You probably recognize - as most homeowners do - that keeping your heating and air conditioning units running well. Most people think that the primary benefit from doing this is that they will save money on their heating and cooling bills. And While this is correct, there is another benefit: keeping your HVAC equipment in good shape will help them to last longer - and you won't have to shell out big bucks for a total replacement.

But before you do anything else, please make sure that you have made your home as energy efficient as possible. There are some simple things that should be on your to-do list: adding or upgrading your home insulation, adding weatherstripping, caulking around your windows. Even buying and installing a digital, programmable thermostat will make a significant contribution to your home's energy efficiency.

Perhaps you've done all of that, and are ready for more. In that case, you can install a humidifier for your whole house. The additional moisture in the winter will make you feel much warmer. In addition to installing the humidifier, you can purchase some ceiling fans. You can operate them in both the summer and winter months - just reverse the direction of the fan blades to handle cooler verses hotter air.

But of course: make sure that you have your air conditioner, furnace or heat pump inspected before the start of each heating and cooling season. They can perform cleaning and other preventative maintenance, and this will help keep small problems from becoming big, expensive ones.

The government can help you also -- when you choose to replace your furnace or air conditioner, you always want to purchase units that have a good ENERGY STAR rating. If an appliance has qualified as an ENERGY STAR appliance, it has met certain standards for operating and energy efficiency. In addition, there are many government and non-profit websites that you can consult for valuable information and recommendations.

What are some of these online websites? Well you can go to www.consumerguide.com . Or you can go to the EPA (The Environmental Protection Agency) at www.epa.gov, or the American Council for Energy Efficient Economy at www.aceee.org. You can find those ENERGY STAR appliances I mentioned in the previous paragraph at www.energystar.gov.

Let me sound a note of warning here: many people think that they can save on the cost of installing new HVAC equipment by doing the installation themselves. DON'T! Why not? Because you, dear reader, do not have the specialized training (not to mention the tools) necessary to do the job properly. Why risk botching the job? Then you will have to pay a professional to come in and do the installation all over again.

The same thing goes for repairs: if your HVAC equipment - and of it - needs repairs, don't make the mistake of poking around it yourself. You might damage your unit even further, void the warranty, and even injure yourself of your family. Find a good, reliable HVAC technician, give him all of your business, and you'll surely rest easier at night.