If you’re a Houston homeowner, you know the drill: The weather drops below 60°, social media erupts with “winter is here” memes, and you finally switch your thermostat from “cool” to “heat — just for tonight.” But then it happens. Your heater kicks on and suddenly… your entire home smells weird. Burning. Musty. Metallic. A faint electrical tang. Sometimes it’s subtle. Sometimes it’s “did something just catch on fire??”

When you think “winter problem,” you probably picture burst pipes and blizzards—aka, not Houston. Our winters are mild, short, and a little moody. But here’s the twist: winter is when indoor air quality (IAQ) quietly becomes a big deal. We close windows, spend more time inside, kick on the heat—then recirculate the same air day after day. If your home’s air was a playlist, winter is when it gets stuck on repeat.

Here’s the thing about Houston winters: they’re mild compared to up north, but they’re also unpredictable. One week it’s 80°, the next week you’re wondering if the pipes will freeze. That constant up-and-down has Houstonians running their HVAC systems in weird patterns — heat in the morning, AC by afternoon. It’s also when energy efficiency myths start circulating faster than the neighborhood group text about the next cold front.

Let’s be honest — Houston isn’t exactly Minneapolis. We’re not shoveling snow off the driveway or layering thermal socks just to get the mail. But when those cold fronts roll in, the chill can catch you off guard (and yes, 40° feels like the Arctic when you’re used to triple-digit summers). So what kind of heating makes the most sense for Houston homes: gas or electric? The answer depends on your home, your budget, and your tolerance for utility bills. Here’s the breakdown.

Here’s a not-so-fun fact: the average home loses 20–30% of conditioned air through leaky ductwork. Translation? You’re paying to cool your attic, your crawlspace, and possibly your neighbor’s attic too. Your ducts are the hidden highways of your HVAC system, quietly moving air from point A (your unit) to point B (your living room). But when they spring a leak, those highways turn into toll roads you’re footing the bill for. So how do you know if your ductwork is betraying y

Houston homeowners—don’t wait for the cold snap! Check out these simple steps to prep your furnace and keep your home warm, safe, and efficient all winter long.