What are you doing to keep your heating bill down this winter?

[leftyladyfrommo]

Just curious how people are coping?

I have a really small house so I have the furnace thermostat set at 60 and then use a small space heater in the bedroom - set on low.

Really, it's not bad at all.

[Lint Head]

1. We had new widows and installation installed two years ago and our bill has been down.

Also a tax credit. Our house is old.

[sammytko]

84. Redid the windows about a month ago in our 1929 house

Miss the vintage beauty of the old ones, but not the noisy rattling drafty old things.

It's so quiet in the house now. Cooling bill went way down and know our heating bill will go down also.

23 windows!

[Ship of Fools]

2. We do about the same. We're also recalking windows/doors.

Getting some insulated curtains next.

[ChandlerJr]

3. Living in Arizona!

Works real good too.

[lbrtbell]

43. But you lose all that $$ on the A/C bill during the summer - n/t

[aikoaiko]

98. Yep, living in south GA, my electricity bill is $300 less in Dec/Jan compared to July/Aug.

[FirstLight]

4. renter here

have some old panes my dad put up on aboout hsalf my windows outside...and then there's plastic for the rest of them.

otherwise, i have lots of wood...

[Warren Stupidity]

5. I stopped using electricity five days ago.

Only that wasn't exactly voluntary :-)

[leftyladyfrommo]

11. Oh, shoot.

How are you staying warm?

So many people are facing that same scenario.

[Javaman]

25. My brother is using the same plan in Jersey.

stay warm.

[marlakay]

6. Turn off at night

Have on 68 just when we are home, turn down when I build a fire. We have great insulation and thick windows and sun warms up house even in winter during the day a bit.

But we are very very lucky…we have cheapest electricity in the nation. It's water power that when damn was built they made agreement many many years ago to keep prices low in our area. They sell the extra to other areas for more money.

[Liberal Veteran]

7. I've heard that plastic bubble wrap is good to place on windows.

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/insulate-windows-bubble-wrap.html

[sarcasmo]

20. Sweet, I am going to try that this winter.

[RKP5637]

26. That sounds like an excellent idea!!! n/t

[workinclasszero]

45. Hey great tip! Thanks /nt

[kestrel91316]

48. I may do this in my bedroom. It has a HUGE window, and this place has minimal

insulation and that bedroom just gets frigid at night.

[tinkerbell41]

67. That's exactly what i do!

For the past 2 yrs. BIG difference. I also tried heat collectors. Tinfoil with black construction paper taped on, affix to southern windows the suns heat "collects" and rises over the top space and flows into room. I can't say how well it worked but the surfaces were pretty warm.

[Pigheaded]

8. Warmups and a tobaggan

Thermostat on 58

PH

[leftyladyfrommo]

9. What is a tobaggan?

I wear a lot of sweat suit kind of stuff but I think I would still be too cold at 58%.

[leftyladyfrommo]

16. Oh, never mind. I looked it up.

I don't think that's for me. Sounds awful.

[eShirl]

21. either a sled, a hat, or an Urban Dictionary sex act

[Abin Sur]

10. Nothing.

I like being warm.

[mike_c]

12. burning wood from last year....

We had a brief window when my partner qualified for free fire wood for seniors-- a month later her employer raised her salary above the eligibility threshold-- so we picked up a free cord of firewood. It's not great quality, but it's fully seasoned and it burns well. And it was free. We could have taken up to three cords but really didn't have room to store more than one. Supplemented with a little more, we'll get most of our heat for free this winter.

[MNBrewer]

13. Thermostat at 55 at night

Warm up the house to 66 in the morning, then turn the thermostat down until evening.

[TwilightGardener]

30. Jesus H. That's pretty extreme--I couldn't tolerate 55 at night.

[MNBrewer]

37. 55 isn't so bad

under the covers with a snuggle partner

[TwilightGardener]

38. LOL--right, but doesn't your head get cold?

My parents had the thermostat down to 60 at night in the winter when I was growing up, and in addition to piles of blankets I would often wear a hat to bed--but nothing could be done about my frozen nose and cheeks, I still had to breathe.

[MNBrewer]

40. I like sleeping in a cold room, as long as my feet stay warm

I don't mind having a slightly cold nose. Maybe it's genetic. My grandparents opened the bedroom window a crack even in the dead of winter.

[kestrel91316]

50. Here in Los Angeles, if you can believe it, I have to settle for 55 at night and 60

during the day. Our winter nights get down into the upper 30s/low 40s all the time and even below freezing at times, and this apartment is virtually uninsulated (1970 construction), and with no unit above me, parking area below me, and only one common wall, this place gets COLD. A large tree shading the south wall completes the scenario, lol.

If I want it warmer, the electric bill skyrockets to $150/mo. This is a 1-BR apartment.

[TwilightGardener]

52. Wow, you're right, didn't think southern CA would have issues with winter chill

and heating--but I remember having electric heat when we lived in the South, I remember it being fairly expensive (and would be a real budget-killer in the north).

[bluestate10]

87. Buy a good blanket. There are some good, USA mainland made blankets. nt

[WillowTree]

90. LOL!! I sleep with the window open at least a couple of inches all winter in Chicago.

55 is a stuffy bedroom to me! The colder it is, the better I sleep in my nice, warm bed with a critter or two. It's my favorite part of winter.

[Lance_Boyle]

34. Hope you are on gas heat.

If you have a heat pump you should never use a setback of more than 2 degrees during heating season. If the set temp is more than 2 degrees higher than actual most heat pumps will invoke auxiliary electric resistance heat to bring the temp up quicker, and that costs 2 arms and 3 legs.

[MNBrewer]

36. yeah, gas

[ileus]

58. When my nose gets cold I get mad.

around 66 is as low as I could go...my kids whine when I have the temp turned down to 70.

[Contrary1]

14. Wear a hat. That helps quite a bit...

Also, rather than adding a second blanket to the bed, a sheet on top of the first one will keep you warmer without all the extra weight.

If you can afford an electric mattress warmer, they work well too.

[leftyladyfrommo]

15. On my one trip to Scotland - we found lots of mattress warmers

used rather than electric blankets.

[Auntie Bush]

59. I love my electric mattress pad. Warm up the bed before I get in and then turn it off.

[WillowTree]

92. A waterbed is even better. Nice and toasty,

I put my nightshirt under the blankets and it's all cozy when I put it on, as well.

[elocs]

17. I live in a small mobile home using space heaters so it is easy to keep warm.

My 9/11 experience 10 years ago was the day my full fuel oil tank fell over and I've been using the space heaters ever since.

Rooms that I do not use are left cool and only the rooms I am using are kept comfortably warm when I am in them.

[eShirl]

18. boil teapot-ful of water for tea & fill steel thermos for tea later

we usually go through a couple thermos-fuls a day in winter

[gblady]

19. got my wood stacked....

bought a thermal lined flannel jacket at the used store for $7,
have several pairs of wool socks, 3 comforters on the bed.

Think I'm set.

[NeedleCast]

22. Limiting "In Use" Rooms

We live in a medium-sized row house in Baltimore. Three bedrooms (all fairly small) on the top floor, kitchen, living room, dining room on ground level floor, two room basement (one side finished, one side not). We rent out our basement to a friend and it's the most temperate room in the house (stays cool in summer, warm in winter). My fiance and I use the master bedroom as our bedroom and I have my "man cave" in the smallest of the other upstairs rooms. We used to use the 2nd upstairs bedroom as the 'cat room" for the cats food and water). This year, we're just closing off that other room and moving cat food and water into the master bedroom. One less room to keep heated. The only time we open it up is if guests are staying over.

[RKP5637]

23. Keep the thermostat at 68, but use a gas heater in the living room where

the thermostat is, so lets the rest of the house cool down. Put 4" insulation wrap on the attic ducting. Added extra insulation in attic. Fortunately the house is well insulated even between floors, just lucky, was built in the mid 80's when there was a real kick on about very well insulated houses here. I also permanently secured the top half of the wooden windows and caulked them with clear caulk, looks good, and sealed out the drafts. Also use an electric blanket. Also all weatherstripping on doors, etc. My gas bill runs about $100/mo. for heat, water heater and dryer. It's on the averaged out monthly plan so bill is same each month. I feel very lucky. Also humidity is also important to feeling warm as the water molecules help the heat circulate better. I'm glad we have gas and not oil here. Other place had oil and it was soooooo expensive.

[eShirl]

35. growing up us kids had unheated 2nd floor bedrooms; electric blankets used too much electricity

We got by covering up with: flannel sheets, unzipped sleeping bag, 1-3 blankets and a bedspread. Also mandatory were flannel PJs or nightgown, thick winter socks and a comfy night cap (not the drink).

[Javaman]

24. I'm putting myself into a cryogenic state...

The heating bill will be low, but the nitrogen bill, well...

[randome]

32. You must have an alarm set.

So you can come out and post on DU then go back into storage, right? Nice.

[Javaman]

39. not really that cold here yet for me to use the heater.

but the idea of a timer is good. I have to remember that otherwise I could end up like Philip J. Fry.

[randome]

46. That might be a GOOD thing!

[Javaman]

47. huh, you got me there!

Cheers!

[Freddie Stubbs]

27. I solved the problem six years ago by moving to Florida

[TwilightGardener]

28. Passive solar. It gets cold here in the winter, but almost always sunny.

We have a bank of large windows to the south, keep the blinds drawn up.

[Township75]

29. Try lighting your own farts.

Works great!

[JVS]

66. I wish I could find a trash burning stove.

All these oil-rich plastic wrappers going to waste.

[Romulox]

31. Try to keep the house humidified. It makes it feel warmer, all else held equal.

Please give to charities like The Heat and Warmth Fund ("THAW") or similar in your community, if you are able! http://www.thawfund.org/

[femrap]

75. I keep my place humidified

simply by placing bowls of water in the corners...no more static shocks, either.

[madokie]

33. New vinyl windows for starters

removed the vinyl siding and wrapped the house with house wrap, put the siding back on. Sealed between the windows and the house wrap so no air could infiltrate there. I have our house sealed off inside so that if any air comes in it comes in though the door with us when we come and go. We heat with a Harman pellet stove and it'll cost us 400 dollars worth of wood pellets to stay toasty all winter. (74 degree) If this is the normal winter that is. We've been using wood pellet heat for 20 years now. We bought our first one shortly after they came out in the late '80s been happy with that decision too.

We think from what if feels like already that the new windows and house wrap is going to make a hell of a difference so we expect our cost for heat to go down this year.
I've already got two tons in the shop at a cost of 424 bucks.

[southernyankeebelle]

42. We use propane. It cost us $1,000 to fill the tank. We had a small

heater installed in our living room and their is a large heater in the other living room. Neither bedroom is heated. So far we haven't had to put the large heater on yet. Hopefully we will save some money now that we have 2 heaters and can lower the temps to low. It has helped in the living room. We also have electricity that runs lights, washer and dryer and oven. I do wear a wooley cap to bed and heavy socks. If your head is warm it really helps your whole body. Plus my 3 little dogs sleep with us under the blanket and keeps us warm.

[brooklynite]

41. Cats...

propoerly placed on the toes.

[RKP5637]

54. I used to have a cat that insisted he sleep on my head each night. Belly on the

top of my head and four legs down the side of my head. It was warm!

[Liberal_in_LA]

70. rude bastards

[femrap]

79. I had a cat that liked to do that

as well.

My last cat slept right between my legs or if I was on my side, in the crook of my knees.

And he never slept with me in the summer time...he slept on the floor beside me. Goddess, how I miss my cat...had him for nearly 17 years.

Maybe it's time to find another sweetie to warm up with.

[RKP5637]

85. I love cats and dogs, but there's something very special when a cat

decides you're their best friend and accepts one like a peer. My present kitty is 10, very very healthy, and I hope he lives to be 17 or more. We're inseparable. My cat puts me to bed each night, gets me up in the morning and reminds me all day I'm his best friend.

[femrap]

101. I may just go to my local

pound and see which cat selects me as his/her friend.

Google 'Blue Rock Station.' I visited this farm a couple of weeks ago. They have llamas, goats, chickens, dogs and cats. The fur on the cats was the softest I have ever felt.

The farmer said she feeds the cats nothing but raw chicken and raw fish. She even has a book on the feeding of dogs and cats. I will purchase it because I don't think Purina or any of the other cat/dog food corporations give a sh*t about the length of life of a cat/dog. My cat would eat nothing but Fancy Feast....and only certain flavors. When he became ill with renal disease, he ate baby food...mac 'n cheese was his favorite. I still miss him so much.

I hope your cat lives a very long life. The longest a cat has lived is 35!!! I read that somewhere.

[RKP5637]

102. Wow!!! 35!!! That would be something. On his recent checkup my vet said he

should live past 20 given his breed, health and care. She said she has quite a number of cats as patients that are past 20. I've been feeding him EVO. http://www.evopet.com/ The EVO Weight Management Dry Cat Food. It's supposed to be a good product. It's a little hard to find in the big box pet stores, but those stores really dedicated to pet health carry it. From what I've read/heard many of the name brands of pet food are mostly fillers and not the best.

Most of my pets have been lost and homeless that seem to appear at the right time. My current kitty found me when about 6 weeks old, came running to me, wanted in the house and that was that. I had no choice in the matter.
:)

[femrap]

103. I keep thinking a cat would

find me, too. But nothing. Just rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks.

I'll remember EVO.

[workinclasszero]

44. I've got two radiator type electric oil heaters

The thermostat is in the middle of the house so one heater goes in the front on low and the other in back on low.

I can keep the thermostat pretty low that way, save big bucks and comfortable too. I love those radiator type electric oil heaters.

Some go for under 40 bucks and they can heat large rooms easily.

[Earth_First]

49. I'll be at Occupy most of the time...

so no real need to heat the house beyond what is essential to keep the house from freezing at night.

[TBF]

51. More pro-austerity crap. I've seen a lot of this lately on here.

apparently the 99% who are not wealthy are supposed to happily cope with less and less so that the 1% can live in extreme luxury. Seems to be the new motto of the democratic party.

"Really, it's not bad at all". So glad you enjoy being a slave.

[Liberal Veteran]

55. OTOH, tips to save energy is not specific to the current economy.

It would be a good thing if everyone concerned themselves with conservation of resources.

[TBF]

63. I'd agree with you if everyone were mandated to do it -

and I mean corporations as well. EVERYONE. No going around the laws and paying fines because it works out cheaper that way ... no high income folks getting out of it.

Could we agree on that?

[wickerwoman]

57. Some of us don't have a choice about accepting austerity.

Learning how to cope effectively is not the same as accepting your lot in life.

It's not just the 1% that are putting a strain on resources. It is also the limits of those resources themselves which we are crashing into with terrifying speed. And frankly most Americans could cut back *a lot* on what they consume and still only be breaking even with what most of the rest of the world lives with. And most people are going to have to. That's not "being a slave". It's accepting an environmental reality.

Or maybe you think it's somehow subservient to insulate your house properly and put on a sweater instead of blithely blasting away the furnace powered by coal-burning electricity?

[TBF]

62. You're missing the point -

of course everyone should conserve. That is not a bad thing - but why is it not equally applied to everyone? Why is it not a MANDATE regardless of income??

"Some of us don't have a choice" - well no kidding. Why do you just accept that and not fight back?

[wickerwoman]

80. So are you.

It's a two-fold problem. 1.) Limited resources and 2.) the fact that what there is is being hoarded by the top 1%. We need to *both* use less and make sure that what there is is distributed equally. And it's possible to do both at the same time. They actually complement each other.

Reducing consumption doesn't make you a "slave". It makes you a responsible human being.

Fighting for social justice is also a good thing. But you can't do it effectively when the rich can just turn around and say "well, if you care about the poor so much, why don't *you* consume less". They look at protestors running around with iPhones, driving cars, running the heat all winter, eating lots of meat, wearing brand clothes, etc. and it's easy for them to say "we're just filling demand- people obviously want lots of affordable electricity and coal burning is the easiest way to provide it; people want to eat meat, factory farming is the efficient way to give them what they want; people want electronic gadgets, China is the cheapest place to build them; people keep buying gas guzzlers so we need to keep building them".

So all of this "pro-austerity crap" is actually about shutting the system down by not participating in it and it is far more effective than standing around waving a sign or throwing a brick through a window.

Wall Street speaks money. It's not going to change because of civil unrest or violence. They can just call in their mercenaries and close the gates in their communities. The system will change when cost-benefit analysis shows that the powers that be are losing money by not investing in solar, by destroying the environment, by importing crap nobody wants from halfway across the globe, by building inefficient or obsolete technology.

Not buying their shit *is* fighting back.

[TBF]

81. Look up the French Revolution -

Wall Street can be stopped. If they don't sell it here they will sell it elsewhere. It does no good to simply say we're not going to buy their shit - they'll sell it elsewhere until they're stopped or they completely destroy this planet.

My position is that it is time to stop them, whatever it takes.

YMMV.

[Nye Bevan]

91. Yes. I just *HATE* these so-called "money saving tips". They should be banned from DU

as pro-austerity propaganda.

[dembotoz]

53. rent so it is plastic on the windows here--helps a great deal-must have really shit windows, i also

play sort of a game where stuff that i heat--primarily water-does not go down the drain until the heat is returned.
try not to go overboard--but when is do dishs in hot water, i let the dish water cool down to room temp before draining.

i put the plug in the bath tub when i take my shower. Drain the tub when i am ready to leave.
warms bathroom quite a bit.
If alone i have been known to keep the bathroom door open when i shower so that the steam and heat can warm more area.

outside of the plastic on the windows that i know make quite the difference and pay for themselves very quickly--not sure if the other steps really do that much, but I feel better and that is i guess what counts.
It does seem to be a shame to waste heat you have already paid for.

I have thought of doing the same with washwater from the laundry but I have concerns of too much water spilling over the top....

also note i have no small children around so accidental drowning is not a concern

[Contrary1]

61. Fold a few newspaper pages and put them on the sill...

When you close the windows on them, it will keep a good bit of the draft out. On top too, if they move. Also keeps them from rattling when the wind picks up.

[wickerwoman]

56. Hybernate.

Cuts down on the food bill as well.
;-)

[chaska]

60. no heat at all so far 35 degree nights - blankets, sweaters, soup.

[bluestate10]

89. Similar, but not as extreme on the temperature. I let mine reach the mid 40s. nt

[JVS]

64. Not turning on the heat until I have a very painful cold day.

So far, so good.

[Obamanaut]

65. Living in Florida. nt

[lpbk2713]

77. Yep.

Winter for me is two weeks in January.

Summer ... now that's another story.

[RebelOne]

83. Lived there most of my life until 1989.

I moved to North Georgia then and will never go back to that hell hole of a state. Couldn't stand the heat or the bugs. At least, Georgia has seasons and not just continuous spring and summer.

[Obamanaut]

88. Every year I am amazed at how many of the people I know drive up to

North Georgia to see the trees changing colors. I live in N Fla, close to I75, and the only things we see changing are pine needles dropping and oak trees shedding. We lived in Memphis for a couple of years during my Navy career, and that was my first experience with leaves changing.

One of my daughters made fun of me several years ago, saying she could tell when it's winter, because I start wearing a flannel shirt with my shorts.

[RoccoR5955]

68. Dress in layers. n/t

[Liberal_in_LA]

69. Live in california. rarely use heat. Use more AC.

[Iggo]

71. Living in SoCal. (n/t)

[Hassin Bin Sober]

72. Have you looked in to insulating your attic?

I was flabbergasted when I found out our gas company was giving an up to $800 dollar rebate for cellulose insulation.

I was going to do the work myself until I found a contractor who gamed the system a little for us (we live in a six unit condo so we were able to use 4 rebates as we insulated the common areas too). We had two condos and the common areas done for 900 bucks.

Anyway, Home Depot will give you a machine to use at no charge if you buy 20 bags of cellulose at about $7 bucks a bag. You still may be eligible to do the work yourself and get a rebate.

The machine doesn't look that difficult to operate by two people.

You probably won't need 20 bags. Another DUer told me Home Depot let him buy twenty bags "on hold" and refunded the unused without really taking physical delivery.

Our air conditioning bill was half the prior year AND we were comfortable. Can't wait to see how the heat is affected.

[Norrin Radd]

73. We are going to have an empty apartment next to us this winter.

That always sucks the heat through the walls as they have no insulation.

[femrap]

74. I use a

twin-sized electric blanket on my double bed...I don't know what I'd do without it. I also have a nice collection of soy candles that I bought on sale. It's amazing how they can warm up a room. I sit them as low to the ground as possible.

On really cold days, I wear toe warmers between my socks and boots...if my feet are warm, I'm warm.

I put rolled up towels on the window sills....I rent and the windows are crap.

[Downwinder]

76. I only heat the bathroom. n/t

[Vinca]

78. We bought a pellet stove a few years ago and it's pretty economical.

Unfortunately, our hot water is off an oil-fired boiler so we're diligent about turning the thing off at night and keeping it well insulated.

[RebelOne]

82. Fortunately, my living space is small.

I live in a 2-bedroom mobile home. My furnace went out a few years ago. I have been using space heaters, one in the back bedroom and one in the living room. And they keep my house toasty warm. In fact, it was 40 degrees outside this morning and I had to turn the heaters off because I was sweating. I discovered that it was cheaper using space heaters sucking up electricity than the furnace sucking up the propane gas. Plus, I live in North Georgia, and we rarely have brutally cold winters. We did last year, but that was a rarity.

[bluestate10]

86. I prefer sleeping in a colder house and using sheets and blankets.

Buy going that route, I am able to regulate my body temperature better than the best heating system can. During summer, I prefer sleeping under aa indirect air stream from a fan.

[FedUpWithIt All]

93. We installed a woodstove.

We have enough trees at our place to provide for our heat.

[phylny]

94. We don't have to do it so much here, because our house in Virginia is

new and well insulated, but when we lived in New York, we bought electric blankets for us and our three girls, and used them at night. The set-back thermometer went to 60 at night, and kicked up at 5 a.m. so the house was warm enough for everyone to get showered, dressed, and out the door.

Electric blankets cost pennies per night, and keep you very nicely warm.

[Lucinda]

95. We like it cold, so the heater wont be turned on unless absolutely necessary - that said,

we had awful bills last year, one month was right at $300. We live in a tourist town and they claim that we don't pay for the seasonal lights, but we have noticed our bills always increase once the light displays get turned on.

[mzteris]

96. I set up my own equal pay plan

I pay the same amount every month - so I build up a credit that helps take the sting out of the high dollar months.

I also have a programmable thermostat. Oil radiant heaters for the bedrooms. And blankets. Wearing warm clothes inside - including SOCKS. And blankets on the couch/chair.

I need to get some thermal curtains, though. Next on my agenda.

[saras]

97. Living in a moderate climate. Sex. Old computer doubles as space heater. Wife's hot flashes.

We also put clear plastic over all the leaky windows (100-year old house has lots). And yell at people to close the doors behind themselves. Cook more stuff, especially in the oven. Make brownies.

[politicat]

99. Fleece curtains, tomato mats under the desks, flat panel wall heaters.

The problem with living at high altitude and having a gas furnace is the gas has less density, so we get less heat from each cubic foot. Electricity is high, too...

Our house is well insulated, so as long as it gets warm once, it stays warm for several days with very little help. It's more about spot heating and keeping away from cold spots (I.e. My office, which is at the far end of the venting).

At the first freeze, we put up white fleece curtains in addition to the regular blinds and curtains. The curtains are just basic IKEA throw blankets, cut to the window frame size. (From the days when IKEA fleece blankets were US made... *sigh* ) The rods are basic tension rods, so everything comes down and rolls together for storage. We use white mostly because white admits natural light, while the other colors can get pretty gnarly, but that's personal preference. They're not visible from outside.

I figured out while working in a warehouse that, if my feet stay warm, the rest of me, does, too. We have low power tomato starting mats for gardening already, and those are tough enough the stand on safely. One on the floor at my work station (I use a standing desk), one under my partner's desk and one in the living room for the kitties costs about $0.50 a week to run and keep us all toasty. My mom, in Arizona, does most of her winter heating with tomato mats, and that keeps her winter electricity bills around $20 a month.

The furnace is set at 58 for the sake of the pipes, but in the rooms we use, we have panel heaters. The bedroom heater is on a timer to come on at 7 pm and go off at 7 am, and the others get turned on and off as needed. When it gets truly chilly - as in, into single or negative digits - we have oil filled heaters that still use less, and less polluting, energy than the furnace. (we're on a wind power plan.)

Oh... This is more random, but it does work. We picked a canopy-like (like this: ) bedframe because we liked the look, not for any practical reasons. Two years ago, I needed a place to hang our regular curtains to dry thanks to a sudden autumn storm, then got distracted and forgot to take them down before bedtime. After one toasty night, the medievalist in me viscerally realized the practicality behind canopies. In winter, we drape a summer coverlet over the top and use tie-top curtains on all four sides. (The head of the bed curtains stay on in summer because our bed frame doesn't have a headboard, so the curtains protect the wall). bonus: if we don't make the bed, it's no big loss. For those without the bed frame, the effect can be managed with 4 large L brackets or 8 curtain rod brackets and 4 curtain rods. Bolt the brackets to the ceiling above the corners of the bed and thread the rods though the screw holes. Use the finials to fix the rods in place. Tie top curtains are easiest, but any curtains will work.

And snuggling, layers and blankets. Those help, too.

To me, these aren't austerity measures so much as responsibility measures. I didn't ask to be born American, I got lucky. Just because I was born American does not give me the right to use more of the planet's resources than a hundred people in Darjeeling. I am fortunate enough to be able to choose to live here, in the mountains, and to be able to afford the personal infrastructure to reduce my carbon foot print. If my being a good steward means that energy is cheaper for others, be they down the street or on my personal antipode or six generations unborn, then we all win... AndIi get the pleasure of hacking my world, and not enriching Xcel's CEO.

[MrSlayer]

100. By not turning it on.

Unless I absolutely have to. It doesn't kill you to throw an extra shirt on. And snuggling with your SO often leads to even more heat producing activities.

[piratefish08]

104. just finished caulking door jams and windows.... covering with shrink plastic next.

130 yo farmhouse - small but plenty 'o drafts............

no heat on second floor - just registers cut between floors.

we bring the temp up to 70 in the morning then shut off and let the sun heat passively the rest of the day... works great when theres sun :)

thermostat set at 58-60 at night..