Where do you set your thermostat?

[CheshireVal]

Granted, I live in a generally warmer climate, but it's been pretty chilly here this week! (Low 40s in the mornings). In the past, I've kept the thermostat on 68º, but we've just moved into a huge apartment and I'm terrified of the gas bill, so I haven't yet turned the heat on.

Luckily, we're on the 2nd floor of a 3 story building, so I feel that we're fairly well insulated and I'm hoping we won't need the heat much this year. When I finally *do* need to turn the heat on, I'm going to try to keep it at 63º. Brrr!

 

[Chicago526]

68. Last year, when I was still in my condo, it was 72. But the condo was small and had only two outside walls, so it was easy and cheap to heat. This year we are in a two-story house with a furnace almost as old as I am, so between an inefficiant furnace, more square footage, and natural gas being up 70% over last year, I'll be wearing more sweaters. I might adjust it down even further if the first winter gas bill is too high.

 

[kelleigh1]

I know one lady who keeps her house at 62-63. She says she just bundles up/layers up and stays covered up on the couch . I don't want to have to live like that.

I've always set mine at 62, but that's how I grew up too. I don't feel like I'm freezing. My parents always had it set at 62 and I'm just used to it. My apartment is also above that of an 80+ year old woman, so we tend to get some of her residual heat.

 

[MayMom]

I have a couple questions. One side of our house is much colder than the other so last year we purchased a small plug in electric heater for that cold hallway. Do you think those heaters raise your electric bill? Wouldn't they be cheaper than using gas?
We also have a gas fireplace in our living room. Do you think running it uses a huge amount of gas?

 

[MELSMICE]

We also have a gas fireplace in our living room. Do you think running it uses a huge amount of gas?

We are on balanced billing, so I'm not sure how much using the gas fireplace would raise your bill. I do know that by turning it on for even just a short while can really heat our house up toasy warm.

 

[MayMom]

We are on balanced billing, so I'm not sure how much using the gas fireplace would raise your bill. I do know that by turning it on for even just a short while can really heat our house up toasy warm.

OOOOhhhh! I love to have it on!!!! That's why I want to know if I am really pushing my bill up!

 

[Servants of Evan]

Do you think those heaters raise your electric bill? Wouldn't they be cheaper than using gas?

Yes, and well ... it used to be the case!

Anytime you plug anything in, it raises your electric bill. That little meter isn't spinning just for fun Where you can really feel the pinch is if your utility also compounds the billing based upon power factor. An illustration would be if you come home and turn everything in your house on at once -- an electric range, oven, clothes dryer, heater, lights, etc. You would be using a sizeable amount of current over a short span. If you go beyond a particular amperage (demand), the utility company can bill you at a higher peak demand rate. Conversley, if you spread your demand out then load factor doesn't become an issue. With natural gas rates now hitting record levels, who knows which will be cheaper!

Servants of Evan

 

[MayMom]

Conversley, if you spread your demand out then load factor doesn't become an issue.
Servants of Evan

So - if I run this electric heater during the night, when everything else in the house is turned off - it wouldn't increase the load and wouldn't increase my bill??? Is that right?

 

[Servants of Evan]

Incorrect. You're still paying for the electricity it consumes, but your utility company won't be dinging you for a load factor as well. To create another far-fetched analogy, consider this: Your electric bill is like driving on a toll-road. (See, I said it was a stretch). The farther you drive/the more power you use -- the bigger the bill. The load factor or peak demand is like the Highway Patrol. You can still drive on that toll road, but if you go faster than they say you should it's going to cost you! Will your electric bill go up? Yep. No doubt. You can also consider it this way -- that heater is probably rated at 1400 watts or so. It'd be the same as leaving 14 - 100watt lightbubs on all night (minus the on-off thermostatic cycling the heater will be accomplishing).

Six or seven years ago during November and December, I attempted to temporarily heat a new sunporch area added to my house while I was completing the trim, etc. I was using a 1400 watt electric baseboard heater. I had already installed good-quality windows, insulated the space beyond the minimum my zoning requires, and in short I had done pretty well. I would come home from work and turn on the heater, then leave it for an hour or so until the space heated up enough to comfortably work in a sweatshirt. Doing this added $100 per month to my electric bill.

Servants of Evan

 

[MayMom]

Yikes - glad I asked...although I don't really have any other options.

 

[8 Ears]

I have not read the whole thread so let's see how I do. Yes, we pay for our own heat. We are NOT home during the day though. Several weeks ago now we bought a programable thermostat. Our heat is set at 66 while we are sleeping/gone. It comes back to 70 a half hour before the boys get home. It stays at that until 8 or 8:30; do not recall which. I do not like it too warm at night. Then comes back on to 70 at 5:30 AM, in time to be warming a half hour before I get into the shower. Hoping to save a bunch of money this winter. Or at least only spend what we did last year.