The fuel consumption in heating furnaces can be reduced, in some cases substantially, by the optimization of process control. A system for the control of energy utilization must become the part of a conventional furnace equipment. Reasonable physical assumptions about the process of heating enables us to construct simple control algorithms. These algorithms make it practical the extensive use ot microprocessors tor optimal control of energy utilization in furnaces. The development of such algorithms is studied in this paper.The optimization of heating of a lumped batch is discussed. The technological requirements and maximum permissible temperature of the refractory lining furnish the process constraints. The problem is solved by the use of maximum principle. The optimal firing rate and variation of the furnace temperature are determined by the problem solution. The optimal control algorithms for the batch furnace are given. The thermodynamic minimum of the energy consumption for given conditions is obtained and employed as the criterion for the estimation of efficiency of a control system. Simplified algorithms are constructed for the control of furnaces when heat losses are comparatively high and comparatively small. The optimal control of heating of massive bodies is discussed.The conditions of the process linearization are considered. The minimization of fuel consumption is posed as the problem of linear programming. Dynamic programming provides the most general technique for the optimization of the heating process. The paper depicts the procedure of the use of dynamic programing for the minimization of fuel consumption in furnaces. The application of linear and dynamic programming for optimal control of continuous furnaces is discussed. The information necessary for the optimal control of fuel utilization is determined.