After a high of nearly 70 yesterday, the temperature has dropped about 15 degrees. Fall is officially upon us. The apartment is currently 67 degrees, so I set the heat to come on for the first time this season - at 64 degrees.
We used very little air conditioning this Summer. The a/c was set to kick on at 80. I also spent mornings and evenings opening and closing windows to get the cool night air but keep out the hot air during the day. If I were more diligent and could handle closed curtains (both for me and my plants) then I should have kept the North-facing window curtains closed during the day. I love the sun, and my plants need it, so this was not an option for me. But it certainly could have been.
This Fall and Winter I am hoping to keep our heating bill as low as possible. Here's what I did last year and what I'm hoping to do this year:
1. Last Winter, we kept the apartment at 67. I intend to aim for 66 or 65 this year. It's tricky - I'm a freeze baby - but it's definitely possible. I will also try lowering the temperature at night as well (purchasing flannel sheets is on the To Do list).
2. We also have a very drafty apartment. Last year, I kept a rolled up towel at the base of our front door to stop the draft. This year, I am planning to do the same, and will add one to the door that goes to the basement as well.
3. I will also consider closing off the guest bedroom (and closing the registers in there as well). We almost never use it, and heating one less room should help.
4. Our windows are pretty drafty - I might have to look into that plastic covering stuff to seal them off. Of course, I keep plants on a number of windowsills, so I probably won't do those.
How about you? What do you do to keep your homes/apartments cool in the Summer and warm in the Winter?
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Save Money on Heating and Cooling Bills
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4 comments:
this is a big concern for us too; especially living in wisconsin! we do many things you do. keep the temp in the mid 60s, cooler at night (when we bundle up in bed), and weather proofing strips on our backdoor and windows. we also have a study/porch area that we close off in the winter b/c we hardly use it.
finally, we have insulated curtains on some of our windows that work well in summer and winter. i was skeptical at first, but they made a big difference!
Thanks for the suggestions Betsy! Insulated curtains sound like a good idea. We should also look into weather proofing strips.
Depending on what type of heat you have, I've seen people have good luck with keeping the heat low (65ish or lower if they can tolerate it) and taking a space heater with them for whatever room they plan to spend time in. If you're not in the entire apartment/house at all times, this could be a way to go.
I've never heard of the insulated curtains though, but I think it is a fantastic idea.
We currently have the heat in the apartment set to 65, although I turn it up to 67 when I'm so cold I can't stand it. We don't have a space heater, so I just wear lots of layers. We also have a large number of blankets that are great for keeping warm, too.
I'm not sure I can go much lower than 65....
We also just put a door sweep on the base of our front door. It's working really well so far!
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