I don’t think we’re getting much help this week from the solar panels this week.
They’ve been covered in ice since at least Sunday. Also, there hasn’t been much sun. That’s ok . . they do a great job when they can. Not their fault Mother Nature decided to give us a whole year’s worth of winter in one week.
I dread seeing this month’s electric bill. The heater barely stops running. If it was $200 last month, my guess is that it will be $600+ next month. Better hope that house in Texas sells before Vince sees this electric bill.
Vince’s theory, and he may be right, is that I should keep the house warmer than normal so IF the power goes off, it will take longer for it to get cold in the house. I just don’t buy it because I want to stay just warm enough that I don’t feel cold, and I’ll risk being cold 5 minutes after the power goes off rather than sit for three days sweating.
We do have two propane fireplaces but I’m saving the propane for IF the power does go off.
Speaking of heat . . I usually put the thermostat on about 60 at night but on nights when there’s no danger of pipes freezing, I turn it off. Vince wants me to leave it on 68 at night while the temps are down in the low teens or, as it’s supposed to be this weekend, near zero.
Last night I went to bed with it on 68 and before I went to sleep, I got up and turned it down to 67. I got during the night and turned it to 66 and finally, about 3 a.m., I closed the door to the bathroom so the heat could help keep the pipes warmer and I opened the bedroom window. No one can see and it and I’m sure no one looks but the neighbors would think I’m nuts with the window open when it’s about 15 degrees outside.
I was able to get back in bed, and sleep without feeling like I was going to have a meltdown.
Donna Williams says
Maybe because where I grew up the heater in the winter was soooo hot, I always sleep with a window at least cracked open. If someone wants to perform gymnastics to look in on me sleeping, they’re more than welcome
I’m sure it’s not pretty enough for them to want to do it again They’d also have to come through a couple mean hollies, so I feel pretty good about it. Sleeping well is important so I say whatever it takes to do that is perfectly acceptable.
Elle says
I would melt! We do 67 during the day and 64 at night-that way I can sleep.
vivoaks says
Wow! I couldn’t imagine sleeping in the winter with a window open!! If it’s down into the 60’s at night we don’t open a window!! For the longest time I couldn’t get hubby to open a window when it was 90 outside, and we don’t have air conditioning! Even with the overnight heat set at 68 he has to have multiple quilts over him, and he sleeps hot…Of course, not much that he does surprises me, so I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by this.
katie peterson says
My husband sleeps hot also, when I climb into bed, he feels like a radiator in there. I think he sends out all the heat and does not keep any for himself. And yes he has more blankets on his side than I do, cause he is cold.
Nelle Coursey says
We put ours on 65 to 68 at night. Since my house is Pier and Beam so I will leave one of the Kitchen cabinet doors open.
Twyla says
Our heat at night is set at 67. I sleep with the window open a little and under my electric blanket. Toasty and can breath cool air. I have never cared for heated nights.
Judy Laquidara says
I have a down comforter that I bring out during the winter and even on nights with the heat at 62 or 63, I often throw that thing off but it isn’t long til I’m reaching for it again. It was so nice to have the window open last night and know it was COLD in that room but I was toasty warm.
Andrea in MO says
We’re at 64 during the day and 62 at night. Like Nelle, when it gets this cold we leave one of the cabinet doors open under the kitchen and bathroom sinks. I don’t know if it actually helps, but we feel better about it.
I don’t buy Vince’s theory of keeping it hot now just in case you lose power (don’t tell him 😉 ). The house will start feeling cold within a few hours of not being heated, and I don’t think starting 8 degrees higher than normal will buy you much time. I have no actual facts to back this up, just pondering.
Judy Laquidara says
I always do that in any room that has plumbing on outside walls. Always have. Also can’t say if it does any good but none of those pipes have ever frozen.
I agree about keeping the house warmer just in case. It seems like when the power goes out during ice, it’s usually for several days so I don’t think sweating “just in case” is going to make a whole lot of difference after a very short time of no power.