Is your heat on yet?

[EDSMedS]

8 Dec.  30 degrees today.  Still wearing shorts.  That's called adaptation, folks!

[boognish]

The cold isn't so bad (Southern California), but the cold plus a small apartment is leading to condensation on the windows. Might have to turn heat on just to battle the damp.

[RWD]

My heat finally kicked in last night. I have it set at 68 degrees.

[zinnie]

I turned mine on last night. My lame excuse is my dogs--I have two little ones and I can't stand seeing them sit there shivering constantly. My one dog will pretty much live under the blankets this time of year and when she comes out she just sits there shivering. I guess 60 is where we break down and turn the heat on. Currently set for 63.

[EDSMedS]

After a jog today, on a beautiful 55 degree afternoon, DW and I returned to our sunny apartment to simultaneously exclaim, "It is too hot in here!"

Still no electricity involved in our heat (except what is seeping through the floorboards from our apartment complex mates).  In-laws are scheduled to arrive 22 Dec.  We'll see how they feel about this...

[arebelspy]

Turned it on for real for the first time last night for about an hour.

[KS]

My dog loves the cold* house.  DH also loves the cold.  So, I've bundled up, and we're still in the running.  The only thing that bothers me is the cold floors.  I need to start wearing thicker socks!


*We live in the Bay Area, so cold is a relative term.

We're still going too! It did dip below 60 inside over the weekend, which seems to be a tipping point for when we really notice it. But I had already planned to bake a bunch of cookies for us to take into work Monday so that helped warm things up. Currently airing out a new memory foam bed topper that stinks of "new foam" so we have had a window open again the last couple days... timing on that could be better, brr! But no heat yet, and haven't taken out the electric blanket yet either.

[4alpacas]

My dog loves the cold* house.  DH also loves the cold.  So, I've bundled up, and we're still in the running.  The only thing that bothers me is the cold floors.  I need to start wearing thicker socks!


*We live in the Bay Area, so cold is a relative term.

We're still going too! It did dip below 60 inside over the weekend, which seems to be a tipping point for when we really notice it. But I had already planned to bake a bunch of cookies for us to take into work Monday so that helped warm things up. Currently airing out a new memory foam bed topper that stinks of "new foam" so we have had a window open again the last couple days... timing on that could be better, brr! But no heat yet, and haven't taken out the electric blanket yet either.

I haven't looked at the thermostat in the house!  I'm the weakest link in the house, so I just need to stay strong.  We don't have an electric blanket, but we have a great down comforter.  I've also used the cold as an excuse to drink hot chocolate (Trader Joe's has an amazing peppermint hot chocolate mix). 

We might break the no heat this weekend because we're having guests stay with us.  I'll report back on our status on Monday!

[Britan]

I'm usually the complainypants when it comes to cold. However after being reminded that these ultra high tech devices known as "clothing" and "blankets" exist, I've managed to go all winter so far in the DC area without turning on the heat. (As I was reading the article that gave me that revelation, I was shivering in sandals, a light blouse and a skirt. Oh the shame.)

I don't know if my success really counts though - I'm in an apartment building and everyone around me runs heat like crazy because it's included in rent, so even though it's been below freezing outside, it has never dropped below fleece+socks+blanket cold in my apartment.

[EDSMedS]

Keep it up, Britan!  Let's show the world that DC can be a Mustachian paradise!

This is too easy, folks.  My shorts and air squats (and yeah, occasionally blankets) are still more comfortable than an expensive electricity bill!

[llorona]

I'm out. Indoor temperature was down to 46 degrees today. Friends came over for lunch, and it was too sad watching everyone bundled up in jackets and shivering.

[EDSMedS]

^^^^ LOL!!

In-laws rolled through town last week.  Luckily it was a warm snap but they still stayed bundled in our place!

We're going strong in DC!

[JLee]

December 31st - haven't had the heat on yet this season.

[Lian]

I have no choice as to when the heat is turned on - my condo is an apartment conversion with one boiler for the entire building.  But I almost always keep my thermostat down as low as it will go because I get more heat than I want from surrounding units. It got down to -19 degrees last night. I blasted heat up yesterday for the first time this year, but couldn’t get the place warm (it’s a leaky old building). I wore lots of warm clothes and huddled in quilts.  I was fine with it, but I wouldn’t want to live this way all winter.

[Davin]

We haven't turned on the gas heater for over two years, but when it gets really cold we build a fire in our funky inefficient Malm freestanding fireplace, because I work for a timber management company and I can cut all the firewood I want for free. Also my S.O. has been using an electric heating pad on her side of the bed since around thanksgiving. 

[Anus Hurricane]

Checks the micro-heatering strategy, homes.  'bout 80 watts and some burberry is all a chav needs: http://www.richsoil.com/electric-heat.jsp

The individual herein has reduced heating expenses by 87 percent by identifying what really needs warming.

[EDSMedS]

26 degrees, 4 inches of snow, my hot shower turned to frosted windows.  No heat yet!!

I'm still wearing shorts.

[gopackgo2]

26 degrees, 4 inches of snow, my hot shower turned to frosted windows.  No heat yet!!

I'm still wearing shorts.

LOL.  We're in Baltimore and have been running it for about a month - kept it at 62 at night and 60 during the day.  I'm at home alone today and turned off the heat entirely (it's 23F outside and people are running snowblowers).  My husband is at work today so I felt I could be as badass as I wanted to be today :)

We have a heat pump in our apartment which makes no sense for this climate and it's a source of never-ending frustration.  The aux heat goes on if we're not really careful when it gets really cold.  Everything in the apartment is electric.  Very annoying.

[Sparafusile]

I lost this challenge long ago, but if I hadn't, I would have today. It was -7F this morning with a windchill near -20F. Tomorrow our high will be in the single (positive) digits with a low in the -15F area. At least it stopped snowing finally.

[KS]

26 degrees, 4 inches of snow, my hot shower turned to frosted windows.  No heat yet!!

I'm still wearing shorts.

I think you might be winning this thing, although there may be at least one other holdout in a properly cold climate so if they chime in, the race is still on! I'm still going in the California category, although it got pretty tempting over the holiday break when things were pretty consistently getting into the low 30s overnight. I did tell my husband we could turn it on (after one very chilly morning where we resorted to wrapping ourselves in our just out of the dryer laundry to get warm) but he said "No! Mustache challenge!" :)

[dycker1978]

I lost this challenge long ago, but if I hadn't, I would have today. It was -7F this morning with a windchill near -20F. Tomorrow our high will be in the single (positive) digits with a low in the -15F area. At least it stopped snowing finally.

I remember when it was that warm here... -59 C with the wind chill this morning when I left for work...  Why do I live here again?

[MoneyStacher]

I haven't had my heat on in over 10 years. I live in a condo with a 35 foot wall of windows facing south. Last night it was 8 degrees overnight here in Atlanta and today's high was in the 20's. My place is 66 degrees. I'm not sure if it is the south windows or what. Come Summer you can issue an A/C challenge and I'll fail it real quick!

[EDSMedS]

It is 43 degrees in my apartment.  That's only 102 degrees warmer than dycker1978, lol!

Life is pretty fucking fantastic.  Being cold really makes you appreciate moments of warmth, like cuddling SO under 3 blankets at night, baking squash muffins, and the first sip of coffee in the morning.

I had to go into the office yesterday (yeah, I work in my 43 degree home!) and almost got a headache from the 72 degree stale air!

[Bob W]

It is 43 degrees in my apartment.  That's only 102 degrees warmer than dycker1978, lol!

Life is pretty fucking fantastic.  Being cold really makes you appreciate moments of warmth, like cuddling SO under 3 blankets at night, baking squash muffins, and the first sip of coffee in the morning.

I had to go into the office yesterday (yeah, I work in my 43 degree home!) and almost got a headache from the 72 degree stale air!

I haven't kept up with this thread lately,  assuming that sane people already had their heat on.  lol

43 degrees is beyond badass!  You rock.  64 in my house yesterday with 0 outside.  Would have been warmer but heat pump couldn't keep up.   

I can see dealing with 43 with gloves, hats, long johns etc...  But what about showers?  Please tell me you run a space heater in the bathroom.   Being wet at 43 sounds a little chilly to me!

[mochila]

Incredibly, the heat has not come on yet (at least not by itself). The other night the temps went down to 10° F, with the wind chill bringing us down to -2° F.

I don't own a thermometer, but it felt a lot colder than the 50° to which my thermostat is set. I thought it was broken, but when I dialed it rightwards, the heater started its clicking and grumbling, so I promptly dialed it back to 50° and threw on a gorgeous Aran sweater.

[Dicey]

This post is for those of you who feel they can't keep up with the badasses above. We got our utility bill yesterday. The total was $354. I was freaked out until DH pointed out that it was less than last year and this year has been even colder. His mom has Alzheimer's and lives with us. We both feel guilty when she wanders around in a coat and hat, so we keep the heat at a fairly constant 68 degrees. In my old house, the bill never exceeded $100 and usually averaged around $60, but those days are long gone. Ah, well, we saved when we could, so bills like this current one don't derail us.

[SpareChange]

It's been in the low 20s at night around here this week, but my apt is doing fine.

[Daisy]

South Florida here...still in this challenge, if I can even call it a challenge. January is probably the only month I would possibly turn on the heat, but it's looking like I can make it the whole winter without turning on the heat. Usually it's only one or two days a year I will turn it on. Let's see what the rest of January brings...

However, I will most definitely lose this challenge when I go skiing in Colorado this winter. No way is this thin-blooded Floridian going to make it through one of those cold nights without the heat on.

[Bob W]

It's been in the low 20s at night around here this week, but my apt is doing fine.

Don't you love those downstairs neighbors?  Ever compare utility bills with them?

[SpareChange]

It's been in the low 20s at night around here this week, but my apt is doing fine.

Don't you love those downstairs neighbors?  Ever compare utility bills with them?

Haha, you would think so, but I'm the one on the first floor. ;)

[EDSMedS]

It's been in the low 20s at night around here this week, but my apt is doing fine.

Don't you love those downstairs neighbors?  Ever compare utility bills with them?

We were just saying how COLD it is in our apartment now that DC has warmed up a bit (we're on the third floor and receive ALL our neighbors heat, FOR FREE, MWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!)

We're still dominating this challenge!!!  Thank dog we don't live in northern Canada!

[KS]

Ha! Just got our monthly "see how you're doing" energy summary; see Nov/Dec for the effects of this gauntlet. Looks like even in sunny California this challenge does make a difference over other people's use! So I imagine those of you in colder climes are even further below your area's average, in case your energy company doesn't send you these. :)

[mochila]

I return to this thread with my head hanging, but not too heavily. My thermostat is still at 50 °F, but the heat has been switching itself on periodically since I returned from a work trip Monday. It was -4 °F earlier and (checks) hasn't gotten much warmer. So grateful for coffee and my handknitted woolies!

[MikeBear]

It was -25f in mid-Michigan last night. I had my furnace at 58f.

I can't go lower, as I have copd (chronic bronchitis) and too cold makes me sick as it aggravates that. Conversely, I have nerve damage that makes my normal body temperature stay around 97.1, so temps above about 72f make me sick, due to over heating.

[daverobev]

Thank dog we don't live in northern Canada!

Doesn't need to be northern! It was -25 degrees C here last night. Weather chart has shown us as several degrees below average the whole winter, pretty much... Often with the day's high being roughly where the average *low* would be.

I cannot WAIT til it hits zero (and stays above it!).

Still, we're doing pretty well - our gas usage was the same as last year despite it being 8% colder, according to our bill. I keep it below 20 degrees C inside... we have ice inside our windows :0P

[Goldielocks]

Thank dog we don't live in northern Canada!

Doesn't need to be northern! It was -25 degrees C here last night. Weather chart has shown us as several degrees below average the whole winter, pretty much... Often with the day's high being roughly where the average *low* would be.

I cannot WAIT til it hits zero (and stays above it!).

Still, we're doing pretty well - our gas usage was the same as last year despite it being 8% colder, according to our bill. I keep it below 20 degrees C inside... we have ice inside our windows :0P

hmm

Plus 13'C here today, feels even warmer...  our heat has been off for about a week now, due to the really short winter in the west.  My problem is that none of the garden centres have onion sets in yet, so I had to plant seeds a couple of weeks ago.  The peas go in today.   Should I share a photo of the flowers.  yep.  gloating over the east coast 5 ft of snow...

[Another Reader]

Shouldn't this thread now be renamed "Is your heat off yet?"

[Hotstreak]

Shouldn't this thread now be renamed "Is your heat off yet?"

Maybe for un-insulated east coasters!  Out west where I am things are still sunny & nice!  No heat yet for me.

[alsoknownasDean]

Time for a Southern Hemisphere challenge!

Now, I don't have central heating at all in my (ground floor) apartment. I have a small portable column heater that I can use. I moved here in October, so I haven't experienced this place through a winter.

I'm traditionally a bit of a sissypants when it comes to the heater in the winter, so I'm going to challenge myself to see how long I can go before caving and plugging it in.

As far as the weather here in Melbourne goes, summer's definitely over, and it's starting to get colder. Sunday's forecast is 14C. The seasons seem to change abruptly at this time of year, only a few weeks ago it was 27C.

Let's see how long I can last!

Who's in?

(And yes, chances are I'll end up spending more on warm weather clothing than I would have spent had I just used my damn column heater all winter)

[RetiredAt63]

Yes, and the answer is "NO".  It was for a while (sunny days, 15C highs, so no heat needed) but we are back to cold and overcast, and rain that is almost snow or hail.  Summer and winter are having a grand duel here.

Shouldn't this thread now be renamed "Is your heat off yet?"

[Daisy]

Well I made it through the whole winter without turning on the heat. Big yay! to living in South Florida.

I'd bet others around me turned on the heat at least once. We had a couple of "cold spells" (it's all relative, I know). I'm going to have to ask around.

[1967mama]

I didn't make it through the winter, and I knew I wouldn't, but I did use the furnace way less due to this challenge. My heating bill reflects the change....thanks Mustachians!