Perhaps one of the most important, yet overlooked parts of home maintenance, is the air filter for your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Whether you know it or not, up to half of your energy bill may be due to heating and cooling costs1. To help keep the utility bill low, and help to maintain a level of comfort, it’s important to ensure the high efficiency operation of your HVAC system. The air filter helps your HVAC system perform to its maximum potential at the lowest operational cost. In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of an HVAC air filter, describe the different rating types, and some factors to consider before buying an HVAC air filter.