to install your new furnace on a “Time & Material” basis.

By doing this, you can save as much as $2,000 and have exactly what you will get if your pushed into the corner to make the decision under duress.  The Contractors will tell you that if you buy your own equipment, you are on your own.  That is pure BUNK!

Here is an example:  When you bought your home and moved in, the Heating and Air equipment was there before you.  When you have needed assistance and called the local HVAC pro, he has come out and repaired.  He probably didn’t sell that system, so where is the “On Your Own” in that?

Look, in today’s stressed out, beat up financial markets, without a doubt, the very best investment that you have access to, is nowhere near Wall Street.  It is on “Your Street” and is probably in your basement or closet and it is your Furnace.

Don’t get backed into the corner.  It is your money and you should be the one to decide how it is best spent, not someone who’s primary goal is to increase their net worth and not yours.

According to newly released industry stats, the AHRI (Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute) is reporting large increases of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for July 2008.  The sales of these units are up 6.2% from the same period a year ago.

In the height of the cooling season, heat-pump shipments rallied posting a 17.3 percent increase totaling 198,686 units for the month of July.

Despite the fluctuations in the residential and commercial markets, homeowners are still looking to save energy and money, according to a report written by Kermit Baker, Ph.D., chief economist for the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

“Households are looking for new technologies, while interest in alternative energy generation techniques and energy management systems is growing,” this new interest and the political and economical green emphasis has heightened July heat-pump shipments.

In contrast, gas-fired, warm-air furnaces dropped 6 percent and oil-fired furnaces dropped 52 percent as compared to July 2007. Year-to-date gas furnaces, totaling 1.2 million, have experienced a 16 percent drop and oil furnaces, totaling 26,296, have experienced a 30 percent drop.

The drop in gas fired furnaces is a direct effect to the increase in Heat Pump installations, but the drastic drop in fuel oil furnaces is more a correlation to near doubling in cost of heating fuel oils, an industry that may be on its last leg.

Homeowners are getting serious about their money and making decisions that directly affects their financial health.  Many are considering and putting into motion, plans to increase the efficiency of their home, and the above statistics are proof.