When I left for work this morning, frost was covering our car. Winter is quickly approaching.
I enjoy the fall and winter months - the cold, the snow (when there's not much of it), the food, the holidays. But the thing I enjoy the most? Sweaters and blankets. I love bundling up in a sweater or snuggling under a warm blanket on a chilly evening.
Last night was my first evening of bundling up. I had a cup of hot cocoa, a book, and a fleece blanket that kept me company until I turned in. There were moments when I really wanted to kick on the heat because I had some difficulty warming up, but I resisted.
Why?
In our last apartment, we had awful insulation. The entire apartment was like one big open window in the winter time. We could never get warm. When we'd turn on the heat, it would help some but most of it would just escape out. So we learned to just manage without the heat unless we absolutely needed it. The highest our electric bill was last winter was $160. That hurts, especially when living in a small apartment. So this winter, we will be using no heat unless absolutely necessary to warm our bones.
And again, you might be asking, "Why?"
It's simple: We're two adults living in a well-insulated, one-bedroom apartment. There's really no need for it. We can bundle up, we have plenty of blankets, and we're always stocked with the makings for hot beverages. The rule will be broken if we have guests over, if the temperatures drop below 30 degrees for an extended period of time, or if there is some other circumstance where the heat is necessary.
Of course, no heat will mean a better electric bill. We haven't had our air conditioner on for almost a month. Our bill for September was $94. Our bill for this month? $62. Yes, I'll take those savings and put them towards a debt. I would love to have our electric bill get no higher than $80 for the duration of the winter.
Have you ever instituted a no-heat rule?
We're trying not to use our heat but it's getting cold. We have it set at around 68 degrees right now and will increase that when it gets colder.
ReplyDeleteI always try not to use my heat, because a) heat is expensive in general and b) I have a wall unit which makes it doubly expensive. While I'm sleeping, I don't turn it on because I have a down comforter on my bed which keeps me plenty warm. Otherwise, I'll turn the heat on just long enough to get the apartment warm and then turn it off.
ReplyDeleteMichelle P: That's a good plan. It's warmer today, so we've got the windows open and the sun streaming in to get some Mother Nature-heat in here for later.
ReplyDeleteSVB: I think if it gets too cold for us, we'll probably kick it on just to take the chill off as well. We bought a new comforter at the end of summer and it keeps the bed very warm. Having two cats also helps for heat, haha.
I try to keep my heat really low or off. My apartment is on the first floor over the burners in the basement so that helps when others in my building are using their heat.
ReplyDeleteCGS: This is the first apartment we've lived in that is on the ground level. I'm hoping that helps this winter.
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