This Home Energy Brief serves as a guide for home-heating options. It covers the topics of heat loss and passive heating; the efficiency, maintenance, and costs of heating systems; and what you should consider when purchasing a heating system. Investing in space heating systems is an expensive and long-term decision. The first step is to determine whether (and where) your home loses heat through its building shell. The second step is to improve the efficiency of your existing heating system, especially if it is a furnace, a boiler, an installed in-space heater, or a heat pump. When purchasing a new heating system, think about your climate, the size of your home, your budget, and local utility and fuel costs; and make sure you weigh the cost of investment against the long-term costs to operate the system. As of 2012, the Home Energy Briefs have been updated and adapted to