Ceiling fans can be effective at circulating warm air that normally collects by your ceiling, where you can't enjoy it.

Get your heating system tuned up. Annual checkups, including filter replacements, can prevent unexpected headaches and expenses. Get a programmable thermostat, too, which will let you automatically cool down your home when you're away or asleep -- it might help to save up to 30 percent of your home heating costs. A chimney cleaning can make your home safer and more energy-efficient, too. (Make sure that the damper is closed when not in use..)

Make sure the draperies, furniture, and other items are not obstructing the heat coming from the heating vents. If heat is obstructed, then you are not getting the full benefit of the heat for which you are paying. For example, if a floor vent is positioned so that most of the heat from the vent is going behind draperies, which causes you to waste money. Inexpensive plastic heat directors can be purchased that will direct the flow of heat out into the room.

Insulate accessible heating ducts in unheated areas, such as the attic. Insulation minimizes heat loss during the winter.

Clean or replace the filter regularly (every month or so depending on frequency of use of the unit) in your heating/cooling unit. When the filter is dirty, the energy efficiency of the unit is reduced.

Minimize your use of ventilation fans such as bathroom fans and kitchen hood fans in winter. A bathroom fan can suck all the heated air out of the average house in little more than an hour. Over the course of the winter, ventilation fans can increase your heating costs by a surprising amount.

Consider a programmable thermostat to raise and lower the temperature pre-set times.

Though your definitions of "comfort" may be different than your neighbor's, knowing these terms can help make your search for improved comfort and efficiency much less confusing and much more effective.