Click here to read an article from today’s USA Today titled, “Households Take up Challenge to be Chilly.” Although my interview was pretty short, it’s still an interesting article and definitely worth a read.
The No Heat Challenge was officially over on November 1st, but we’re still keeping the thermostat set at at 64 during the day when the kids are home; 60 during the day when they’re at school and 57 degrees at night.
Go ahead and throw on an extra layer and turn that thermostat down. If nothing else, it gives you an excuse to snuggle with loved ones.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
That was a neat article. I have to say I have failed miserably in the challenge. It has been many degrees below zero for several days. It was -12 this morning..lol
Interesting article, but I just can’t agree with the concept that “homes didn’t used to have central heat” so you shouldn’t need it now. Um, there was also a time when homes didn’t have indoor plumbing, but I’m not willing to do without that, either!
But seriously, at what point do people start worrying about frozen pipes? My contractor recommends setting the heat no lower than 50 degrees even when you are out of town, to reduce the possibility of frozen pipes.
Barb,
We always have frozen pipes in the back of our minds..lol
We are due to have a possible 45 below windchill tonight…ugh. Def going to keep the heat on, and like you, I am happy to keep flush toilets 😉
BarbS and Kris-ND,
I would never suggest that people keep their heat so low that the pipes would freeze. And flush toilets are my best friends. 🙂
Katy Wolk-Stanley
The Non-Consumer Advocate
My whole thought process in keeping my heat down has nothing to do with my carbon footprint. It has everything to do with not giving oil companies and oil producing countries any more of my hard earned dollars. I have a real problem with the oil companies jacking up prices after Katrina and then keeping them there claiming that China and India’s demand was making oil scarce. In my humble opinion, the oil companies liked the high prices after Katrina and decided they needed a reason to keep them there. They came up with the China and India reason! Did anyone notice how gas and oil prices went up literally overnight when the price of a barrel of oil went over $100 but when the price of oil went down to less than $50, the prices never dropped considerable for our oil and gas?
A long explanation of why I keep my heat at 60! I don’t want to give them any more money than I have to!
Oh Katy, I know you don’t!
This morning, we did the boiling water trick. When it gets to a certain temp(right now, -24) you can go outside with boiling water, throw it up in the air, and…..POOF it, for a lack of a better word, explodes and then evaporates. VERY cool lol
Kris, that boiling water trick sounds like fun. We’ll definitely try it on one of those coooooooold New England mornings.
And Katy, of course you didn’t imply anything like that (leaving the heat so low that the pipes freeze). I was reacting to one of the other people in the article. One of the many things I love about you is the fact that you are both idealistic and practical at the same time. A wonderful combination.