Heating your home during the winter months can prove costly, but significant savings can be made by understanding how and why your home loses heat.

A great resource to get you started is the ACT Government’s Actsmart website. Here you’ll find a simple list of practical tasks you can do around the home to help keep you warm, such as:

• check that you have adequate insulation
• use the sun
• seal gaps
• cover your windows
• work in smaller spaces
• reduce the thermostat
• make informed choices.

Here, home heating expert Atesh Mani from Mitsubishi Electric Australia, offers his top six heating tips for winter.

Find the right unit for your lifestyle: Consider your lifestyle and the configuration of your home, as ensuring you have the appropriate home heating system type is a vital step in minimising energy wastage.

Low-cost and easy to install wall-mounted split systems are a fantastic option for heating commonly used spaces, such as the living room or bedroom, rather than paying to heat the whole home. Alternatively, if you require heating throughout the whole house, a ducted air conditioning system might be the way to go. Divide the home into zones and use a zone controller to save energy and money by only air conditioning the section of your home you need to.

Make the most of being at home: Open blinds, shutters and curtains during the day to make the most of any available sunlight to help warm up the house. Close them again as the sun sets to keep the warmth in.

Buy smart: Consider air conditioning units that are expandable with optional Wi-Fi control. Connect your air conditioner to your device and get the freedom to control each unit on-the-go via an internet connection from anywhere.

Look at energy efficiency: Being at home all day with the family means that energy bills are likely to hike. Making sure appliances are at their most efficient is important to try and minimise costs. Did you know that AC units made as recently as 2002 can run up to 40% less efficiently than newer models? Take a look at when your air con was installed and compare efficiencies online.

Regular system maintenance: Regular maintenance will improve the performance and extend the life of your existing home air conditioning system. To ensure your system is operating with maximum efficiency, clean your unit as instructed by the manufacturer and have it serviced regularly.

If you are currently in the market for a new system, keep an eye out for easy-clean features which will allow for hassle-free maintenance between servicing.

To keep ducted air conditioning systems running efficiently, talk to an air conditioning technician to do a service. The service should include cleaning the return air filter, checking the drain pump and lines are clear and electrical points are all good. The manufacturer of your air conditioning can refer you to a qualified service technician.

Seek out the right advice: A number of factors can affect the performance and cost-effectiveness of your unit, including windows, sunlight and electronics in the home. If you have concerns around the efficiency of your system this winter season, consult a specialist air conditioning dealer.