No Heat Challenge

by Elizabeth on October 29, 2011 · 14 comments

in life, no heat challenge, the house

Since it’s just now getting cold in Alabama, I’m really only just no beginning the no heat challenge.  And already it’s been a challenge.  My feet are freezing right now.  Now I only have on thin socks at the moment, but it’s been cold in the house all day.  It got down to 63 upstairs (or at least that’s what it was when I woke up) and despite my flannel pjs, cozy socks, a blanket and my comforter, and the cat under the covers with me, I was shivering.

Yes Caty Cat sleeps under the covers.  It’s how I know that my house is really cold.

I’ve resisted turning on the heat because the downstairs is staying very warm (68-70) with the heat and the days are still pretty warm.  I’m not going to be ridiculous this year like I was when I was in grad school (I’m not that poor anymore – yay!), but I’m not going to turn the heat until it’s consistently cold.  And I’m only going to put it on 64.  The house is big and I just spent all summer paying to keep it a livable cool.  I think with warm clothes, hot tea, and a kitty who likes to snuggle I’ll be fine.

Are you trying to keep your house cooler this year?  How are you doing so far?

{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Megg October 30, 2011 at 8:35 pm

63?? That’s warm! It’s what our heat is set at all winter!

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2 Elizabeth October 31, 2011 at 9:03 am

Well my house is bigger and has very high ceilings. 63 is very chilly. And also, my heat is electric so it’s not all that expensive. I’ll probably keep it between 63-65 this winter, depending on how I feel. Caty gets cold too and I don’t want her to suffer.

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3 Megg October 31, 2011 at 4:17 pm

No, I understand that (and believe me, I’m glad we’re only on 1 story!) I’m just saying that keeping your house at 63 really is pretty do-able and isn’t THAT cold. And I don’t think my cats get cold, I mean, they do have fur coats! They just curl up in a little ball 🙂 The other day I actually caught Clarabelle sitting on the vent!

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4 Cate October 31, 2011 at 7:03 am

We’ve always kept our house pretty chilly in the winter, and while sometimes it sucks (my feet in particular tend to get really cold, as well as my hands because I’m often cooking or doing other things where I can’t snuggle under a blanket!), it’s worth the savings. We drink a lot of tea, pile on the blankets, and spend a lot of time cuddling.

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5 Elizabeth October 31, 2011 at 1:02 pm

I bought these Land’s End lined house shoes that are AMAZING. The soles are thick enough that I can wear them outside to get the mail or something too. Very warm and cozy. Definitely worth it.

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6 Molly October 31, 2011 at 8:44 am

I love the lolz you share. Do you have flannel sheets? Do you have warm fuzzy socks? Do you wear tights or long johns underneath your pjs? Do you wear a hoodie or a hat at night?
My parents (well, Mom really, Dad didn’t like it so cold) kept the house rather chilly growing up. Occasionally we’d lose power for a while, and we’d REALLY pile on the clothes.
And soup. Lots of soup.

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7 Elizabeth October 31, 2011 at 9:04 am

I do okay with just blankets and warm pjs. Once the cat gets under the covers, she really warms me up.

Soup is excellent. I eat tons of it during the winter.

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8 Molly October 31, 2011 at 12:43 pm

How cold does it get in your part of the South, anyway?

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9 Elizabeth October 31, 2011 at 1:00 pm

The average in January/February is right around freezing. But it does occasionally get into the teens and we have lots of nights in the 20s as well. But it stays rainy and humid most days which is very unpleasant and makes it feel much colder.

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10 Frugal(er) October 31, 2011 at 8:48 am

Space heater! Space heaters are the perfect solution to those times when it’s just a wee bit too cold. They help take the uncomfortable chill out of the air without you having to heat the whole house–just use it in the room you’re in. Especially since you live alone in a big place, it makes perfect sense.

We got snow in Providence over the weekend, but I’m still not turning the heat on because it’s hitting 50 degrees in the afternoon. Space heaters rule!

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11 Elizabeth October 31, 2011 at 9:05 am

I was thinking about a space heater. My room stays much colder than the rest of the house, so I might get one and run it for 20 minutes or so before I go to bed.

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12 Ally October 31, 2011 at 11:25 am

my problem is that if I had a programmable thermostat I’d end up with the opposite of most people – warmer during the day (when I’m not home) because of my dog, and colder at night (when I can try to force the dog to stay under the covers with me). I just worry putting it too far below 68 because she’s a breed that doesn’t handle the cold particularly well… So luckily my apartment is fairly well suited to hold heat and keep heat, so it doesn’t end up being a horrible bill, but i wish I could join the hold outs against running the heat unnecessarily…

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13 Elizabeth October 31, 2011 at 1:01 pm

I do worry about Caty. Every night that she’s gotten under the covers her fur has been really cold. I have a few blankets laid out around the house for her to sleep on and, of course, she always finds the sun. But she has a thin build so I wonder how cold she really gets.

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14 Allison L. November 9, 2011 at 9:25 pm

I didn’t know that something like the No Heat Challenge existed! I’ve always tried to hold off on the heat during the winter to save money.
I’d much rather have money to spend on air conditioning in the summer. I can stand being cold, but I can’t stand being hot!

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