I used to have a gas furnace that used a pilot light.
There were times when I had issues with that pilot light not keeping lit which was an issue because then the house would become extremely cold in the house before I realized what was going on.
I would struggle to get the pilot light to keep lit a lot of the time and I guessed it was because there was always dust building up and blocking the gas flow. I cleaned the pilot light many times and had regular maintenance on the heating equipment over the years. Eventually, I had enough and I chose to consult with a local HVAC contractor. The HVAC professional was saying that I could actually save a lot of money with a more efficient HVAC system. He was telling me about all kinds of interesting HVAC systems like dual-fuel heating systems, radiant heated floors, and even geothermal heat pumps. He told me that he invested in a geothermal HVAC system and it was the best decision of his life. I wasn’t sure if something like that deserved the lifetime achievement award, but I had to admit it had to be nice having low energy costs and helping to save the environment at the same time. I couldn’t afford something like that though and I ended up going for a dual fuel heating system. I was attracted to the lower cost of installation and the energy efficiency. While this system may not be as efficient as a geothermal HVAC, it sure saves me a lot on my energy bills!