During the cold of winter, nothing makes your blood boil like those rising heating bills. With a few home improvements, you can stop those bills from adding fuel to the fire of maddening energy bills.

To keep your energy costs lower this winter, try these ideas from the makers of Heil brand heating and cooling products:

* Be more energy conscious. You have many easy opportunities to save money just by making a conscious effort. Remember to turn off lights and fans when you leave a room and turn off electronics and appliances when you aren't using them. Letting them constantly run can silently drain energy and waste money.

* Improve your furnace efficiency. Step up to a high efficiency furnace to improve your home's comfort and lower your heating costs. For example, the Heil QuietComfort VS 90 offers the quiet operation of a variable speed blower motor, which can save you up to 50 percent in electricity costs compared to furnaces using conventional blower motors.

* Examine your ductwork. Leaky ductwork can cause the loss of conditioned air, which wastes your home's energy. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that up to 40 percent of heated air is lost through leaky ducts. Duct leakage can also minimize home comfort and shorten the life of a home's heating and cooling system. Have a qualified heating and cooling technician examine your ductwork to find out if some repairs could improve home comfort and save money.

* Clean your system. Keep your system clean to help it run more efficiently and provide better indoor air quality. Clear debris away from the outdoor unit and replace filters regularly. To further improve indoor air quality, look into purchasing a Heil electronic air cleaner that filters indoor air to trap many airborne particles.

* Maintain the right humidity levels. During the dry winter months, moisture levels in the home can affect your heating costs, comfort and the health of your wood furniture and flooring. Humidifiers add moisture to dry air in your home, which helps your body stay hydrated and comfortable. They can also help protect wood furniture and floors by maintaining the right levels of indoor humidity to prevent damage caused by dry indoor air.