With the extreme cold weather this week, furnaces in Moose Jaw have been running overtime.

Jeremy Kerr, with C & E Mechanical, had some tips on how to save money on heating costs.

"You want to make sure all your registers are open and not blocked by anything," he said. "I know with Christmas there's a lot of extra things floating around in the house, so return registers can be covered up accidentally. You want to make sure those things are nice and free and open so they move air around. You also want to make sure that your furnace filter is clean."

Kerr says you can also save money by turning your thermostat down at night. Keeping your [high efficient] furnace fan running continuously will help circulate warm air throughout the house.

Placing plastic on older windows can also help reduce cold drafts from entering the home.

Kerr noted that a lot of the money that you would save apart from just having the [high efficient] furnace goes into how good the insulation is and your building envelope. 

"You save a lot of money with a high efficient furnace because it uses more of the fuel that you put into it, but also if you have better windows and better insulation, then you don't lose as much heat, so you wouldn't need as much BTU's to keep the house at temperature. You usually save roughly about 16 per cent from a lower efficient furnace to a high efficient furnace but also depending on the building that you're putting it into to, if it's well insulated, the windows are good, you don't have a whole bunch of drafts coming and driving wind, that make your furnace run for longer, then you would be saving more money."

He adds it's important to make sure the exhaust venting on the outside of the house is clear of ice and snow. This will help you avoid a nuisance call.

Kerr says they have seen an increase in No Heat calls this week.