Christmas in February

[WilliamPitt]

My mom, my wife and I, along with my mom's best friends, decided not to do Christmas presents for each other this year, but instead would find someone deserving in the community and donate heating fuel to them anonymously. We wound up choosing two people - both elderly people who had no one else in this life - and did it.

Took a little while to put it together, way past Christmas, but I just wrote a check for my piece. Given how cold it has been...

I got nothing for Christmas. I got everything for Christmas.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. This is the true spirit of Christmas, my dear Will...

You are living it.

Blessings on you!

[Auntie Bush]

4. That was wonderful of you all! Wish I knew someone like that.

My heating bill for January was $900.00.

[ReRe]

10. Auntie Bush!

What are you burning, gold? Good Lord honey-bunny, please explain!

[Auntie Bush]

15. I've even had my house insulated, have a new furnace and sealed off the fireplace!

Seems like they must have not done a very good job.

I have a long rambling house (the most difficult kind to heat) with a cathedral ceiling in the open Kitchen/dining room/family room...also in the laundry room and bathroom which is consequently too cold to take a shower.

I have 6 bedrooms but close the doors to three of them. So I don't really heat
the whole left side of the house. Unfortunately, I only have ONE thermostat for this whole house which I now keep set at 67 degrees by day and 61 by night. (10 to 8:00). I used to keep it at 61 all the time but gave up on that a couple years ago. Even with the thermostat set at 67 the rest of the house is usually about 62....less with all the cold weather this year. No wonder I hang out in front of the TV with my dog.

My son felt bad that the house always seemed so cold so he bought and installed a mini-split on the wall over my head where I sit. It radiates warm heat downward (Ahh) so I do a lot of sitting in front of it. I also use an electric throw which keeps my legs warm.

I heat with oil and electric and I get oil delivered every 2 weeks. On Jan. 14 it was $325. On Jan 27 it was $303. Due to the electric min-split my electric bill jumped to $279 this month. And I thought the oil bill would be much less but wasn't. The total heating for this month is $907 damn dollars...don't know how I'll pay it. December was a bitch too. Thanks for asking...sorry I went in such detail.

[ReRe]

20. Dearheart...

Is it any better in the summer, financially? Yegads, do you have a guest house? I'd build a small log cabin with a fireplace to spend my winters in. All you can do is shut more of the house off and/or lower the thermostat and layer your clothing. I hope you can figure out how to save on the energy, that the last part of winter is a little less inclement, and that spring arrives early where you live. Drink hot toddies.

[Auntie Bush]

21. I've done all I can do except, sell and move, which I don't want to do.

Yes, It's much cheaper in the summer as I live in VT. Don't need air conditioning...ceiling fans are adequate. However I'll take your advice on a couple of hot toddies!

[ReRe]

23. Yum...

... that'll warm you all up inside. I'll have one on this end and tip it in your direction.

[dotymed]

31. Auntie Bush,

Do you set your ceiling fans on reverse during the winter? Since heat rises and (especially because) you have cathedral ceilings, this will circulate the hot air downwards.
It makes a huge difference in heating your house, especially if during the winter you use your ceiling fans (on their forward settings).

If you do this, learn from my mistake... clean the fan blades. If not, the accumulated dust will blow around for a week (in my situation).
I am a retired Union carpenter who has a lot of residential (pre-Union) remodeling experience.
I found that ceiling fans, used properly, make a large difference in keeping your home comfortable. I have one in each room and I maintain (comparatively) low energy bills.
I use a gas furnace and water heater. The gas furnace does put out more dust (it seems) than an electric one, so clean those fan blades before setting your fans on reverse.
Also, when it warms up outside, don't forget to put your fans back on forward. That way the cool air is "sucked-up" and recirculated in your home.
If you try this, let me know how it works for you. I (almost immediately) noticed a difference because the warm air was blowing
down on me. Even during this arctic cold spell, my furnace doesn't have to work nearly as hard to keep us toasty.
Good luck.

[Liberty Belle]

26. Down comforters help a lot. You can get them online now for about $40.

I bought one for the bedroom that helped so much I now have a second one in my downstairs office to snuggle with if I have to work late.

[ananda]

30. Wow.

It sure costs a lot to heat homes up north. I'm sorry for that. It's so wrong on so many levels.

I have electric central heating for my apartment, that's it .. plus an electric throw that I use
when it gets really cold.

When I use the throw, I keep the thermostat around 62, especially at night. During the day,
I keep it a little higher.

Last month my bill was $177, which is very high for me. It's usually around $50. This month
I expect it to be a bit high as well. My heater is an electricity hog. Using A/C with the same
unit doesn't use nearly as much electricity, I don't know why.

But my heating bill is nothing compared to those $900 bills I keep reading about up north. That's ridiculous
and outrageous.

[Stargazer09]

2. That was a wonderful thing to do

[Nye Bevan]

3. Matthew 6:2 springs to mind (nt)

[awoke_in_2003]

6. Good show, Will. nt

[KatyaR]

7. All I can say is....

[Firebrand Gary]

8. These are the stories that keep me reading DU...

Thank you for sharing, William.

[watoos]

9. Good on you

I hold my own with our local redneck internet web site. I got tired of hearing about the lazy Dems so I challenged them to donate to our local Salvation Army for Thanksgiving. We even had drop off points. I was pretty disappointed with the response. I think most of the rednecks were getting food stamps the more I think about it. But, I have found in my lifetime that the only way to get anything, is to give. Your story is inspiring, thanks.

[Skittles]

11. awwwwwwwww

wonderful

I too decline Christmas presents, and ask people to give to those in need

[ReRe]

12. And it was the best Christmas you ever had!

... That is a great idea, Will. As a matter of fact, our family has been trying to think of something different to do for Christmas. And it can be extended to birthdays, anniversaries, and even the rare windfall. Thank you for the idea and thank you for being you.

[rdharma]

13. I just hate the Keystone XL pipeline and I think it's really bad for America.

Seriously..... if the Keystone pipeline plans were killed......that would be my favorite Christmas gift

[WilliamPitt]

14. That thing...

[rdharma]

22. You sure?

Sure you don't need a good chili con carne recipe?

Are you REALLY SURE about that?

[ISW]

16. Awesome!!!!!

[Squinch]

17. So now think about this:

Tons of us are reading this and thinking, "what a great idea! I'm doing that!"

So what you did is now bouncing around and spreading like an oil spill, but in a good way. So that's a lot of people whose lives will be better.

May it come back to you multiplied.

[WilliamPitt]

19. What I do.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

18. William gave some strangers a metaphorical lump of coal, a very good lump they needed! Thanks! nt

[Crewleader]

24. Many Blessings To You and Your Family For Caring

It's The BEST Christmas Gift to give, for the elderly couple were kept warm this cold winter because of it.

[madinmaryland]

25. DU Recommended. nt

[Vinnie From Indy]

27. Very cool!

Cheers!

[Enthusiast]

28. Well done!

[Triana]

29. THAT is Christmas.

IMO that's what it's about.