Winter brings lower temperatures and higher energy bills, as well as hectic schedules and guests coming to your home for holiday gatherings. Luckily, there are easy ways you can eliminate some household stresses to make the season more comfortable and enjoyable. It can start with getting your home ready for winter so that you have more time to focus on your family.

American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning offers the following family-friendly tips:

• Schedule a winter check-up. Call your local heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) professional to perform a routine maintenance check of your heating system before winter — and holiday guests — arrive. This check-up ensures that all components are working properly and safely. To remind yourself, consider calling a contractor when the time changes in the fall.

• Upgrade to variable speed heating. Variable speed heating increases your family's comfort and uses less energy. "Variable speed" refers to how a furnace's indoor blower motor runs. When the furnace operates at varying speeds, you can better control airflow in your home. Two-stage, variable heating allows furnaces to operate at an energy-saving lower speed and a higher speed, when needed, for more consistent air circulation. With this steadier, smarter system, your furnace doesn't have to turn on and off as frequently, and your home won't experience severe drops or increases in temperature.

• Reprogram your thermostat. With a programmable thermostat, you can pre-set temperatures to match your family's comfort needs and hectic schedules. American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning's 800 Family 7-day Digital Programmable Comfort Control, for example, lets you pre-set temperatures for every day of the week to match your activities — whether you're home or going away for the holidays, hosting a party with lots of guests, or spending a quiet evening in front of the fireplace. The thermostat's touchscreen controls are easy to use, and there are helpful side benefits: it tells you what the weather is like outside so you know how much you need to bundle up, and it reminds you when it's time to change your air filter.

• Reduce heating costs naturally. Not only can you save energy costs by what you do inside your home, but also by what you can do outside your house. If you live in a region where winter temperatures are much more extreme than summer temperatures, you can consider planting trees and shrubs that protect your home from the wind, thus lowering the wind chill around your house. You'll need to find out what kinds of protective trees grow best in your climate, but a general rule of thumb is to plant evergreens and shrubs on the north and northwest side of your home for the best protection from winter winds. Avoid planting evergreens on the south side of your home, so that you can take full advantage of the sun's warmth in winter.
  

For more information on home comfort systems to keep your family cozy and stress-free this winter, or to find an American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning independent Dealer near you, visit www.americanstandardair.com.