Heat? - Page 3

[my2girlz]

It only has dropped down to 66 but quickly warmed up throughout the day. I usually try to wait closer to November or when the temps aren't rising throughout the day.

[amyamanda]

We are in VT and have not even been tempted

I think there are two factors:

1) It seems unseasonably warm right now (high 60s and 70s outside during the day?!)

2) We got our house weatherized this year, and I can feel the difference in the lack of the usual draftiness.

I can't tell which is making the difference, but maybe it is both.

Normally I try hard to hold out until October 1 - and DH ends up turning on the heat before that. But that is in two days and *he* hasn't even been tempted yet, and he HATES the cold (though when I say "turn on the heat" I mean "turn the heat up to 60 in the living area and 55 in the bedrooms"). I am wondering how long we can hold out this year. I will be thrilled if we get an extra month before using oil, but usually around late October it turns bitter cold, so I doubt we will get that far.

It will be so fun to see how much of a difference the weatherization will make.

[carfreemama]

Nova Scotia here, not even close. Not even the space heater.

I love the challenge of keeping our heating costs down. No one seems to mind and dd runs very hot. I'm the cold one and I'm home alone all day working, so mostly it's my call.

We did all the caulking and insulating possible last year, including insulating the walls of the entire house.

I bought an oil-filled space heater.

I bought cheap down vests for us all to wear inside the house. They're light and snuggly and everyone loves them.

I am hiring a seamstress friend to make heavy drapes and draft-stoppers for the old windows. We will not replace the windows as long as they're in such good shape, on the advice of the energy-assessment guy. I think the drapes will help a lot.

We are looking into an insert for the fireplace, or possibly a woodstove with a cooktop; unless we need the chimney for solar purposes.

I have heard that using an electric blanket/pad to preheat the bed can save a ton of energy at night. Anyone try this? Do you think it's safe?

Next stop: Solar roof tiles next year.

But absolutely NOT to the heater, not yet! We have other ways to deal with the cold.

[Kyamo]

No, not yet. We have a townhouse, so with joined houses on either side, the house keeps its heat pretty well. We will turn it on when the house drops to about 18-19, probably in late Oct.