Re: I Turned on My Heat Today

noodleann · ‎06-10-2015

I don't think those of us who keep our houses around 60 or lower in the winter are "cold." Like me, the others probably layer. Right now I have on velour leggings, pants over them, a shift, a short caftan over that, and a long fleece one-button jacket I got on HSN that's proven very helpful. I wear thick Acorn indoor/outdoor slippers inside that cover my ankles, as well as socks. I can peel off any of those layers if I do vigorous housework and start to get heated. When the real cold weather sets in, I have Stan Herman robes that go nearly to my ankles for warmth. Right now, they're too hot.

My boiler runs on #2 fuel, which is unregulated. Although it's under $2 a gallon now, it's been up over $4 thanks to price fixing and collusion among the suppliers. It was like burning money, heating during those seasons. Even though oil is cheaper now, I refuse to set the thermostat higher because I can acclimate. I get hot now if I'm in a room that's much over 60.

Summer is the real test of accommodating nature. I can't harden myself off to the heat as I can the cold. No layers to remove. I've found that my upper limit for sleeping is about 85 degrees, down from 87 a few years ago. If it's hotter than that, my sleep is fitful at best.

I remind myself that central heating and AC are unknown in much of the world. Year-round comfort is a real luxury.

50Mickey · ‎05-21-2010

When people say they keep the heat set in the 50's or low 60's in the winter I always wonder if they keep their A/C that low in the summer. That seems like it would be unbearably cold to me. In the winter I keep my heat set at 71 and in the summer my A/C is usually set at 74 unless I have people over and the house feels too warm. Just curious.

mac116 · ‎03-26-2010

I live in Minnesota. 67-69 degrees during the day depending on outside temp. 62 degrees at night, all controlled by the thermostat setting.

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

@Anonymous032819 Living in the pacific NW,(Seattle area) we have had the heat come on now for the past two months as it starts getting cool in September. We have a new heat pump and furnace that we installed in 2019 that replaced the 30 year old furnace we had prior. The heat pump made a huge difference in our electric bills! We are all electric in our home. Our electric bill for lights, heat, refrigerator and water heater runs about $100 a month in the the winter.... If we have a particularly cold month or two like January and Febuary..., it might run $175.. Pretty reasonable. Of course electricity costs here in the PNW is probably the best price in the county.

We keep the heat at 68 during the day in the winter... and 65 degrees at night.

In the Summer the heat pump goes into cooling mode and works like an air conditioner. In the summer we keep the house at 72 degrees which is very comfortable. Our electric bill in the summer keeping the house cool runs about $70 and that includes everything.. lights, etc.

Before we got the heat pump our electric bills in the winter ran up to $300 a month in the winter....and in the summer we sweat and were in misery on hot days where the house would get to 88 degrees upstairs. We paid almost the same electric bill in the summer without the heat pump and suffered! The heat pump has been a real BLESSING and we save money!!!!

FrostyBabe1 · ‎05-09-2016

I think my thermostat up north is set at 56, but I'm not there right now so I'm not sure. Normallly it'd be 66-68 during the day and 62 at night. That keeps me nicely warm without wearing layers of clothing. I hate bulk.

~The more someone needs to brag about how wonderful, special, successful, wealthy or important they are, the greater the likelihood that it isn't true. ~

SilleeMee · ‎05-22-2016

@50Mickey wrote:
When people say they keep the heat set in the 50's or low 60's in the winter I always wonder if they keep their A/C that low in the summer. That seems like it would be unbearably cold to me. In the winter I keep my heat set at 71 and in the summer my A/C is usually set at 74 unless I have people over and the house feels too warm. Just curious.

In the summer I keep my AC set at 75' during the day with lots of fans going. It's a semi-desert climate here so the nights are cool enough that I don't need the AC on at night...just fans in the window blowing in the cool air. Usually our early morning temps during the summer dip down to the upper 50s. My AC won't go on until midday then I turn it off at bedtime when the fans get placed in the windows. @50Mickey

ETA- My house is insulated to the extreme so my house doesn't have much of a variation of temp inside.

mizree · ‎04-04-2016

heat is set at 72. any lower would not be comfortable. I've always been cold natured. AC is set at 77 in summer. We also use ceiling fans in every room.

ValuSkr · ‎03-15-2014

I'm in southeast PA and haven't turned on the heat yet. Some mornings have been cold but I like it that way - and like saving money too!

Pearlee · ‎06-11-2011

@50Mickey wrote:
@Pearlee wrote:
@Kachina624 wrote:
@Pearlee wrote:
I turned on my electricity today. Oh, and my water faucets too.
@Pearlee. Did you flush your outhouse?
@Kachina624 I don't have an outhouse. Perhaps you do.

@Pearlee Are you referring to dripping your faucets to prevent frozen pipes and turning on your heat? We may have to drip the outdoor spigots next week in North GA.

@50Mickey No, it's not nearly that cold here today, in the mid-50s.

noodleann · ‎06-10-2015

@50Mickey wrote:
When people say they keep the heat set in the 50's or low 60's in the winter I always wonder if they keep their A/C that low in the summer. That seems like it would be unbearably cold to me. In the winter I keep my heat set at 71 and in the summer my A/C is usually set at 74 unless I have people over and the house feels too warm. Just curious.

Only when we have at least 3 days of temps in the 90s or higher do I turn on the room AC. I put the cats in that room and sleep there if it's too hot to sleep elsewhere.

I set it to go down to 82, no lower. When it's 90+ outside, that feels pretty cool. The removal of excess humidity makes a huge difference in comfort.

I may have to make it a little cooler and use it more often as I get older because my ability to cool off isn't what it once was.