This winter has proven to be a cold and snowy one so far.

With around three months to go before heating bills fade away, many people are considering options for heating their homes.

What is the best and most economical way to heat your home? According to Paul Badeau of Efficiency Maine, there is no easy answer. “We don't tell people how to heat their homes, because every home is different,” he said.

Badeau said that the best course to take when thinking about changing or updating your heating system is to start with a home energy assessment. “The first thing anyone should do when looking at heating alternatives is to calculate your home's energy efficiency,” he said, which can be done on the Efficiency Maine website.

The next step should be to find a registered energy assessor, Badeau said. “Energy assessment is a great way to start because it provides a top to bottom assessment of your home,” he said. “Typically an assessor will charge $300 to $600.”

Chris Hoskeer, of Boothbay Harbor, who works for Johnstone Supply in Portland, said that of all the alternative methods of heating, electricity is low on the list. “Electric baseboard is the least efficient way to heat,” Hoskeer said.

According to Hoskeer, ductless, or mini-split heat pumps may be the way to go if you're looking to save on your heating bills. Electricity is the power source, but the method is far more efficient than electric baseboard heat. And they act as air conditioners too, providing warmth in the winter and cooling in the summer, he said.

Gordon Wiley of Evergreen Mechanical Company agrees. “They're known to run up to 300 percent efficiency compared to oil and gas, according to the manufacturer,” Wiley said. “And ... they're an easy one-day install.” But according to Wiley, 70 percent of Maine still heats with oil.

Ductless heating and cooling systems have only been used in the United States for around 20 years, so they are a relatively new concept.

Richard Provonchee, who works at Biovation in Boothbay, said that he relies mainly on a pellet stove to heat his home in Cushing. “It's very convenient and can be easily and quickly turned off when heat isn't needed. It's an economical way to heat, but it can be annoyingly noisy,” he said.

Provonchee said that he has an oil furnace, which, with the extreme cold this winter, he has been using as a back-up. But he said that last winter he relied solely on the pellet stove, and used a little over a ton of pellets. “I keep the temperature a little lower than some might find comfortable,” Provonchee said. But at around $240 a ton, it was a big money saver.

Among other alternatives for heat are propane, natural gas and K1 (kerosene).

Bob Hardina of Mid Coast Energy Systems in Damariscotta said that propane is a great source for heat. “I think it's an excellent fuel. I went from oil to propane in my home and saw a 40 percent savings in cash. Propane can burn at a much higher efficiency than oil.”

The type of heater that Hardina uses is called a modulating condensing boiler. “They are wonderful,” he said. “They adjust to the heat load of your house and the outside temperature.”

Natural gas, which is interchangeable with propane, is a great deal, Hardina said, but it's not available to everyone. “It requires a pipeline running by your house, and it's expensive to lay pipelines,” he said. Both propane and natural gas can be used to fuel Rannai heaters, which are mainly used for heating individual rooms.

K1, or kerosene, is used in place of oil when the holding tank is outdoors, because it won't “gel up” in colder temperatures, but the furnace is virtually the same as with one used with oil, according to a representative from Kaler Oil. 

Number 2 heating oil prices in the Midcoast region vary from one company to another. Here are some prices per gallon as of Monday, Jan. 6:

• Dead River: $3.899
• M.W. Sewall: $3.799
• Crowley Energy: $3.749
• Kaler Oil: $3.699
• Country Fuel: $3.689