Author Topic: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F  (Read 36462 times)

oldtoyota

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #100 on: November 12, 2013, 12:50:13 PM »
It will get below freezing today so I think we'll turn the heat on. Pretty cool. We made it 12 days beyond our original goal!

sununderwood

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #101 on: November 13, 2013, 09:03:41 PM »
http://imgur.com/hGsTsng



Boom Shaka Laka.



Edit: it's sideways cause I'm a doofus. Sorry.
« Last Edit: November 13, 2013, 09:20:02 PM by smai »

NumberCruncher

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #102 on: November 14, 2013, 06:34:43 AM »
http://imgur.com/hGsTsng



Boom Shaka Laka.



Edit: it's sideways cause I'm a doofus. Sorry.

wow - what kind of usage is that for? We use just about as much as MMM but pay twice as much T_T 

Gas bill that came in was $10 for us - minimum monthly payment :)  Gas just turned on this morning so it was a balmy 52 degrees when I woke up.

Emerald

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #103 on: November 14, 2013, 07:16:18 AM »
I made it thru two nights in the 20's, but only because my heater failed when I tried to start it.  I made it to Nov 13, which means I won't get a gas bill till January.  Nice.

Half-Borg

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #104 on: November 14, 2013, 07:24:01 AM »
I turned the heat on two weeks ago, to keep my aparment at 60°F when I'm home. Very bad insulation! (it's rented so I can't do anything about it)

NinetyFour

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #105 on: November 16, 2013, 07:57:11 PM »
I caved in on November 1.  After the indoor temps got to 48 F a couple of times, I decided to use heat to at least get the temps into the upper 50s!  Our outdoor lows have been in the low 20s for a couple of weeks now, so yeah, having the heat on is nice.  It also makes it a bit easier to go outside and bike to the ice hockey rink (like I will tonight at 9:30 in a cold rain)!

Great job, those of you who are still going without heat!

sununderwood

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #106 on: November 21, 2013, 07:28:43 AM »
Still holding out. Few inches of snow outside, feels like -3 degrees F outside, 42 inside. If I had to do more than sleep in warm blankets or spend a couple hours in the evening at home I don't think I could do it, nor if there was anyone I was taking care of!

zinnie

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #107 on: November 21, 2013, 08:31:51 AM »
I probably don't really count in this challenge, as it hasn't dipped below 54 outside yet, but we are still going strong. I feel pretty comfortable in mid-to-low 60s in the house so I must have acclimated. Last year this time we were absolutely running the heat already. We are currently discussing not using heat at all, ever. This is a huge step!

fauxjargon

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #108 on: November 21, 2013, 04:49:53 PM »
I'm sitting comfortably in Canada in 10 C (50 F).  I wear slippers, a hoodie or sweater, jeans and a t-shirt and just feel pleasantly cool.  My apartment sits at around 10 C above the average outside temperature for free, so I am just barely heating right now.  I don't plan on getting any colder though.  Part of the issue is that I live alone in a big apartment (in my city big =/= expensive, it means old and cheap) with next to no insulation (single pane windows and plaster/brick wall).  However I am going to re-install (with landlord permission/reimbursement) a pair of interior doors that will allow me to only heat my bedroom and one 9x13 room I spend the rest of my at-home time in.

Kriegsspiel

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #109 on: November 23, 2013, 03:31:21 PM »
Watching the OSU-Indiana game, i thought about this challenge. Looks like it's snowing up there in the midwest, might make it tough. Embrace the suck!

mpbaker22

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #110 on: November 23, 2013, 04:04:18 PM »
Always good to see the heat on and windows open at the local public housing building.  I am sure glad my tax dollars are going to good use.  Don't worry though, it's only 30 degrees outside.
« Last Edit: November 23, 2013, 04:08:12 PM by mpbaker22 »

ScienceSexSavings

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #111 on: November 23, 2013, 04:56:04 PM »
Still holding out - aiming for December now, maybe even Christmas break if all goes well! I'm still a wussy though, because my apartment stays between 17-20 C with just cooking, showering, etc. Got my power bill, and my consumption is averaging around 7-8 kWh/day. It'll be interesting to see how that changes when the winter really hits.

sununderwood

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #112 on: November 28, 2013, 08:05:27 AM »
Always good to see the heat on and windows open at the local public housing building.  I am sure glad my tax dollars are going to good use.  Don't worry though, it's only 30 degrees outside.

Maybe they are all subscribed to this challenge and trying to out badass us all.

plainjane

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #113 on: November 28, 2013, 11:01:36 AM »
Always good to see the heat on and windows open at the local public housing building.  I am sure glad my tax dollars are going to good use.  Don't worry though, it's only 30 degrees outside.

I did that too when I was in a dorm during university.  They ran the building heat _really_ high.  I turned off the radiator in my room, wore t-shirts & shorts, but it was still too hot, and I had no other control options I was aware of.  Other people complained they were always cold & wore double socks, so turning down the building heat wasn't really an option.

Serve&Volley88

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #114 on: December 01, 2013, 05:18:12 PM »
I was using my heat for a few weeks but I've decided to stop and officially begin this challenge. I'm on the third floor of a walk-up brownstone and seem to be doing well with passive heat only. It has been below freezing recently (mid 20s to low 30s F) and it rarely dips below 60 in my apartment.

Between pajama pants, wool sweaters, and a down comforter, I'm doing just fine.

Villanelle

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #115 on: December 03, 2013, 08:45:27 AM »
Came back from a trip during which temps were consistently below freezing at night at home.  Fell into bed.  Woke up in the middle of the night and grabbed my bedside water bottle for a sip.  It had about 2 inches of water in it, and was partially frozen!

NinetyFour

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #116 on: December 03, 2013, 03:02:31 PM »
Wow--very badass!!

Kind of related to that:  after I started using heat, I was pouring molasses out of a bottle and was shocked at how quickly it came out!  Prior to that, when temps in my house were in the high 40's/low 50's, the molasses ran out a lot slower!!

Spork

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #117 on: December 03, 2013, 08:56:24 PM »
Came back from a trip during which temps were consistently below freezing at night at home.  Fell into bed.  Woke up in the middle of the night and grabbed my bedside water bottle for a sip.  It had about 2 inches of water in it, and was partially frozen!

I think you might be at the "at risk of not saving money" temperature.  If water is freezing in your bedroom, it may very well be freezing in your pipes.  You might want your thermostat somewhere stupid cold (50 degrees?) ... but well above freezing.

Half-Borg

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #118 on: December 04, 2013, 01:17:53 AM »
I turned my heat off again, too.
I had to invest in some long underwear and warm socks first (all for 20€), but no I'm living at 14°C(57°F), while it's freezing outside. I wonder how long it will take the neighbours to notice, that they need to heat more.

Rural

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #119 on: December 04, 2013, 05:23:02 AM »
Came back from a trip during which temps were consistently below freezing at night at home.  Fell into bed.  Woke up in the middle of the night and grabbed my bedside water bottle for a sip.  It had about 2 inches of water in it, and was partially frozen!

I think you might be at the "at risk of not saving money" temperature.  If water is freezing in your bedroom, it may very well be freezing in your pipes.  You might want your thermostat somewhere stupid cold (50 degrees?) ... but well above freezing.

+1

My husband and father both have tales of ice on the insides of windows and waking up covered in blown-in snow on top of the covers, but they didn't have running water in the houses in question. Assuming you do, you need to keep things above freezing, or you'll have flooding from burst pipes.

sununderwood

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #120 on: December 04, 2013, 06:55:10 AM »
Welp, on the note of frozen pipes, it got to -15 F last night and there was a slight and scary delay when we turned on the water this morning. So heat is going on to 52, but on the bright side, having lived through some truly uncomfortable times, 52 will seem like a luxury all winter long.
« Last Edit: December 04, 2013, 07:11:09 AM by smai »

Villanelle

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #121 on: December 04, 2013, 11:15:59 AM »
Came back from a trip during which temps were consistently below freezing at night at home.  Fell into bed.  Woke up in the middle of the night and grabbed my bedside water bottle for a sip.  It had about 2 inches of water in it, and was partially frozen!

I think you might be at the "at risk of not saving money" temperature.  If water is freezing in your bedroom, it may very well be freezing in your pipes.  You might want your thermostat somewhere stupid cold (50 degrees?) ... but well above freezing.

We dont' have a thermostat.  Each room has a radiator.  They are set on "snowflake", which is what our landlord told us to keep them at (as opposed to "0") to keep minimal heat moving through them.  So in theory, we should be fine.

But it certainly wasn't intentional and now that we are home and heating the living room (below the bedroom in question) to about 55*F (based on a thermometer we set in here a few nights last winter, though that's a rough estimate since it isn't thermostat-regulated) while we are up and using it, things shouldn't get that low again. 

But boy, was it rough getting out of bed that morning, and it took a long time for the room to heat up since my entire heat mass was frigid!

cats

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #122 on: December 06, 2013, 02:39:14 PM »
Well, not as badass as some of you, but our overnight lows have been near freezing the past two nights, and we still haven't turned the heat on!  Special thanks to my wool slippers and down comforter for making this possible without misery :)

cats

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #123 on: December 10, 2013, 09:50:55 PM »
Well, not as badass as some of you, but our overnight lows have been near freezing the past two nights, and we still haven't turned the heat on!  Special thanks to my wool slippers and down comforter for making this possible without misery :)

How are you precautioning against frozen pipes? Maybe you should keep the temp at least 35-40 fahrenheit.

To clarify:  The *outdoor* lows are dipping down to freezing.  The interior of our apartment is, I'm guessing, no lower than 50F.  I'm not too worried about the pipes (or at least, the parts of the pipes that could be impacted by our indoor temperature).

Gray Matter

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #124 on: December 12, 2013, 04:34:30 AM »
I win!  My house is 48 degrees and dropping.  Of course, that is only because my boiler went off overnight and it took me until a degree ago to wake up cold.  That's what I get for having a bed full of kids and dogs--it's like having a bed full of (knobly, smelly, noisy) hot water bottles.

Am really missing my husband right now--I never realized how traditional our division of labor is until he buggered off for nine months (work project in Australia).  I know nothing about boilers, can't start the snowblower, don't even know where we keep the lightbulbs.

Just waiting for someone to call me back--have called five "24-hour service" places and had to leave messages at all of them.  Ugh.

cats

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #125 on: December 13, 2013, 08:54:05 PM »
Update, I just got our monthly power bill (our heat is electric).  Our power company has a graph feature online where you can compare your energy usage to "similar" homes in your area and the "most efficient" similar homes in your area (basically the bottom 10% of energy users).  Pretty much since we have moved in, our usage has been a few kWh above the "efficient homes" line.  Every month BF sees the bill and demands to know how we are using more power (my thought: we cook our own food almost 100% of the time, while many people go out to eat multiple times per week, or rely more on pre-packaged foods that require only microwaving.

Anyway, this month our usage was HALF the "efficient homes" line, and about 25% of the "similar homes" line.  Keeping the heat off is paying!!

ScienceSexSavings

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #126 on: December 14, 2013, 08:29:34 PM »
We had a string of days in the minus teens and twenties (Celcius) that caused me to finally crack. I have one lectric baseboard heater on, set to 16.5 for now.

BC_Goldman

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #127 on: December 14, 2013, 08:33:47 PM »
Still managing without heat. Current indoor temp is 54 F and I just noticed for the first time that I can see my breath faintly if I exhale heavily. I don't know if I should be amused or troubled.

brooklynmoney

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #128 on: December 16, 2013, 06:58:34 PM »
Ok, you all are making me look like a big wimp when I thought I was hardcore. Heat has been set at 65/66, despite lows in the teens. Heat comes on 1x in middle of night, and sporadically during the night before I go to bed. Probably only running for 15 minutes a day. My mother thinks I'm crazy. She keeps the heat closer to 80!

Off to put on fingerless gloves and drink tea.

Rural

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #129 on: December 17, 2013, 10:02:29 AM »
The sun has come back out again, so no heat here. We're holding at 64 F on cloudy days with heat, closer to 70F on sunny days without. The heat kicks on just a little in the predawn hours of sunny days to maintain at 64.

...and having a thermostat, even though it's on an individual unit rather than whole-house, is a luxury I've still not gotten used to after six years without.

clutchy

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #130 on: December 17, 2013, 10:15:27 AM »
I did this once.  Saved a solid $9 dollars and then felt like an ass/had a pissed off wife.  If I was single I might.

Spork

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #131 on: December 17, 2013, 12:40:14 PM »
I did this once.  Saved a solid $9 dollars and then felt like an ass/had a pissed off wife.  If I was single I might.

for me it's more like $300/month for propane vs $300 for the entire winter for propane. 

BlueMR2

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #132 on: December 17, 2013, 04:16:39 PM »
Unable, the best I can get the wife to agree to is 68F during the day, 66F while sleeping, and 62F on the occasions we leave the house for a few hours (any colder than 62F and it takes too long to warm back up to 68F for her).  $101 gas bill last month with an average outdoors temperature of 31F.

As far as pipes freezing, when I bought the house it was set to 55F and we'd had a week of -15F just before and it was fine.  This is on a ventilated crawl too, so it's designed to purposefully let cold air blow under the house near the pipes to keep the moisture level proper.  Not sure what the true lower limit is, would need sensors on the pipes to know.  With people living in the house, it's probably higher than empty, since the people heat the inside of the house and then the HVAC doesn't run as often (and the HVAC passively assists in heating the crawl 'cause that's where all the ducts run).

Villanelle

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #133 on: December 30, 2013, 06:08:31 AM »
Used the hell out of a heater (on room only) when I had a horrifying stomach bug and fever.  When the chills set in, I cranked that radiator up!  Other than that, we continue with extremely minimal heating.  I don't think a room in our house has been in the 60s yet (other than the fever suite), unless the sun through the windows, on the rare occasions we have sun, and the relatively mild winter have caused it. 

I was attempting to defrost chicken for dinner but the process in my cold kitchen was so slow that I had to give up and save the chicken for another day.

I suppose it might seem bad ass to some, but I truly don't even notice that I'm really doing anything.  I don't feel cold.  Slippers and heavy socks are key and I think I will wear the heck out of the North Face fleece I got for Christmas, which is nice because it's super warm but not bulky.

ghatko

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #134 on: January 05, 2014, 08:12:55 PM »
I just found this thread, and it is much too cold here to keep the heat off (Ottawa area). But this year we have been experimenting with the level that we set our thermostat at, and right now we have had it set to 14C (57.2F) from 9pm to 6pm and 16C (60.8F) while we are home in the evening, and during the day on the weekend. This is a lot lower than we used to have it set at, but I am extremely surprised at how well we have acclimated. I always wear a sweater, and I have some indoor shoes that I put on if my feet get cold, and that is it. I love sleeping in the cold, so that hasn't been a problem at all, and our daughter (who is 3.5) will often run around the house with nothing on her feet (even though I continually ask her if she wants to put on socks/slippers). It's funny because my MIL told us that it was cruel to set the temperatures so low, but our daughter really doesn't mind :)

We do have a space heater that I will put on in the bathroom for baths/showers. That is certainly my weak spot as I hate being wet and cold. We are expecting another baby at the end of February, so we will see if we need to make any adjustments at that point.

BC_Goldman

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #135 on: January 07, 2014, 11:18:14 AM »
I decided to give up on the 'no heat' part of the challenge. I woke up this morning with a small, wet spot on my comforter. Seems that I have an occasional drip from the sprinkler. Until then, I had completely forgotten about them. I climbed up in my attic to check the pipe and saw a thin layer of frost on the roofing plywood and a rather nice amount on the protruding nails. My indoor temp was 50 but the attic appears to be below freezing. While I think I have the stones to keep going, I'm not risking a burst sprinkler pipe since that will be far more trouble than it is worth. I'm hoping that the occasional drip I'm getting right now is from the pipe fitting contracting due to the cold. Hopefully, 59 is enough to radiate some heat into the attic.

I'd have gotten away with it if it weren't for those durn sprinklers!

OOBER

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #136 on: January 07, 2014, 07:57:06 PM »
We are fully seasoned to our house climate now.

It was extra cold outside yesterday, so we had the heater "up" to 62*F. Both me and the wife sweated out a$$es off last night. So we have it set at 60*F again and it is just great!

I really need to look into spraying some more insulation in the attic and sealing the house up a little better over the next year. We have newer vinyl double pane windows and I have sealed up the doors with extra weatherstrip, but some of the walls/floors have noticeably cold areas.

Ottawa

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #137 on: October 05, 2014, 07:09:31 AM »
Back in again on this one!  Trying to beat our cave-in date of November 3rd last year.  This morning it is 5C outside and 20C inside...

Good luck!

NinetyFour

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #138 on: October 06, 2014, 05:42:57 AM »
I have been thinking about this as well.  I have not used heat yet.

This morning it is 38F outside and 56F inside.

Last year, I believe I made it to November.  I will try for that again this year.

Rural

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #139 on: October 06, 2014, 06:53:19 AM »
It's all weather dependent here (I noted in a related thread that I'd rather work till I drop in a warm office than freeze at home), but we've had no need of heat here yet. Perhaps we could have closed the windows the night temps dropped to 38f, but still it was 65 in the house. High thermal mass really works, who'd a thought?


At a guess, I imagine we'll want heat here for a week or two late this month/ early next, then turn it off again for a couple of weeks once the leaves fall and our solar heating kicks in, then run it some at night to supplement the sun in  late November and December, and heat in earnest in January and February before we drop back to supplemented solar in March and turn it off in April.


...unless my husband gets our inset atrium roofed over (greenhouse style) this week as he plans to do. I don't think a week is enough time, but once that's done, we'll have solar heat like nobody's business, and there's no telling when or if we'll need heat. This project does also have to include solar-powered greenhouse fans for summer so we don't die of heatstroke...

RetiredAt63

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #140 on: October 09, 2014, 09:09:09 AM »
I'm in.  It is cool (9oC) and cloudy and windy here, and has been for days.  House is 18oC right now.  Just me radiating heat, plus cooking and showers, keeps the house warm enough.  Plus I have warm slippers and appropriate clothing, I am not dressed as if it were summer inside.  Daytime highs are projected to be below 10oC and nights are going down to 0oC over the next two weeks, so we will see how things go.

Last winter the oil company kept doing fill-ups when I had 1/4 to 1/2 tank of oil, so I definitely use less than they project.  And this is with me home all day, I used even less when I worked and only heated the house for an hour in the morning and maybe 3 hours at night.

The dog is no help, she is much too well insulated to let any heat out.  She would like me to keep the house at 4oC (or less). At night she is on the bed - no added heat, but I am well insulated on the side she sleeps on.

Side project - I have decided to post temperatures only in Celsius, so that non-metric users can adjust to metric, and metric users don't have to keep figuring out Fahrenheit temperatures.  MMM forums, always a learning experience  ;-)

ScienceSexSavings

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #141 on: October 09, 2014, 08:19:47 PM »
I'll probably see if I can beat last year, and maybe rebel against Farenheit as well!

Villanelle

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #142 on: October 09, 2014, 10:07:26 PM »
When we were shopping for a rental, we heard a zillion dire warning about how places with heating oil were ZOMG money sucks!  We ignored that and think those people are generally idiots.  But after about 20 (one full winter and a couple months of another) months in the place, our tanks are about 45% full.  I really want to make it to late spring or summer without having to refill since costs go down then.  I think we can do it, but the heating oil situation is extra incentive.

Absolutely no thoughts of heat yet, but I am needing to drag out my warmer slippers and thick socks, and some warmer clothes for the evenings.

MikeBear

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Rural

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #144 on: October 10, 2014, 04:26:11 AM »
Build some of these. I'm planning on it myself.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/diy-solar-heating-zmaz77sozgoe.aspx#axzz3FiYht4OD



Use treated wood to avoid the "termite bridge" effect.

RMD

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #145 on: October 10, 2014, 09:49:39 AM »
We made it to the 20th of October last year.  We'll see if the little guys nose does better in the cold this year.  :)  I'd like to hit November 1st.  We shall see.

MikeBear

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #146 on: October 10, 2014, 06:13:26 PM »
Build some of these. I'm planning on it myself.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/diy-solar-heating-zmaz77sozgoe.aspx#axzz3FiYht4OD



Use treated wood to avoid the "termite bridge" effect.

No termites up here, the carpenter ants eat them, lol. Yeah, I don't plan on having mine touch the ground for either case to happen.

Raay

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Re: Go as long as possible without using heat/keeping heat below 60 F
« Reply #147 on: November 28, 2014, 12:14:45 PM »
Here, it's 11C (52F) inside now. Heating turned off, outside temperatures slightly above 0C. I've been gradually getting used to the lower temperatures for the past three weeks. It's surprising - my hands are (mostly) warm now while they used to get cold even at 20C (68F) in the beginning.