If you live in a part of the country with cool autumns and cold winters, you may be tired of high heating bills for half the year or more. However, the thought of overhauling your heating system or installing a replacement furnace may seem expensive. What are some budget-conscious ways you can help trim your high heating bills permanently? Read on for several new technologies that can help you lower your heating costs for good.

Install a programmable thermostat

In many families with two working parents (or a single working parent), the home is left vacant for most of the day. This means that a third to a half of your total heating costs are spent heating an empty home. By investing in a programmable remote thermostat, you'll be able to control the temperature of your home from your smartphone, work computer, or any other device with access to wireless internet. If you have pets who stay indoors during the day, you may not want to lower your temperature too far -- but if you don't have this restriction, you should be able to program your heater to go as low as you can without worrying about frozen pipes.

Clean your vents

It's always a good idea to check and change your home's air filter each spring and autumn. However, you'll also want to have your vents and grates periodically cleaned to eliminate dust and lint buildup. These particles aggravate existing allergies and asthma and reduce the amount of hot air that can travel through your vents, causing your heater to work harder than necessary. This extra work not only shortens your heater's life, it results in higher utility bills as the heat generated dissipates before it can be forced through the vents.

Turn on your ceiling fan

If you already have ceiling fans installed throughout your home, you may be able to save up to 15 percent on your annual heating bills simply by turning the blades clockwise and running these fans at a low speed to dissipate the warm air trapped between the fan and the ceiling. If your fans run on a remote, you may want to periodically turn them off and on to keep the room a constant temperature and prevent the central heat from kicking on. Depending upon how high your current utility bills are, an inexpensive ceiling fan may pay for itself over the course of just a couple of months.

You may also want to consult with a heating repair expert to make sure that your system is functioning properly.