Gathering around the fireplace on a chilly late winter evening might seem like an ideal way to save money on your utilities. After all, there’s nothing like the relaxing crackling sound and the natural light—with the family all together in one room. However, relying on your fireplace instead of turning on your furnace could make the rest of your home less comfortable and drive up your heating expenses. Here’s why central heat is a better option than a fireplace.

Uneven Heat

When you have a fire burning in the fireplace, the room might feel warm and comfortable. However, not only does that heat not reach the rest of the house, but having a fire might make every other room colder. This is because most of the air heated by the fire goes straight up the chimney, drawing in more cool air from the rest of the house. The bigger the fire and the longer it lasts, the more the temperature in every other room will drop.

Driving Up Energy Bills

Because people in other rooms start to feel colder, they might need to turn the thermostat up when you have a fire going. This might seem harmless enough, but opening the flue in the fireplace is essentially like opening a window and attaching a vacuum to suck out warm air. This makes your furnace struggle to warm up a constantly cooling house, causing it to run longer and cycle more frequently. While that fire might feel warm and toasty, it could increase your utility bills and put extra wear and tear on your furnace.

You rely on your furnace to keep your home comfortable throughout the winter, so you need a heating contractor who has the experience and expertise to keep it running at peak efficiency. With three locations and 24-hour emergency service, Donovan & Jorgenson has been keeping Milwaukee, WI-area homes warm since 1985. To learn more about their services or schedule a visit from a skilled technician, visit their website, and follow their Twitter page for regular updates and news.