How Low Can You Go?

[SHOPGIRL]

Just curious...How low can you go with your heat?  I'm in Michigan and the weather is getting cooler.  I turn down my heat at night and during the day while I'm at work.  So, when I'm home, I've been experimenting to see how low I can set the heat where I'll be comfortable.  My house is small, and I could afford to keep the heat between 68-70 degrees, but this winter I'd like to keep it as low as possible.  I don't want to see my monthly  heating bill skyrocket.  I want to take that extra money I'd spend heating my house and apply it towards debt.  So, right now I have my heat at my new low, 64 degrees.  I'm using a Vornado electric space heater in the office while I'm on the computer so right now the house temp has raised to 66 degrees.  I also try to use the oven more during the winter since that serves two practical purposes-dinner and it warms up my house.  So, what temperature do you set your heat at?

[Valerie in WA]

Last year was our first with a programable thermostat. We set it for 71 during the day, and 66 at night. I could go WAY lower at night (I'm an electric-blanket-addict), but we were advised to make no more than a 5* change between day and night.

This year, inspired by the Village residents, I quietly slipped over the thermostat and reprogrammed it for 70 and 65. I know that's just a small difference, but baby steps help. I did that only for Mon-Fri, when dh is at work. I left weekends at 71/66.

I also pulled 'daytime' in by a half-hour on each end. Instead of 7am-930pm, it's now 730am to 9pm, cutting off an hour total per day.

I may try to go down another degree at the end of this month. It's mostly me who gets cold, and I HATE to be cold.

[tightwadmommy]

We're in Louisiana. Probably won't need the heater till Dec. . Last winter it was set on 71 for day and 68 at night. I'm cold blooded!
This year I'm going to try for 70/67.

[Mojjo]

I get cold easy and once I'm cold I stay cold, but I'm using a small down throw to help so it's at a high of 68 right now and will be around 65 when we aren't here.

[momof42003]

We need new thermostat throughout the house, so we rarely if ever turn the heat on... We have a small space heater that is on only when DH is home.. The ceiling heat in the diningroom is on only slightly when DH is home.. The kids rooms are always off unless DH is home... I see a pattern here. Ok in the kids rooms, I leave the heat on long enough in the evening to get the chill out, and then by midnight it is off.. I like it cooler... It is easier to put layers on than to get cooler... Our room has no heat hardly ever, right now, I have the airconditioner on fan only.. I love to snuggle down in my bed with all my blankies...

[YankeeMom]

During the day while it's just me, the furnace is set at 59*. I use a small electric heater to heat up the living room. Once the kids get home from school, I light a fire in the woodstove. It stays very comfortable in here

At night & the early mornings the furnace is set on 62*. Mostly because my kids don't keep their covers on and dh doesn't like to get out of the shower & freeze his buns off

[momof42003]

I find it kind of funny, that during the summer months we can't wait for the house to get as cool as it can, and then in the winter when the house is that temp, we need to turn up the heat??? I do the same thing though....

[QuilterMom]

We hopefully won't need the heat for quite a while. We had to turn the a/c back on this past Sunday for a bit!

Last winter we didn't use the heat at all. It got down to 62* in the house at the lowest. This year with a baby in the house, I anticipate having to use it - haven't made a decision on where we'll set it though.

[SHOPGIRL]

Earlier when I mentioned my heat was set at 64, I was wrong. It's set at 61 right now. I used my new space heater and the house was actually up to 70 in some places. Right now I turned off the heater.

[marianne98]

I'm with YankeeMom, 59 in the day, 62 at night

Marianne

[Nada.Leona]

DH has sworn up and down that we are NOT turning the heat on at all this year. I give that another month before he gives up on that plan. Til then, well, we haven't turned it on yet. My last power bill was $182 for six weeks, which is a LOT to me. So we're trying to cut down on our usage of electricity and heat is one of the big ones.

[daddys3chicks]

Right now we have it at 65 for heat at night. It gets warm enough during the day still.

[AmyBoz]

58 during the day while we're all gone. As soon as I get home, I turn it to 60 and then before dh comes to bed (around midnight) he turns it back to 58. We dress and sleep warmly around here.

[Renee-2kids]

Wow some of you go low! How can you even think of no heat in Canada???

Ours is at 68 day and night. I could go lower at night, but we have little ones who are already dressed in 3 layers at night.

[jlxian]

Originally posted by YankeeMom
During the day while it's just me, the furnace is set at 59*. I use a small electric heater to heat up the living room. Once the kids get home from school, I light a fire in the woodstove. It stays very comfortable in here

This is very similar to our place --- we have it about 60 during the day and use an electric heater to warm the area we are in. We still have not lit our wood stove --- need to get that flue cleaned and I'm hoping we do it this weekend. Prediction of lows in the 20s next week.