How long will you go before turning the heat on?

I haven't turned on the heat yet, but I do have a fire going now.

I got a wood stove and I get wood by the cords much cheaper than Oil or natural gas. I can heat the house anytime my family and I wish! Boycott Oil and Natural gas, it's time to look into Alt. energy, now it's the time to make the changes!

We usually hold out till the first frost in October, but this year we are striving for not turning it on till November. November 1st at the earliest, but the goal is to wait till mid November.

Not until the temp in my house dips into the 50's!!! Sweaters, sweatshirts, sweatpants, socks and blankets were made for a reason

I keep my thermostat set at 65 year-round. If the temp drops, as it did this weekend, then the heat kicks on. If not, the heat stays off. Pretty simple plan and it actually works.

It's not so much when you turn the heat on, it's what you set it at. I live in Vermont, where there have already been several nights with temperatures in the 30s, so my heat has been on for a couple of weeks already. I am trying to conserve oil by keeping the thermostat at 62. 62 degrees and a couple of layers of clothing work fine when the temperature outside is 35 - we'll see whether 62 will still work when the outside temperature is well below freezing, the wind is blowing, and the snow is falling. I would like to make it through the winter without having to set the thermostat higher than 65 - if so, I believe I can reduce my oil consumption by 10% from last winter.

My wife and I always have a motto at this time of year. "No heat till November."
Only once or twice in 12 years have we made it and it's less likely that we will with a 4 year old in the house. My wife and I do not have a lot of money, but we can heat our house to a reasonable temperature, usually about 68F, while dropping it to 50F overnight.

My thermostat is set at 62 degrees. When the house reaches 62 degrees, the heat will kick on. In the meantime, I am wearing my fleece jacket and I have my wool hat nearby. I have a nice wood stove in the basement. It burned all weekend. It was cozy and warm, temps reached above 80. I didn't venture too far away from the source of heat. I admit, it was a lot warmer outdoors than it was in my first floor living space. However, it was cold and damp inside and just too uncomfortable to ignore.
Work was freezing all day today-everyone was suffering. We bundled up there as well. The heat is not going to be put on in my work building until at least Oct. 15th. We've been warned not to bring any additional heaters into work. We'll see about that.

too late, already on. we have a newborn at home and cant let it get too cold. last year we kept the house at 62 constantly....not this year.

January at the earliest.

We are shooting for November 1. We made it last year, but I think it was warmer. I'm lucky because my high school age daughter just puts on a sweatshirt and snuggles under blankets while she does her homework. All through last winter we turned on the heat for 1 hour in the morning and about 4 hours at night. The rest of the time it stayed at 50 degrees and never turned on at that setting.

I'm frugal and "green" in every way possible, but I need to be warm! Our thermostat is set at 68 during the day and 60 at night - that's the best I can do (and I'm still cold)!

Not on yet, no special date set. My girlie boy friend and his wife caved in already.

I'm glad I'm not the only one trying to keep my hands off the thermostat. The oil company came to service the equipment today so the cats got to enjoy warm grates for an hour or so, but I don't think that counts--I didn't turn it on! And now it's off. I'm heading to Africa in early November so I'm trying to savor the chilliness. Flannel sheets, a scarf and/or hat, lots of tea...I'm not going to give in!

I have not turned it on yet but I have been burning wood for about a week at night. I can go to December just burning wood after work when I come home from work. I am installing a new gas furnace to be installed next to my oil furnace and I will use whatever fuel is cheaper. If oil is cheaper to burn then I will turn that one on if gas is cheaper then I will use the gas furnace. I also let my oil supplier that I have a gas furnace and I let the gas supplier know that I have oil, this keeps both suppliers on their toes and they know that I have many options for heat, gas, wood, and oil. Keep your options open New England !!!

I fired up the corn stove last night. we weren't planning on using it this early, but it was cold! We haven't even received our supply of corn yet! We are praying that summer comes back to visit for a couple of more weeks.

You can tell who the folks are that have a choice....my house is already in the 50's and my heat isn't on yet. (I don't have small children either). I've been out of work for a while, plus I can't turn the heat on until a water pipe is fixed. Obviously this has to be done before it gets cold enough for the pipes to freeze! But I think you guys are soft!

I'm trying to get to Veteran's Day. Even after that I'm keeping it at
55 during the day and 50 at night. Having a space heater helps.
Wearing a hat in the house helps, too. You may find it a little strange
at first but it becomes part of your everyday attire. Electric blankets
are a gift for warming up the bed before bedtime.
I like to tell people that central heating is a relatively new phenomenon
and that people got by without for however many centuries. However,
I know that it does get cold - even with a space heater. But think of
how much colder it must get in someplace like Caribou, ME or Minnesota.

I have not picked a date, but one thing is for certain, as bad as I feel for anyone and everyone suffering through the recession and potential depression, don't you think that a shrinking economy will help us change our behaviors. When money gets tight I imagine people will use less heat, eat less meat, and think twice about driving without combining trips or taking public transportation. In years past I didn't really care about when I was going to turn on my heat. I must confess I am a recently converted tree hugger. So I probably would have turned down the thermostat anyway to help the environment, but now I'll also be doing it to try and save money.

We haven't turned on our heat yet, but it's mostly because we're college students living in our first (very mediocre) apartment (read: we're not even sure how it works). Our plan is to seal up all the windows this month. My lab has a ton of extra styrofoam, so we're going to use that to help insulate windows.

My plan is to get lots of blankets, buy a pair of slippers (haven't owned slippers in years), and wear a ton of sweatshirts. I also plan on getting another blanket for my parakeet's cage. I feel bad that his mommy can't afford oil heat.

We haven't turned our heat yet in Providence. We live in a 106 year old condominium and last year changed our double hung windows and re-insulated the windows and installed "period" storms. Our walls are brick with very thick brick and horsehair plaster walls. Our 1350 sq. foot condo usually costs from $80 to $130 a month to heat at 70 degrees. I am impressed with the ingenuity of my fellow New Englanders!

I make dutch ovens under the covers all year long

Hilarious. I thought I was the only one who tried to go one additional day each year without turning it on. But now I am in a very energy-efficient 1200 sq ft condo, and almost never turn the heat on, even in the dead of winter. The ambient heat from the building and the floors below is enough most of the time. Highest winter heating bill since I've lived here - $30 (honest)

Haven't turned the furnace on yet,uses oil. Have been using a small electric heater to break the chill in the morning and evening. My home is small and hasn't gotten below 60 so far, even though we've had some pretty chilly mornings and evenings. Hope to not have to put it up to 65 until Nov. Have birds, so unless we get a warm spell, will definitely have to put it on by then.

I saw a guy say that wood is cheaper. Only if you burn it effeciently is it worth the same as a fill up oif oil in BTU's per cord. If your throwing it in an inefficient firplace all bets are off...and it is a wastes $400 which is the price in eastern MA for a cord as of mid July. Switch to NAtural gas if you can afford it. You take 5-6 cars off the road by doing that, it is cleaner and more efficient. It is also cheaper than Oil. Shop for better oil deals by googling "New England Oil Prices" and click on your county and see who has the best prices in your area. Switch to them. Price can range up and down .30 a gallon in the same area so shop around

Our heater goes on when we need it, which was a few weeks ago, then it was turned off. Today I had to leave the windows open for the dust since we are having tile put in, and they had to cut the baseboards in the house. We will not turn it up to make it blazing hot, but why hold off and freeze and get headaches just to save a few dollars? Why not just cut out the Starbucks, etc.....

My plans are for sometime in December but with the weather like this I'm afraid it's going to happens in November or so.

My plans are for sometime in December but with the weather like this I'm afraid it's going to happens in November or so.

I'm going to go all winter without heat or taking showers. I'll turn off all my water and order pizza every night

We purchased a wood pellet insert for our fireplace, replaced 2 sliding doors with low-e argon filled models, added a hot water tank to our oil hot water boiler and capped off the boiler's "on demand" hot water capabilities, and installed a Beckett Heat Manager for the boiler. We also signed up for a budget plan through our oil provider to keep our monthly payments the same each month. Since making the changes to the boiler, we've seen a big reduction in usage. The pellet heats our cape cod style home all winter into Spring on about 3 tons. That's with it going from the time we wake up until bedtime. The big thing I want to do this season is to add/fix weatherstripping and get an energy audit to find problem areas. Good luck everyone!

The heat will go on around Thanksgiving. I'm giving my honey a quilt for Christmas. This year sucks.

I grew up in New England with a coal furnace that my dad and I tended (stoked, was the word) all winter, and I put out the ashes weekly with the trash. So we always delayed expenses and work until November. We kept warm but it was no fun. Now I just turn on the gas/forced hot water heater simply when I feel cool , or when I want the towels to dry. I did so last week. Ahh, the luxury of it all !!

I love the smell of a fresh Dutch Oven.

Dec 1 ... and we keep it at 60 all winter.

The first snow storm dictates when we turn on the heat.

i've been turning on my heat dec 1 or later (last 5-6 years, but this year may wait until the 15th; i turn it off mar 31 at the latest. i use around 200+/- gallons of oil per season (live alone) & have no winter visitors because keep temperature @ 60 degrees or lower and 45 degrees when i'm away weekends/vacations, have a good winter! - my favorite season of the year.

I build my house 17 years ago and I put my money into 2 X 6 construction, really good windows and 12 " insulation in the roof. I have a forced hot water baseboard heating system which runs on natural gas. It's not a "Mac Mansion". It's only 1700 square feet. It costs me a little more to build my house with energy efficiency in mind, but it's been paying me back for the last 17 years. I turn on the heat whenever I want to and I don't have to worry about the cost of heating it. I've turned on the heat on Saturday October 4th.

We switched from oil to a 95% efficient gas furnace this past summer. It uses three burners and ramps it up as needed. If the thermostat sends a signal, it fires up one burner and starts flowing the air at a low rate. If the temp isn't reached in a few minutes, it strikes up the second burner and ramps up the air flow, and so on until all three are lit. That way if it's just 50 degrees out and only a little heat is needed, it uses only one third the fuel than if the whole thing fired up. When it's 15 degrees, it will use all three if necessary. Also, it uses a LOT less electricity than my old oil burner. The oil furnace used about 650 watts of electricity. The gas one uses only 98 watts. Between the lower fule consumption and the lower electricity, we hope to keep costs down this winter. I have two little kids, so I can't keep the thermostat too low (usually 67 by day and 64 at night). It wasn't cheap, but we're thinking long term .

I will make it till at least late December..I even shut the furnace pilot (gas) light off in the Spring, Summer..it's been off since March 1. This will be the winter many people in giant mini-mansions freeze. We need to get off the oil and gas tit.

Turned on already???? Weak!

Installing radiant heat floor in the kitchen, so I have the pipes disconnected. I'm doing the job VERY slowly. It's the only way to keep the wife from turning the heat on.. Should be done with the job in mid November. Could be done tomorrow ;) We have a pellet stove, so she spends lots of time in that room when it's cold.

I _hope_ to make it at least till November 1st.
I never have my thermostat over 60 all winter, down to about 50 at night.
I wear three layers of fleece for about 4 months......

I thought I was the only one who played this little game. I live in Virginia. Heat doesn't go on until Nov. 1 and goes off April 1. Air conditioning doesn't go on until July 1 and goes off September 1. That leaves 5 months with no heat or AC. It's great. I monitor the inside/outside temps and open or close windows accordingly. I love feeling more in tune with nature, bringing the fresh air in, helping the environment, and saving a few bucks. I get a chance to experience each season and not be ensconced in an artificial "perfect" comfort zone.

Hopefully not until after winter break from college...if my roomates can suck it up

Tell your kids to turn in the cell phones and drop your cable tv. Stay warm.

My heat is included in my rent but I haven't turned it on yet. This will be my first winter in this apartment. So far, the ambient heat in the building seems to be enough. It will be interesting to see what it's like tonight, though. It's getting pretty cold out there.

april

i am trying to go green and intend on never turning on the heat - i an now blue. i will continue to burn the boston globe newspaper that i pick out of the trash as a source of heat for my family of six.

How many of you piss your money away on Dunkin Donuts, fast food, cable TV, daily newspapers, cell phones, big SUV's--and the list goes on and on. As for me I'll stay warm and comfy in the house at 72 degrees.

Date is irrelevant to us. My wife and I set the thermostats to 60F in most zones and 55F in the finished but with the kids gone, no longer used basement den. Have been using an electric space heater for added heat next to us while we watch TV when that 60F feels too chilly even with sweaters and blankets.

And being very frugal, I have attached one of the wife's old nylon socks to the dryer vent hose so that the moist heat will go into the house and not warm the yard.

Will NEVER keep entire house to 68F as we have in the past even if oil was $2 a gallon (well maybe then).

And being a miser (

Cheapskates!!! Or maybe your homes have leaky windows, walls and doors, poor insulation and the like.
I have a 15 month old baby, and the heat went to 73 the first night he got the sniffles from a cold overnight. That was a few weeks ago. The heat is on now. We bought a programmable thermostat so that it can be finely controlled, however.

Just bought a pellet heater but guess what, I cannot find any hardwood pellets for it. So I have this $3500 hunk of metal in my kitchen doing nothing. Though a least I have a full tank of oil, I was hoping that 1 tank would get me through with the pellet stove supplementing, we'll se if I can get a supply of pellets. Before anyone here rips me I did order pellets in June with a promise they had them in stock, but I got screwed.

I don't understand why one would make it a game of going until November "before turning the heat on", enduring 55 degree temperatures (incidentally, that is not subhuman and ask an eskimo, children do not need to have central heating to 70 degrees--they just need the right clothes, just like we do) then once the heat is on set capitulate and set it at 65 or 68 or whatever.
If you're going to wear a hat and a couple layers on your legs and upper body (like I do, incidentally), why do you suddenly pop the heat up once you start the heating season? Just wear the hat and the couple layers all through the winter. At night and when you are not home you can set it to 50 use a warm sleeping bag.

One thing I have noticed is that the instant I unconsciously feel that any part of the surface of my body is cold, Iwill feel uncomfortable and cold overall. I have learned that the key to staying comfortable at lower temperatures is even coverage over all of my body, not just bundling up on top. Try some of those Adidas track pants as a base layer under a pair of looser fitting slacks, then a couple of thin layers on top and maybe a vest. You will be warm and comfortable.
Also, if you are sitting in your living room and have a comforter or blanket to put over you (personally, I use a light sleeping bag) you will be super toasty even with the temperature down low. I tend to reserve the heat for guests and special occasions.

I was hoping to hold out longer since I tend to be frugal, but yesterday it dipped below 60 in the house and I hate being cold. So I put the heat on for a bit to take the chill out and shut it off at bedtime. Had to do the same this afternoon. Looking forward to the warm-up this week. Summer, you left too soon!

If it were up to me, I'd suck it up, but 16 mo. old daughter and pregnant wife dictate that the house be kept reasonably warm.

Edgar-
No Dunkie for me, no fast food (sweet potato stew tonight, yum yum), no cable tv (abc, cbs, pbs, nbc and fox), no newspaper (boston.com and bbc are free), ok...so i have a cell phone, but no suv.

Our heat is on tonight for the first night, set for 60 at night and 65 during the day. Our 4 year old is ok with this (she'd have no qualms about telling us if she weren't). Go green, baby

Temp set at 58, plastic on the windows, added insulation to the attack and got a wood stove burning to carry the load through the winter. The hope is that we never hear the boiler kick on.
Converted to electric for the water heater as well. Hoping to never see an oil bill again.
My parents are in the process of having solar panels put on (actually being done today). Cut down or cut out oil where ever you can. Even cutting back isn't going to help that much. With the price / gallon going up so much you're going to see some big bills when you need to refill. No Thanks!

I live in Los Angeles....it was 86 degrees today....but kinda chilly at night with the ocean breeze so i put on some heat when i woke up....

Oh and Boston thanks for Manny!!....The Angels are coming back!!!....And before u bring up Garnett with the ring Kobe has 3!!!

But seriously i love Beantown never been but I have some good friends from there!

Nov 16, as long as the pipes don't freeze. The kids can wear sweaters.

My thermostat is set at 62 and the heat hasn't kicked on yet this year. (I'm in Amesbury MA). I'm in a new apartment (well new to me, the house is about 100 years old) and so far am feeling optimistic about the insulation. My goal is to use half a tank or less of oil between now and January. We have, however, had to turn the heat on at work, as this morning it was down to 50 in the building.

Sweatshirts, slippers and cozy blankets on the couch are much longer lasting investments than gallons of heating oil! A cat or dog to sleep by one's feet is a nice touch as well,

No heat for me, evermore! I lived in Boston for over 30 years. Now I'm in Miami and lovin' every minute of it! Pack your things and move on down! It's wicked nice here!

I outsmarted the energy companies by turning on the heat in the summer and AC in the winter, they never saw it comming!

I caved last night. I was out and got a chill, and a 60-degree house wasn't doing it. And that was after I'd dropped the storms that afternoon. The rule in my house is nobody gets to complain about the temperature who is not wearing a sweater.

My father was very frugal, but he said a warm house isn't a very expensive luxury. I've considered (OK, I actually have, but it was in the nature of a romantic getaway) spending the weekend at a hotel just to turn up the heat and take a long hot shower. For the price of a night's lodging I can turn up the heat a few degrees from time to time. (I understand, and am thankful, that I can afford a few luxuries.)

My wife is beautiful and when its cold we sleep in a naked tangle of arms and legs and that suits me to a T.

68!?! Woah. I think you should go back and watch Jimmy Carter's so-called "Malaise" speech on YouTube. If more people had listened to him then we wouldn't be in the fix we are now.

Turn your thermostat to 62 (better still 60), get a down sweater (lightweight but warm) and deal with it. If you are afraid of a cold bathroom, then get a small space heater and warm the room up before you have a shower.

I try to wait for November 15. Warmer temps in the fall help. This fall it's chilly, I may cave sooner.

Already on...set to 68.
A toddler who cant keep blankets on at night and being 7 months pregnant explains it all !

Our house is really new and has amazing insulation. So we go a couple of extra weeks vs. our previous apartments. But I know the heat is coming sooner or later!

Oh please, just turn up the heat everyone. Cancel the cable bills and the cell phones. Read a book. It's not the end of the world.

I gave in last week. I have a programmable thermostat and programmed it to run the forced air furnace from 8 AM to 9 AM and set the temperature to 68. The rest of the day the temperature is set to 62. I spent last winter and early spring insulation the whole house and find the temperature only drops a few degrees throughout the day for now.

I am waiting for the neighborhood comisar to tell me when I can have heat from the dreadful hydrocarbon fuels. IN the meantime I am busy with my new invention - a human to furnace connection to trap flatuents and replace 10% of natural gas consumption. My next challenge is to find a non-carbon replacement for vaseline.

Turned it on last weekend, no reason to be cold, especially when my daughter is sleeping at night. I'm not rich and I'm not poor so I see it just as another expense. I will not deprive my family of a comfortable house just to be able to say "I haven't turned mine on yet!"

Usually it is November 1st, but this year I am striving for December 1st. Don't know if we will make it, but gonna try.
I wish I could afford (and have room) for a wood stove. I have a fireplace, which we use occassionally, but it doesn't heat the house up at all. Just the living room (we have a cape). I am also going to use that hard plastic stuff for the windows and the front door (we use the side door).

Third floor condo. I'll make it to Thanksgiving on the strength of new triple pane windows and heat from downstairs. After that I'll set it at 64.

My husband always says that we cant turn the heat on till Nov 1st. We never make it. Although I have not turned the heat on as of yet, I am almost at my breaking point. I am really trying harder this year, but the nights are just getting too cold and when you wake up in the morning the house is just sometimes unbearable.
What I may do is in the morning turn it on until I leave for work just to get the chill out of the air.

Third floor condo. I'll make it to Thanksgiving on the strength of new triple pane windows and heat from downstairs. After that I'll set it at 64.

We're in a condo so the association decides when the heat goes on....it was yesterday. I'm ok with that. We have a young baby at home and the bedrooms were getting really chilly. Otherwise, we adults would have been fine with another few weeks of blankets and sweaters.

Dec 1 is our goal. We put on heavy sweatshirts, a blanket, and a dog in our laps. After Dec 1 we keep it at about 55-60. A space heater comes in very handy as well. It's chilly but we save a fortune.

We use programmable thermostats that drop the temp at night to around 64. back up in the AM to 67 (maybe 68 sometimes). My wife (who is always cold) likes to wear warm fleece and layers, whereas I am relatively comfortable in jeans and long sleeves. Our youngest isn't likely to keep a blanket on at night so we need to dress her warm for sleeping. Drop the temp when going out.
We've had the heat on for a while as the evenings (MA/NH border) have been pretty chilly already!
Proper attic insulation and sound windows help keep the warmth in. And a newly installed humidifier on the forced hot air (natural gas furnace) ductwork will hopefully cut down on the static shocks while wearing fleece!

last year it was December 12th. I'm fortunate to have southwest windows that heat up the apartment during the day. Actually had to open a window last night to cool the bedroom down before bed. (Neighbor upstairs has had it on for 2 weeks already. ouch.

We try for Thanksgiving but usually end up caving around Veterns Day. It is way to early to have the heat on. It's still in the 60s.

We have it on! Couldn't go too long with a 4 month old waking up with cold ears and hands. And all new parents know that putting blankets on a baby is a big no-no. Although, now that she has better neck strength, we might be tucking her in one. We do heat her room with a space heater, and turn it off before she goes to sleep, so we can keep the upstairs heat a little lower. Before her, it was 65 during the day, if we were home, and 68 at night. Now its 68 all the time, because the baby and I are always here.

not yet, my house is all electric (useless heat pump) and costs a fortune. My goal is to wait till Nov 1 but not sure if I can, of course if it gets really cold I must give in.

I actually turned it on last night, my 5 and 10 year old daughters could not take it anymore and wife either. Last night was really cold. Right now is set to 66, on November I'll crank it up to 68 and no more than that.

I got mine on already. With a 6-week old boy at home, I can't have the temps falling below 68. It's off during the day, but when it gets cooler at night, we have to turn it on. I don't mind, I just switched from oil to gas, so I'm already saving a few a pennies.
Plus, I've got a brand new furnace going in today.

let's try to go til nov. 1

we can put on lots of clothes and we got lots of blankies! lol

We use a electronic setback thermostat and keep the house at 70 when we are home. At night it goes to 62, and during the day, 55. We use a space heater in the baby's room, and the 3.5 year old is learning how to keep covers on. We also have full insulation in the attic and I seal up all the windows to keep out drafts.

I did the "keep the house at 60" thing for too many years. Leaving home for work in the dark and coming home in the dark to a freezing cold house is the best recipe for depression I've ever had. The setback thermostat has definitely paid for itself many times over.

I'm putting it off as long as possible, as long as we aren't entertaining.

I've started opening all the windows to let the sun shine in during the day. With insulation our house is holding just enough heat to meet our minimum requirements at night.

We all have blankets, and I've constructed "dog caves" out of fabric-covered foam to keep the dogs warm too.

I wanted to hold out longer, but my kids' hands were freezing this morning and I started to feel mean. So on it went. If it was just me, I would have waited longer. But 14-month-olds with goosebumps are a trump card.

I was forced to turn it on late Sunday afternoon because it was 58 in the house. This time of the year I get very little direct sunlight on the house so it does not warm up inside. However, I turned it off before I left for work yesterday; turned it on again last night but once again off this morning. I can deal with the house being a little cool but my husband hates it. He wanted it on weeks ago but with the cost of oil, I said no way.

Our oil heats the hot water, too, so we keep the entire system switched to OFF in the Spring/Summer/Fall except when we need hot water for showers in the morning and to do the dishes in the evenings. It saves us about $600 a year. We'll try to make it until Nov. 1 but it's not looking good for our heroes.

Over the summer, I bought (cheap) lots and lots of comforters, quilts and blankets from Goodwill and the Salvation Army. I didn't pay over $7 dollars. You'd be amazed just how great these are. Many had been packed away and never used and others were light new. I probably have between 10 and 12, and some are queen and king sized. I also have small electric heaters and I also have a kerosene heater that was in the house when I rented it, which was built in the early 50's and it was meant to heat the entire house. I haven't purchased any kerosene yet,, but I will just in case I use electricity. I pray God will help us all!

My mother used to say "No heat until Halloween." Going to try really hard to live by that rule this fall/winter, although we did buy an electric wood stove,which heats up the first floor (small house anyway) very nicely in the early am and evening.

We just turned ours on and beginning Oct is pretty average for us. We both work so our heat goes down all day, except upstairs as the cats hang out up there. We go 60 at night and all day and 68 when we are home and that has saved us a lot of money the last couple years. This year we decided we will come home, eat dinner and then hang out upstairs, turn the heat down downstairs.

Had visitors from NC staying with us. Had to be a good host, so I lit the pilot last night, turned on the heat and also built a fire. Left today, so heat is down. Back to the suffering...

Mine has been on since September. I set my thermostat around 82. I like it hot. I figure if i can't pay the heating bill (which i won't be able to for sure), the government will come in and bail me out. All the rest of you who are trying to be responsible by conserving will be cold and broke; i'll be warm and just as well off as i was before.

Edgar:
I can't believe anyone actually supporting the Sox, by subscribing to NESN, paying ticket prices, game parking, etc., watching them spray champagne, buying ALCS T-shirts. In today's market, we need to conserve every dollar for heating, rent, food, medical, taxes, on & on. I freeze from Oct to April every year just to survive!

Heat already? I just took the A/C out of the bedroom window this past weekend (though my wife has been asking me to do that for a while now). We'll make it to mid-Nov easily, and play it by ear from there.

You waste more heat by trying to get the house from 55 to 65 degrees than if you just kept the thermostat set at 63 and let the heat come on as need to maintain a steady temperature. Fluctuations of more than 5 degrees wastes more heat than a steady temp. Yes, my heat came on, but my house is 63 and will stay that way pretty much all winter.

Last winter, we kept our heat around 57 or so and kept a space heater in whatever room we were in (there are only 2 of us, and we're newlyweds, so we still tend to be in the same room when we're home!). It was frustrating to risk frostbite every time one of us had to run to the bathroom or the kitchen, but it saved us around $1,000! We're still waiting to break out the space heater this year. I think Nov. 1 is a good goal.

Last winter, we kept our heat around 57 or so and kept a space heater in whatever room we were in (there are only 2 of us, and we're newlyweds, so we still tend to be in the same room when we're home!). It was frustrating to risk frostbite every time one of us had to run to the bathroom or the kitchen, but it saved us around $1,000! We're still waiting to break out the space heater this year. I think Nov. 1 is a good goal.

November 1st, my house got below 60 degrees today, but I will wear double sweatshirts, socks and a couple of comforters at night.

My heat will come on when the termperature inside drops to 45 F. That is warm enough for me, and warm enough for my computer hard drives. I am skinny and not cold-hardy, so I dress warmly: 400 weight fleece over 300 weight fleece top and bottom, with a $300 snowmobile suit over that, with custom made hat and half-finger gloves. I work at home, so this is my 24x7 environment.

For sleeping, I use a sleeping bag nominally good to 20 degrees, plus a ultra heavy down comforter; the snowmobile suit comes off.

The best part of living this way is that any day it gets over 50 is a "heat wave". I can open the winddows and enjoy thee free heat. Winter seems much shorter this way.

We (my hubby and I) work too hard to be uncomfortable in our home. If indoor temp goes below 70 the heat turns on. The 2% you save for every degree the heat is turned down isn't enough of a savings to turn blue for! I'd rather skip a meal out each month and cook something yummy at home and enjoy it in our warm comfy dining room.

I drilled down 4 miles below my home to harvest the free geothermal energy by means of a heat pump.

LOL

When it's cold, it's cold, so I turn on the heat ! It doesn't matter what month - September, October, November. I have small children and they need to be warm. The price of gas, energy, food, etc. is out of control. We are going to stay warm until they shut us off. No wonder why people can't pay their mortgages.

We try to make it to Halloween every year. I'm not sure if we ever have ... but we try. It is usually at least October 20something when we get that first cold and unsunny day that means we don't get the solar gain we usually do - otherwise, the sun just heats up the house to 70 anyway, so why bother?

We use a programmable thermostat - we heat for about 6-7 hours a day at 67F, and the rest of the time it is 58F (coldest we dare due to uneven room temps, pipes, etc.). If somebody is home and cares, they can just turn it up and it will go back to automatic control later. In some rooms, we have space heaters that go on when we need them - the new ones that blow heat and don't get hot on the outside and shut off if they fall. That alone is a huge savings - heat that turns down when nobody is home, don't heat the whole house if you just need to heat a room.

We do have a heat pad and heat lamp for the gecko.

I'm headed to LA for a week ... we'll see if it is on when I get back!

I have the benefit of being on the 4th floor in a 5 story apartment building, so i'm pretty well insulated and benefit from the heat of apartments below. Last year I turned it on around Thanksgiving, but this year it'll be later since my ladyfriend is out of the country until Christmas! I also use a programmable thermostat and let the temperature go way down during the night and middle of the day. You can practically break even on some of the more basic programmable thermostat models since many utility companies have a rebate program (a couple years ago, I got a $25 rebate on a $28 thermostat).

Lower heating bills are one of the benefits of living in a small apartment in a dense neighborhood (North End). Everyone has fewer walls exposed to lose heat from (although the quality of the windows is often atrocious). I have gas heat, hot water, and stove - in the summer my gas bill runs $30-40 and only during very cold weather does it ever top $80.

On already... We have a toddler at home that can't keep blankets on at night. We dress her in many layers to sleep but she gets cold if is under 65 degrees anyway so... 67 during the day, 65 at night with our programmable thermostat. We're getting wood for our stove this weekend and will use that at night and weekends. It heats the house really well and should save us some money since we have oil. We did managed to lock up our price to 3.59/galon until April, so that's good..

I have put my heat on a few times over the past 2 weeks. The last couple of days I have put it on to 66 degrees in the morning before the kids get up for school, then turn it down or off once they leave. I do the same when they come home until they go to bed. I think there are better ways to conserve your money than freezing in your own home. However, we all have different priorities.

Unfortunately I put it on last Saturday. My 82 year old Mom returned from Aruba and I just knew that if the temps there had been 96 she would freeze at 44. So it's on at 66 right now ....

I leave the programable thermostats on 63° for when we are at home and 60° for the away or night hours year round. The system goes on as needed, shuts off as needed.
Our heating system was replaced this past February. We use 40% less gas compared to our old system. My only regret is that I did not replace earlier, it was over 40 years old.
I have down duvets and flannel sheets on all the beds, we are quite comfortable at night. I might try and drop the night temperature another degree or two.
I am not worried about this winter. I think we will end up spending about the same to heat the house as we did last year.

Lived in Buffalo for 25 years and never put the heat on there until Halloween. Last night, we slept with the bedroom window open an inch and the ceiling fan on. I should probably think about putting a blanket on the bed this weekend......

To Pat in NC (item #92
Are you crazy using a kerosine heater?? MAJOR fire hazard

NEVER! I live in a high rise building and have never had to turn on the heat. The heat rises from below and the sun shines in the windows heating up my apartment (too hot).

I haven't taken the window ACs out yet. Have to do that this weekend. The heat will nto be turned on while they are in. Once they come out and the house heats up radiantly I will see how long I can go before turning on the heat. The goal is Nov.1, but with two small children that may have to bend.

I turn it on when my wife tells me to, which was yesterday. The key to a good relationship is doing whatever the wife tells you to, then bitching about it later under your breath.. not out loud. When the going gets tough...go hide! Build yourself your own room in the basement where you can get away from it all.

At least November. Have two very good spaceheaters: One in living room, and one in den. If they add another $30 to my electric, so be it - it's still a LOT cheaper than my oil bill is. Thermal drapes, electric blanket, draft gurads and a fireplace will all have to do for as long as possible.

I vent my dryer in the house and just do laundry the few cold nights...I also insulated my windows and put draft blockers under the doors...during the day I get alot of sunlight and keep the shades open to heat up the house. My heat does not go on until December...if that...and the heat is included in my condo fee....but I don't like to waste energy or money. I am not cold or broke, but don't see any reason to blast heat when I can throw on a sweatshirt...and bake a cake to heat up the house...cold is actually good for kids....it kills germs...

Texas is a great state. I don't really need to turn on the heat at all all winter long, the summers on the other hand....but I do miss the snow sometimes.

Perhaps someone can answer this question for me. With all this economic turmoil, I have also heard that oil and gas prices where falling sharply as well. Doesn't this translate to this winter's heating cost being lower than anticipated? I would think so, but everyone is still freaking out about heating costs this winter.

NO heat at our house yet!! When we finally do put it on it will be 58º during the day and 52º at night -- we've always had it that way -- even when the kids were little. Now none of us feel comfortable in even a 68º house -- it's all what you get used to.

I had grown up in Alaska and we all say up there that "being cold is a state of mind" Try more exercising and moving around, watching TV is the worst thing
everyone tends to do. Warmer indoor clothing will also be in fashion.

Usually I look forward to that first day of turning on the heat since it makes the home feel cozier however I'm holding off turning on the heat until I can actually see my breath. Knowing how the utility companies will once again stick it to the consumers, I'm putting it off as long as possible.

Certainly not before October 15. But last winter I kept the bedroom at 57F at night. With a couple of extra blankets, sweatpants, a long-sleeve T-shirt, and socks, it was never a problem. And most mornings, I'd wake up and find the socks on the floor. My home office stays at 64F during my work hours, and the den never rises above 66F. By doing this, I've managed to cut heating oil consumption by more than 40 percent, and I have a chart of every oil delivery going back 10 years to prove it.

I woke up yesterday and it was absolutely freezing in my apartment, and I ALMOST turned it on, but resisted...instead I opened up all the blinds in every window in my place to let the sun in, and closed them all as soon as dusk hit. It actually worked! the temp in my apartment that morning was about 63 degrees and just for doing that it went up to about 70!

putting your heat on 68 is a waste of energy.
64 is more like it

I've turned it up to 68 get the chill out of the air in the mornings, but so far, that's it. With no one home during the day, I turn it down to 60 and make sure the southeast window blinds and curtains are open to let the sun warm things up. Last night got pretty chilly up here in Maine so I may be throwing an extra blanket on the bed tonight. We did buy some of those zip and snap blanket-type things you can wear while sitting around reading, watching tv, or in my husband's case, playing computer games. They keep you pretty toasty.

I always say Thanksgiving Day . It is something extra added to our Thanksgiving prayer. !! Honestly when it is cool in the morning (past week) I warm the house to 73 then turn it off ., stays warm all day and cooking keeps that temp up in the evening.

I live 10, 600 ft above sea level in the Rocky Mt's of CO. We had snow 2 nights ago and I had to break down and have a fire in the woodstove(our only source of heat we have no furnace or central heating).Because we average about 300 days of sunshine it warms up to about 60 during the day this time of year and because of all the south facing windows we get lots of passive solar..we don't get that bitter NE cold that I remember from my youth....

I haven't turned it on yet, but once I do, it stays between 70 -72 all winter (night time I may put it down to 60). I would rather be out a couple extra bucks than not let my family be comfortable in their own home.

December 1. We keep the thermostat set for 50-degrees. If it drops below that, the house will warm itself up automatically. Until then, we wear sweaters and extra blankets. We did this even when our child was small. We discussed it with the pediatrician, since our child was very young in the winter. As long as the baby can regulate temperature and has resources to do so, you don't need to over-heat the house. Also, toddlers will learn to keep blankets on if the house is cold.

I live alone in a big 5 bedroom, 3 bath house, so being alone I alone can decide what temp I want and when it goes on. Right now the heat isn't even turned on. My intention is to just bundle up with extra sweaters, sweatshirts,double socks whatever for as long as I can.

# 59 - your not funny.
This is serious business for all Americans!!
Be green and conserve for our children.
GO SOX!

If it was just my wife and I, we would turn on the heat on Christmas Eve to provide a warm home to guests coming over for dinner. However, since I have two small infants and a tenant that lives in the apartment upstairs, I've been forced to turn on the heat. However, not turning on the heat can have extremely expensive consequences such as Frozen pipes that burst and cause additional damage to the house. So, if many of you are planning to "tough it out", make sure to open one of the water faucets so pipes don't freeze.

We've turned our heat on several times already. I don't go by the calendar, I go by whether or not I'm cold

Well, we had solar hot water installed in August so haven't needed the furnace for that yet this fall. Today's sunny weather will help again and get the tanks temps up to 145 to 150 f, enough for 3 days of cloudiness. A nice very hot shower goes a long way to offset walking around the house in sweatshirt for most of the day.

We keep the house at 58 degrees and just bundle up in extra sweaters. We're having a pellet stove delivered in a few months and will look forward to using less oil and having a warmer house.

We turned on the heat last Sat. when it was wicked cold. With 4 kids, it's hard not to turn the heat on, but it's on for 68 degrees for 1 hour, and then turned down to 65 when we go to bed. We also have "panel heating" which were installed in each kids' bedroom, using electricity. While our room is nice and toasty at 60 degrees, body heat does the trick.

I fell asleep with the windows open the other night and it was 58 degrees when I woke up! I turned the heat up to 65 for about 1 hour and then turned it off. Fortunately, my apt is less then 5 years old so its very well insulated. My apt hasn't dipped below 66 other than that one day. I am hopeful that I can make it to Nov without turning it on again. I heat with natural gas and have done the budget plan so I have a significant credit right now. I recommend that to everyone...it sometimes is frustrating during the summer when you aren't using it, but when the winter starts and you have a huge credit it makes it worth it. I have an 8 year old so I would never let the heat go below 65 at night. Once the real winter gets here I will turn the heat to 68 when I get home around 5:30 and leave it on until I go to bed and then turn it to 65. Very rarely does it have to turn on at night until it goes well below zero outside. During the day I turn the heat to 62. I found last year this worked well for me and I broke even on my budget plan which I was pleased with.

I try to hold out as long as possible, I haven't turned it on yet and won't until it dips into the 50's on the thermastat in the house. I use lots of sweaters and blankets. When I do turn it on it will be set at 60 or 62. The dog loves it cooler as she has a very thick undercoat!

#159
Sports is the biggest waste of energy on the planet. Lights on for the night games, cars jammed the highways to get there, flying around the country to play a game!!

WASTE of ENERGY!!!!

November 1 is the earliest the gas heat goes on only if necessary, space heater in the family/play room, and I turn the oven on 250 when I get home from work in the meantime. I have to feed my family anyway, and the heat radiates through the house enough that we stay warm until bedtime. Once the heat is on for the winter, it's at 65 when we're there, about 2 hours in the morning and about 6 hours at night (kids are home afterschool) and down to 55 while we sleep. I wonder if it's more efficient to keep it at a steady temperature all the time, somewhere in between though? Anyone have any idea?

I try to wait til as late in November as I can, and usually keep the thermostat at 60 (barring the flu, or having company over). The room w/the thermostat is a little colder than the rest of the house (bay windows, no insulation) so the other rooms are usually warmer. I've been lucky enough to be able to replace all my windows over the last few years and insulate the bedroom, kitchen and bath, all of which has made things a bit more comfortable. Sadly, the folks in the condos above and below me are as cheap as me; none of us cranks it up, so no one gets to freeload!

I like chili and heat my place with methane.

The past few years, we've made it until Thanksgiving, wearing sweaters, wool socks and hats indoors. Then, we keep the thermostat set to 64 during the day and 56 at night. This year we've got a new baby so I don't think we'll be able to be as frugal. I am dreading the gas bills on top of all the other baby-related increases in our budget. Our income has unfortunately NOT increased!

I'm going to call my mother and apologize for ragging on her for waiting until November 1st to turn it on while we were growing up. I completely understand.....

Maybe on Christmas eve.

I really feel for most people. I'm lucky in my house is super tight and insulated. So whatever I put in, usually stays in. It used to be all Electric (i.e. big bucks) but I put in a High Efficiency 95% forced hot air gas furnace and a Gas tankless water heater. All have electronic ignitions. For comfort I also put in a whole house humidifier.

Then end Result is very comfortable house that is perfectly climate controlled. The heater is a dual stage burner with a variable speed blower. Add that to a shedule thermostat and the house is at 67 degrees when there and 62 when not.

Cost for the season last year was around 700 for the whole heating season.

I turned it on Sunday Night.

Funny - I just had this convo this morning! I, too, have not turned on the heat. Although, I admit, I did turn on my gas fireplace while watching TV last night. I'm also holding out until Nov 1 this year, but doubt I will make it. I will be happy to make it to mid-October. I, too, will attempt to keep the thermostat set lower than I have in the past. I have natural gas and make the same payment every month no matter what, so at least I know what my bill is going to be and I don't have any tanks to fill which helps. I don't know how people are able to afford filling their oil tanks, I couldn't do it. I have a payment plan for pretty much everything!

#137
Yes, lets just all stay home. Don't "waste" the energy to go to or watch sports. No TVs since that takes energy too... we'll just sit in a freezing room with blankets staring at a wall and count the snowflakes for entertainment.

twit

I'll turn the heat on when my fingers and toes go numb.

I didn't turn it on all last winter, thermostat left at 32, it only comes on if it dips below that only to safeguard against the pipes freezing. Our gas bill was only 50 bucks in the coldest month. This Winter however, my roomate has a nagging girlfriend, and I just know he's going to cave for her, at which point I will cave in his face with my fist.

I'm in my last month in a very expensive to heat apartment. Even with the storm windows in place, the temperature is 60 degrees when I get up in the morning now so I'm biting the bullet and turning on the heat because as of next month I'll be in a much better insulated apartment and away from oil heat.

I don't care if I freeze my "giblets", I wait till Thanksgiving

Reply to #138 - I've heard both sides of that - but I believe that it is better to turn it down when it can be down for long stretches of time.

I have a fireplace, which I've enjoyed a number of evenings recently, but the heat won't come on for a while.

I like it cold, and if you're wondering how far down you can set your themastat without freezing the pipes - I sleep with the house (2x4 contruction, built mid 1980s) at 42 degrees, and set it around 50 to 55 when I'm around the house.... but note that evening hang-out time is spent in the family room with the fireplace going (I cut & split my own wood). Worst heating bill last winter (natural gas, 2150 square foot house) was $92 in January.

What's a "Dutch Oven" under the sheets??? Is that like filling a soda bottle with HOT water and putting it under the sheets while you sleep??? ;-)

I turn mine to 34 degrees. I figure it's 2 degrees above freezing so my pipes should be fine. People complain but I tell them they can go outside if they don't like the temperature inside.

November 1st at the earliest unless it dips below 60 in our apt. We have new windows on the front of the apt., and plan on covering the rest of the windows in plastic, covering / insulating the landlord's behemoth window A/C, and we just installed a programmable thermostat. We also have some nice programmable electric space heaters - would like to keep our oil bill to a somewhat sane level. I'm knitting some hand warmers and warm socks for my family so there's less fussing when winter sets in.

Another Vermonter, and the heat has been on occasionally for a couple of weeks. I'm impressed with how many of you/us keep the thermostat at 50. I find when the temp is low and the hot air comes on, the breeze feels especially cold - so 50's been too low for me. But I'm inspired by the comments and will kick it down a little more.

The thermostat's set at 60 and that's where it's staying. We're having firewood delivered this week and will use that to heat the downstairs as long as it lasts. The thermostat is right next to the fireplace so the upstairs bedrooms will be cold. That's what sweatpants and heavy comforters are for.

my heat kicked in early monday morning. i can't stand being cold. thank God I have natural gas.

Moved to North Carolina. Won't need heat for quite a while yet!

The rule at my house growing up was always November first and I have always stuck to that rule as an adult, though this year I hope to make it half way through November. Even when I turn it on it is set somewhere between 55-60 and leave it there. This year I had a new furnace installed to replace the 30+ year old one that came with the house, I'm curious how much of a difference it will make. Hey, if it more efficient I may be able to set the furnace in the low 60's.

Here's an easy solution if you don't have kids and you spend a lot of time in the house: an electric blanket!

It works great in bed or on the couch. Its great to stand on if your feet get cold. It doesn't cost much at all and it keeps you warm.

Generally speaking, I believe it's cheaper to always turn the thermostat low when you are away or sleeping versus leaving it at a steady temperature all the time. This is especially true if you are using gas heat since it warms up so much faster than electric heat pump, and also the heat pump may go into "electric strip" mode if the thermostat is much higher than outside temperature. Last winter we set our thermostat at 45 (yes, 45!) and only turned it to 64 if we were at home and awake. We used lots of blankets and clothing, but our utility bills (not just for heat, but the _entire_ utility bill) averaged just $150 per month. So no it's not "comfortable" but it's the equivalent of someone saying to me "I'll give you $1500 to be a little chilly this winter" which is a good deal as far as I'm concerned. It's tough but yes you can do it! Just watch your water pipes.

I caved this past Sunday when we returned from camping in a tent on a lake and it was colder in the house than it was outside. I have a thermostat on a timer though and have it set to 60 when we're not there or sleeping and 66 when we're home. Normally I would have it go between 63 & 69 or 70, but I'm trying to conserve.

as long as it's above freezing outside, heat stays off. only turn on heat to avoid pipes from freezing in winter

I already caved. My wife was sick and I just didn't want her to get worse. I felt pretty bad about it, but her health is too important to me to withhold that heat. It's still set to come on only for a few hours a day and then to settle back the rest of the time.

I keep my thermostat at 45 degrees -- it's all I can afford. If there was a reasonable program to help people winterize their homes (there isn't, don't go there, BTDT, you have to pony up at least half the amount and I don't have it), it would be a very different story. Space heaters, hot tea, wool socks and hat (in the house) and a woodstove, I'm hoping not to need the furnace until Thanksgiving.

How is it that we can afford billions to bail out people who are warm and comfy in their homes, but we can't bust loose anything to give meaningful help to people who want to winterize their homes so they won't keep getting crushed by the high cost of heatingoil?

All the people who keep their houses really cool...how do you read a book without your hands and fingers feeling terribly uncomfortable? Sweaters, hats, etc. don't seem to help with the fingers.

Here's a thought: let your clothes dry outside on the line or inside on drying racks rather than in the clothes dryer. Dryers use a lot of energy! I do this all year to save $ on my electric bill. Before folding and putting away I will "fluff" them up in the dryer for just ten or fifteen minutes. There are other small ways to save energy too -- keeping applicances unplugged, including your cable tv at night and during the day if you're not recording anything. Money saved on energy there can be used to keep yourself warm!

My thermometer hit 59 degrees on October 4th, and I caved in.

I'm embarrassed.

Maybe after menopause . . . until then, I'm good.

We don't have a set date, but if the house temperature drops below 60 deg during the day we usually cave in and turn on the heat. Until then we put on layers, eat warm foods, put quilts on the bed and use electric radiant heaters (turn off and unplug when not in use), to keep individual rooms warm, (usually only one room at a time). If the sun is shining and outside warms up we make sure the drapes are open and have darker carpetting/ furniture soaking up the heat. We use fans to bring WARMER air in doors and get the chill out. Our OLD colonial cools down and stays cold if we're not careful.

I'm hoping for Nov. 1 or later. I have electric heat, and am in a townhouse--people with kids on either side, so they will cave before I do, I bet. Last year it was Nov. 3. The only exception is a back bathroom, where by condo assoc. rules, I have to have the heater on to 60 by Nov. 1, to prevent exposed pipes from freezing up. Other than that, I hold out and wear sweatshirts a lot. I won't turn it on before Oct. 15 in any event. Fortunately, I have several zones, I can just warm up the living room, a bathroom, or a bedroom, leave the rest at 60 all winter.

#138 - I tried your method one winter and the 'steady heat' another winter. Your way is a bit healthier for allergy-prone people because you are breathing cooler air, especially at night. I set mine at 62 in November and leave it there. I *love* my sweaters. (BTW, I'm currently in Southcentral PA - I have gas heat, which is not that cheap). I get afternoon sun which helps, plus I also warm up the kitchen and my home office with the oven. Like you said, you have to cook anyway.

In the house during the winter (and much of the fall and spring) I'm pretty much never without: fleece pants, heavy socks, slippers, a scarf, and at least two layers plus a big cardigan. When I sit at the computer I often wear my "mouse glove." I'm always under a blanket when I sit on the couch. Even with all that I keep the house (it's a 1,000 sq. ft. condo -- gas heat) at around 68 during the day when I'm home (I have a programmable thermostat so it's much lower while I'm at work). Any lower than that and I feel like I'm barely functioning, and it's not worth it to me. I guess I have a low internal temperature -- the flip side is, I have no air conditioning because I don't have much need for it (window fans do wonders), so when the house gets up to 86 or so in the summer I just park myself in front of the fan and I'm good.

I've had the heat on briefly this year -- probably wouldn't have turned it on quite yet but we had a friend staying with us this weekend. We gave her plenty of blankets, but I didn't want to be a cheap host.

I moved to North Carolina and became a wimp. I still had the air conditioning on yesterday... I usually try to wait till November 1 for the heat - last year I caved on Halloween. The sun will stay strong here for a few more weeks, so if you keep your curtains back during the day your house will be warm enough when you get home.

My Baybee is adamant about keeping the heat down, I am warmth challenged and like a nice even 72-74 degree home. There is such a thing as compromise but I get cranky when all my energies are focused on rubbing my arms and hands to keep the chill out. Oh well. I guess he likes me cranky because last night the heat was set at 68 until 10pm and then down to 50 for the night. Baybee are you there? It's great that we have an electric mattress cover but I can't get in bed at 6:30 and get all my evening work done from the bed. Hello?

We wont be putting on the heat to at least December. We keep the programmable thermostat at 55-58. When we do want to turn it on, we only do it 2 degrees, we have forced hot water radiators and that gets the chill out of the rooms. We were lots of fleece sweaters and socks.

We also put plastic sealant on every window to keep the breeze out and the heat in. I also put up thermal drapes in the living room.

The other big life saver we do is lots and lots of fleece (not flannel) throw blankets...they are wicked cheap $10 or so and great insallation. We put one on the seat/back of each couch and then put one over us. We do the same in bed, use one as our bottom sheet and one as our top...then put a heavy weighted blanket on top of that and we are litterally sweating it's so warm. It's great!

This should be business as usual. Back in the days of 93O, we would keep the apartment at a balmy 55, turn off the radiators in the kitchen and bathroom, and close the doors to the kitchen and the bathroom. You know your saving when you can see your breath while your cooking dinner or brushing your teeth. Two warnings if you plan to really cut corners this winter. Do not try this if your water pipes are in the wall adjacent to the outdoors. And I highly recommend a space heater for the toilet seat.

Cleaned the pellet stove yesterday and fired it up around 6:00pm. Nice heat, cheep and toasty

My family has a wood buring stove and over the course of the year will gather up wood to fuel it. You can get a lot of wood fairly easily and for free if you know where to look. Often times during the summer if the town has taken down some trees and left logs just sitting on the side of the road if they have room in the trunk of the car they will just pick it up and take it. This saves the town from having to remove it or paying to have a wood chipper brought in to get rid of it.

I on the other hand live in the city and my rent includes heat, so it's only a matter of time until the heat is turned on and since the place is so small it heats up quick.

"With a 6-week old boy at home, I can't have the temps falling below 68"

Makes me wonder how my parents reached adulthood when they had no central heating as children. You let the coals go out at night, and started them up again in the morning. And no, children didn't die from the cold.

If you use a fireplace, wouldn't that be even worse for the environment? You are polluting the air, not to mention all the trees that were cut down to for your firewood. Turn on the heater, stop being crazy...

It's all about the Pellet Stoves

Pulled the kids bed to our room and we all sleep in one room. using an oil filled space heater which heats amazingly well (and cost $25 on top of the electricity bill for a month) with no noise! Set the thermostat at 55 for the entire house with furnace on - just to avoid freezing pipes. Fleece on the couch, wearing full sleeves and sweaters when at home! Last year burnt 700 gallons of oil for heating; this year planning to stay put with 500 gallons for the whole season - let's see!

Your pathetic, it wasn't even cold yesterday

Columbus weekend is usually my "heating kick-off", but this year I'm going to TRY to stretch that desire a bit further. If the sun will cooperate and give me some passive solar energy during the day, maybe I can wait until November.

I always try to wait until Thanksgiving and I usually make it. I am a big beliver in weaing layers, even at home. Though, if I have company coming over I will turn the heat on while they are visitng.

Third floor apartment- nice insulated windows- no heat on. Life's good =)

Just got back from a bike ride. Great solar energy. Keep thinking that the price of oil is scary. This summer I twice changed oil companies as the price peaked in July and then began plummeting. Last year I pre-bought 900 gallons at $2.69. Now it's at $3.99! The heat is remaining off till at least Nov 1st. I've replaced the windows in the house, re-caulked around the doors, and installed a roof vent. This weekend I'm going to insulate all the exposed copper piping in the basement.
Every penny counts. It's 58 degrees at the house now. I have on 2 fleece layers and a hat. Warm enough.

We wait until December 1st, or as we like to call it the "Happy Heat Day" Holiday. We all gather around the thermostat and and hear the heat turn on and watch the needle go up until it hits 65 degrees!!

I caved Sunday morning when the thermostat hit 56, but if I turn on the heat in the morning to 68, turn it off and open the curtains, the sun keeps the house warm enough that I don't have to turn the heat on until the next morning. That usually lasts until mid-November. Then I keep the programmable at 68, down to 58 while I'm at work, back to 66 and then 58 overnight.

Not going to cut back one bit....probably going to use a bit more this year too!

All hail President Bush, and the Republicans!

"Sports is the biggest waste of energy on the planet. Lights on for the night games, cars jammed the highways to get there, flying around the country to play a game!!
WASTE of ENERGY!!!!-- Posted by WAN"

Hey WAN... Sounds like someone is still in the high school clique phase, eh? Never quite fit in with the jocks or the "in crowd"? Given your criteria, let's stop all concerts, too. Don't go on vacation anywhere you need to drive or fly, too. Screw it, everyone stay home more, will ya? But don't use your computer, because that uses electricity. ;)

When will I turn it on? Not yet! I can't believe someone is talking about freezing pipes. This early in the season you can open your windows & let the warm air in during the day, close them at night & you won't need heat for awhile.

I live in southern England, and we've had such a lousy summer, that I had to turn on the heating for a couple of nights in AUGUST! I put the heating on properly in the last week of september. I'm afraid that there is nothing more miserable than coming home from a bad day at work and shivering. My home is heated with natural gas, and the utility company offered me a fixed-rate deal for four years beginning in January 2006, so until the four years are up I'm going to be warm. What happens after that .......I don't want to think about, just hoping for mild winters I suppose!

i HAVE NOT TURNED ON MY HEAT YET....I AM HOLDING OUT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. I HAVE MANY SWEATERS,SOCKS AND BLANKETS. THE HOUSE IS COLD IN THE MORNING WHEN I AM GETTING READY FOR WORK(I WILL BE LAIDED OFF COME THIS NOVEMBER) SO I AM TRYING TO BE FRUGAL...SO I WILL BE TURNING ON THE HEAT MID NOVEMBER OR LATER. THE GAS HEATING IS NOT AS BAD AS OIL HEATING BUT $500.00 A MONTH IS WHAT I PAY IF I JUST WANT TO BE COMFORTABLE........

I moved here for the winters. :o)

My heat is not on yet and will not come on until it's cold enough that the pipes are at risk of freezing. We have lovely mink blankets we got when stationed in Japan, wool socks, and the three/four of us can snuggle under a blanket on the couch and watch a movie.

Yes, my windows have been open all week including the nights. As I said I moved here for the winter. I am originally from Boulder so this is not frigid cold to me.

Live in VT. Heat went on this past weekend. :(

Regarding babies, buy a sleep sack. Dress the baby in onesie, sleeper, and a sleep sack and your baby will stay warm all night. (And a warm baby is a sleeping baby, which makes parents happy!)

Google sleep sack for info. Retail is around $25, though I've seen them recently at Marshalls for $10. It is one item worth paying retail for if you can't find it off-price.

If I had control of my heat, it would definitely be on now. The temperature definitely dipped into the thirties last night. Unfortunately my cheap and unethical landlord/building management company (ALPHA MANAGEMENT, BOSTON) has yet to turn the heat on, despite tenant laws for Massachusetts and repeated contact from the Department of Public Health.
In the meantime, my roommate and I are surviving on heat from our oven. That's right, our oven.
I smell a lawsuit...

I'm going as long as I can. I have a big, drafty victorian, but we've found that electric space heaters and heavy drapes work wonders. My living room is sectioned off with velour curtains I purchased on clearance at Lowe's. Once I crank up the $12.99 electric fan heater it's warmer than it would ever be if I turned up the thermostat!

I chose to live in the middle floor of a three family in charlestown, so I never have to turn on the heat, provided my neighbors are home. It stays about 60-62 in the fall and spring and down to the low 50's in the dead of winter. I cannot afford gas heat and rent at the same time. Sad!

I just filled my oil tank ($3.80/gal x 197gallons = $750!!!!), and after I pulled myself off the floor from the shock, I decided that at that price I'm NOT going to turn the heat on... I have a box of sweaters, sweatshirts, sweat pants, jackets, blankets and comforters next to my door when you come in to my apartment... Unless there is a threat of freezing my pipes (single digit temps during the days, below zero nights), my heater stays OFF...

Former Bostonian now living in Portland, OR. Turn the heat up for guests, but keep it at 59 during the winter otherwise. One winter at Bates College in Maine we went the whole winter with no heat in an old Victorian. Spent the extra $$ on beer and we survived just fine. Where there's a will, there's a way.

Look into a soapstone woodstove. Soapstone retains heat for hours after the fire is done. A great way to heat. Chop some wood and get your exercise. You only need to give it a few minutes a day or an hour or so a week to get your pile going.

You can still get cord wood for less than oil.

And the woodstoves of today are very efficient, beautiful, relatively green and local using and totally fun and mesmerizing. I can't believe I lived so long without one. You can heat an entire house with a relatively open plan nicely.... And if you fall in love w/ your stove, as people do, you can take it with you when you move!

Instead of fighting with my roommate i bought a bunch of extra blankets and a portable heater. I plan on covering up all the windows and go as long as possible with out turning it on.

Turned it on a week ago.

It's already ridiculously cold in the baby's room. The thermostat, of course, is in the living room. Her room is in the back of the house (shotgun style set up). I don't trust space heaters in a baby's room right now, so...the heat's on.

I love us hardy New Englanders!

I just don't understand how some people can leave their heat on at 70 or higher year-round. It is wasteful, not to mention wimpy. Yes, that is why we created slippers, sweaters, and hats!

Mine will not go on until November. Even after that, it will be used sparingly. My house was a cool 54 degrees inside this morning.... A bit chilly, but it helps you wake up. Anyway, that's why we live in New England. :)

I think New Englanders are all nuts. Turn the damn heat on when your cold and the a/c when your hot. What a bunch of wimps.

THe heat won't go on until I can afford to buy oil. The tank is empty

Dear Jim,
It's "you're" pathetic, not "your" pathetic.

As for the heat topic, I tend to be unreasonably and annoyingly cold (runs in my family) in general so I have urges to turn the heat on as early as September, but I always resist. Instead I put on the layers, drink a ton of hot tea and sometimes do some jumping jacks to get the blood flowing. I would love to go until November without turning on the heat but I get so uncomfortably cold that I rarely make it that far. And even then, with layers (and hat on) and tea and jumping jacks AND the heat on, I am still cold. I just try to balance being reasonably comfortable with being environmentally friendly and cost conscious.
I am one of those people who should move to Florida or LA but I love Boston so I'll just suffer through the winter like I usually do!

Whatever....there were a few cold days in September and we turned it on. It's on now, set to 68 and heat...if the temp drops, it turns on, if not it turns off. But then we're also those horrible people who leave their central air on constantly from May to Sept/Oct...also at 68.

The wood stove has been going since last week, and my pellet stove will follow suit when the evening temps hit 35 degrees or so. I have all the zones for my boiler shut down except hot water, and with any luck, that's the way it will stay the entire winter. Can you say alternative energy?

I'll wait until December if I can. Lots of layers, no children at home and third floor apartment helps. Hope the cat can last until then.

We have a toddler so we had to turn the heat on arleady, Some nights have been cold!!! I am dreading our heating bills this winter though. We have electric heat and I'm not sure how we'll pay for it.

September 21, 2008!

With 4 little ones (1 a new born) it is tough to NOT turn on the heat but we do put the fireplace on whenever possible...ie last night. Definitely sweaters and blankets are the call!

I Have a Pellet stove and it heat the house very nicely!
I had to use it on the evening of the 4th!!
The Pellets are getting hard to buy! There is now a shortage!
It cost me about $800 to heat my house last winter!

I'm confused. When was burning wood and running pellet stoves considered a better/cleaner alternative than burning oil/gas? Say no to oil and cut down all the trees. Go green baby!!

there is a reason why they call it Thanksgiving, its when my wife thanks me for finally turnign the heat on!!!

We caved over the weekend. But it’s set at 62, so we’re still shivering. We had to do something because the cats become like ticks, looking to suck every bit out of warmth out of us. You will be descended upon if you sit still for more that 10 seconds. At least now they’re clinging to the radiators.

"7 Ways to Reduce Your Heating Costs"

What a worthless article. Makes me think giving up my subsrciption to the Globe and applying it to my increased heating oil costs was the right decision.

How about something that anyone but an idiot wouldn't already know? And how about things that can be done for a minimum cost with a big payoff.

Best suggestion was joining a fuel co-op. But not necessarily required. The oil companies are no longer giving fixed rates for a season, so shop around. I did and am saving over 50c a gallon.

You guys get to have heat?

Our thermostats are set at 64 which means the gas heat has started to come. Last night in Sudbury it touched 30F. If we want it warmer and cozier with lots of atmosphere I light one of the air tight Jotul Wood stove. I do that 3-4x per week. Wood is lots of work (cut, split, stack, dry, clean up) but provides exercise, is plentiful (renewable!) and is free.

I'm trying to hold out until November. But it was pretty damn cold getting out of the shower this morning.

I was thinking of getting a small electric space heater for days when I need just a little heat in a small area of the house. Really, the whole house is a small area (a 2 bedroom apt). It would cost $40-$50, but I'm not sure how to figure out the cost comparison, ie: if it would save money. Electricity vs. Gas. Anyone??

Thanksgiving...David, that was great! I'll have to keep that one on hand!!!

I'm installing propane service for the house, but keeping my oil burner in place. I have a propane log ready to go and piped in now...hopefully by running that, I'll be able to keep the thermostat OFF for a little while longer. I'll save more oil by using a Rinnai for domestic hot water. That's almost in too...

House is still around 65-68 in the am...good windows go a long way!

My husband and I take a yearly vacation in November, usually returning around Thanksgiving and turning the heat on then. It's rare that we have turned on the heat before our vacation, but I was tempted last night.

We moved our TV to our bedroom, which is on the second floor and is the warmest spot in the house. We snuggled down under the blankets wearing our sweats for the baseball game last night and were very comfortable. On cold winter weekends I often set up shop in our bed - newspaper, phone, computer, a good book and some writing paper and I could spend most of my Sunday there happy and warm! I know we will not always have the opportunity to hibernate for the winter.

I guess our secret it to spend more time in the bedroom when it gets cold!

With four large teenagers, who can bring complaining to new heights, I refuse to turn on the heat until it reaches below freezing. When they sit in their t-shirts and complain that it is too cold! I can see my breath! etc. I hand them the vacuum cleaner and tell them that if they are still cold after doing the living room, come and see me and I will think of something else to keep them warm. Complaining has been way down this year.

#213-- "Warreb B Thornton"

you're = you are
If you were from New England, you would probably know that.

Your comments are contradictory. Then again, that fact might be lost on you.

Whether you turn your heat on now or December doesn't make much a difference. A lot of people are saying that it is not cold enough to turn the heat on. If you set your heat to a certain temperature, it will turn on when it gets too cold. Same thing in December. You would rather have a 55 degree house now and 68 in December. If it is cold, turn the heat on. People need to think rationally....

Our "not until November" went out the window this morning when I woke up to a 54 degree house and 3 shivering children. Oh well - we gave it a try. I have a house that was built in 1880, and has only 1 vent (forced hot air) on the 1st floor (of 3 floors). We have a furnace

I plan on waiting until it starts snowing....INSIDE.

I live above a bakery so I don't have to turn on my heat!

I leave a programmable thermostat set for 66 while we are awake at home, 60-62 when we are not home or asleep. It kicks on when it needs to. We just acquired a gas fireplace (wish it was a pellet stove!) for our family room so the settings may change when it gets installed. I will then lower the rest of the house and keep that one room warm when we are watching TV.

That's what snuggling is for.

I have 2 pellet stoves, both were on, idleing low and it keeps the house, 6000sqf at 70. Coldest days, Ill run them both up to about 40% and keep it at 70, as far as my oil system goes, filled the tank last march, still have 3/4 of a tank left and I have oil heated water.

If you have a child, all bets are off. Our two-year-old was waking up extra early because she was freezing. Between her cold hands and our decreased sleep, we turned the heat on over the weekend.

Vermont Castings wood burning stove and 2 cords of wood heat the whole 1st floor of my house all winter . If it gets too hot, which it often does, I open the windows. Bedrooms upstairs are cold but I like it cold when I go to sleep. I also burn oil but my furnace does not come on when the wood stove is running, which is almost all the time.

I think back to the Reagan years when he suggested that we set our thermostats at 63 degrees. My dearly departed friend Kevin thought that was great. He turned his thermostat UPto 63! This year I'm shooting for November 15th. Then it's off to Phoenix and some desert sunshine for a week.

Turned it on a couple of weeks ago. We usually have it at about 68 in this weather and about 71 in the cold winter months. I use propane central hot air heat. My gas price is 2.91/gallon this year.

I have a wood pellet stove and will hold out on burning oil as long as I can

Not until early December - I live in San Diego

It never went above 55 last year in my place, and I aim to keep it at least that cold this year. I have a combo of electric baseboard and propane heater. I use an electric blanket to warm up the bed at night before going to sleep. I wear at least 2 layers of everything... thermals help a lot. And I tend to spend quite a bit of time at the library, or at a dunkin donuts or starbucks... you can spend hours there sipping a coffee with a good book or talking to a friend... i find it's worth the $1.50 for the entertainment and warm place to sit.

I had to turn it on Monday morning since the temp was 31 degrees outside and the bathroom a bit cold first thing. We live in northern NH, so we've had our first freeze and I've scraped the car windows twice already. The programmable heat goes on at 5:45 until 6:30 and then is down to 55 for the day. Woodstove starts at 4:00pm and runs for the evening. Hoping to keep that up until mid November.

I have a nice collection of ultra-soft scarves, comfy hats, and hoodies, and a big purr-powered bed warmer. Good thing, since I don't have a thermostat, and the heat goes on when the Aboves decide to fire up their furnace, which lives down here with me. Remember - leg warmers aren't just for dancers! And a hot cup of tea (or broth, if you prefer) can thaw you down to the bones.

I can't afford to turn on the heat in my house, but since I own a 3-family with one furnace I have to pay the heat and turn it to 68F for my tenants. Massachusetts when will you address the issue that the world has changed and 68 degrees is a luxury that increases heating costs for everyone. 66 during the day and 60 at night would save millions of gallons of oil yearly

During the warmer months we set the thermostats at all three zones for 57-degrees and unfortunatlety the furnace has kicked in overnight on a few occasions over the past couple of weeeks. Assuming that daytime temps will be in the 60's overall Inwill keep the thermostat set at 57-debrees until the first week in November at which point I will program it accordingly but not over 69-degrees for any time period.

Not until inside temp dips to 62.

We live in Maryland but we are from a tropical country, so we are not used to the cold, we like it warm. Our policy is to set the main heater to 65F from bed time to 3pm, when kids arrive from school, then I increase it to 70F till bed time again. Since I stay home almost all time, I am the one that has to live with 65F during the day, so, what I did was I bought an electrical heater (not mentioning brand and model, no ads) that is very effective to warm ONE room. I then warm only my preferred room, my office, and leave the rest of the house at 65F. I go to this room often to get warm. But, so far, although internal temperature has already reached 65F, we haven't turned main heater on. We're trying to save some gas and so we bought a second electrical heater and, at night, we use both in the two rooms we and our kids sleep so house can get cold but our two rooms will stay warm. Cheaper than having all house warmer.

Really trying to make it to November 1 - hard when people in house come down with October colds, though.

My pellet stove is cranking already! I know it is a tough year to buy one and a tough year to find the pellets, but if you plan ahead it is very easy. If you are interested in owning one, place your order now and be happy when it arrives. Order your pellet fuel in May next year for delivery in September. Last year I saved $1500 over the previous year, this year the savings will be larger as Natural Gas is expected to rise 15 - 18%!

www.mywoodpellets.com

Jesus......what did we lose a war or something! Who's hoarding caned goods and bottled water? Cash, guns and gasoline......is that four horsemen I see in the sky. AIG execs go on a 400k dollar junket and elderly folks who have worked their entire lives are choosing between medications and heat. We should be heating our homes with the carcasses of those dirtbag CEO's etc.

I am so glad I moved to North Carolina after living in Boston for 32 years. We won't be turning the heat on until Dec, could push it out until Jan possibly. I was worried about how much the summer would cost with central ac but it was not bad at all. New Englanders are hardy souls. God Bless the New Englanders!

PS.. we are stll in shorts :)

We've gotten into December before, but if we make it to November 1, I'll be happy. When the sun hits the house around 10 am, I'm always sure we can make it through November. Until the next morning . . .

I also have a pellett stove and saved over $2000 last year. It's been cranking since mid-September. It's the best investment I ever made.

Electric heaters work wonders for us. We usually turn on the heat around Thanksgiving and sometimes after. I used heaters in rooms that we use the most, kitchen, office, and bedroom 'cause electricity is way cheaper than gas/oil usage. Electric heaters, cozy winter clothes, and energy saving tips (like sealing windowsand door cracks from nasty cold draft) works best.

I plan on standing on a corner with the homeless and heating myself by a warm garnage can fire. I can trade some food for a spot. mmmm.....toasty.

I agree with Old Dude! We should really be heating our homes with the congressmen, senators, and slimy corporate scum that put us here in the first place. Start with Cheney. That way, he will not come back to life. Then, our good friends at Exxon.

Our home is passively solar heated, and well insulated, so cold and sunny days are great. We grow lettuce and herbs year-round too. We usually go to November here before firing the wood stove up, unless there are several cold and rainy days in a row. Also, our house is typically at 70 in the winter.

We live in NW CT, and experience about 7000 heating degree days each winter, about 20-25% more than you all in Boston.

Go Red Sox! (that gives us all something to get warmed up about)

Gee, and I thought the heat situation in Poland was backward. Apartment heat here is regulated by a central authority that used to turn on the heat on October 1 and turn it on on April 1 to a temperature of about 75 degrees.There are no individual thermostats. You either turn a knob on the radiator or yes, open a window! Now with an increase in the price of fuel, the authorities are more lax in the dates for some reason. I think it's because people reason if they pay a flat fee of about $200 a month all year round, why should they freeze. This year the heat was turned on in the middle of September because it was 50 degrees outside during the day. BTW, gasoline costs $9.50 a gallon here.

to go up.

After I burn the dining room table and nightsatand in the fireplace.

Why is the cost of natural gas and electricty rising on par with OPEC controlled oil? ... greedy speculators fueled by no regulations by the Feds on their "Bets". And if they lose the bet, the taxpayers will bail them out.

Time for the CEO's and their friends in government to spend the winter in a COLD jail cell.

Buy a Down Comforter. Worth the cost!

It's a bit chilly in the mornings, say 57° in the kitchen, but so far we've managed to hold off. One trick I use is to monitor the outside and inside temperatures to make best use of natural warmth. Also, opening blinds to let the sun in helps warm up the house during the day. Isn't it interesting that what we really are doing is going back to the way our grandparents managed heat?

Move to Florida. Being from Massachusetts, you won't have to turn the heat on in the "winter."

Bush’s Legacy of Failure
By Robert Scheer

That idiotic “what, me worry?” look just never leaves the man’s visage. Once again, there was our president, presiding over disasters in part of his making and totally on his watch, grinning with an aplomb that suggested a serious disconnect between his worldview and existing reality. Be it in his announcement that Iraq was being secured on a day when bombs ripped through that sad land or posed between his Treasury secretary and the Federal Reserve chairman to applaud the government’s bailout of a failed bank, George Bush was the only one inexplicably smiling. Failure suits him. It is a stance he learned well while presiding over one failed Texas business deal after another, and it served him splendidly as he claimed the title of president of the United States after losing the popular, and maybe even the electoral, vote.

It carried him through the most ignominious chapter of U.S. foreign policy, from the lies about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction to an unprecedented presidential defense of torture. The totally unwarranted assurance was there this week as the once proud dollar fell into the toilet and the debacle of Iraq and Bush’s other failed Mideast policies pushed oil prices to record highs. The Europeans, who didn’t support the U.S. imperial intervention, are doing much better, not having to pay for guarding besieged oil pipelines while U.S. taxpayers are saddled with trillions in future debt, not to mention 4,000 U.S. military deaths and 30,000 U.S. injuries in a war the administration had promised would be paid for with Iraqi oil revenues. Even in Baghdad last week, there wasn’t enough oil to keep the lights on for more than a few hours. But the president is happy because his legacy issue, the war on terror, is intact. No matter that this week the Pentagon was forced to release a report conducted over the last five years that concluded, after surveying 600,000 official Iraqi documents captured by U.S. forces, that there is “no smoking gun” establishing any connection between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida. The report was so embarrassing that we taxpayers, who paid for it, were not going to be told of its existence, even though the explosive conclusions were totally declassified, until ABC News forced its posting online. The network reported that the Pentagon had canceled plans to issue a press release or make it available by e-mail or otherwise online because, as one Pentagon official put it, the study is “too politically sensitive.”

Damned right it is—Bush squandered U.S. treasure and lives in an effort that had nothing to do with the infamous attack on America. As for the real war on terror against the real al-Qaida, those folks are very much on the rebound, just where they were before the 9/11 attack, building their bases in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Meanwhile, back on the home front, Wall Street is crumbling, not because of planes crashing into buildings but because the outrageous knaves of finance, freed from the most minimal requirements of public accountability, have been permitted to destroy America’s reputation in the world for financial probity. In the name of ending what were claimed to be onerous regulations imposed after the Great Depression, this administration accelerated a bipartisan pattern of allowing Wall Street to betray investors with impunity while abandoning the federal government’s obligation, once accepted equally by conservatives and liberals, to ensure our national solvency.

This tendency, under way for decades to give the bankers what they wanted—codified in the Financial Services Modernization Act, which was signed into law by Bill Clinton and which permitted banks, stock brokers and insurance companies to merge—was exacerbated by Bush’s appointment of rapacious corporate foxes to watch the corporate henhouse. They will take care of their own, which is why Bush was smiling, happily posed in that photo op between Henry Paulson Jr. and Ben Bernanke announcing the Bear Stearns bailout, made possible only by the federal government using your tax dollars to pick up the bad debt of the banks. Tape that picture to your wall to remind you, when you open a credit card bill with a 30 percent interest rate—not the 2 percent the Fed will charge banks—or see the increase in your adjustable rate mortgage, of just what your government will do for the really big guys that it will never do for regular folks. In the years to come, as millions lose their retirement income and homes, we will have occasion to remember Georgie Porgie, who kissed the taxpayers and made them cry before he ran away.

No heat on yet, but boy was the house cold this morning. With the price we paid for oil this year, I am going to try to slug it out as long as I can. Every drop I save is pennies in my pocket. Fortunately we have a South exposure with large windows and whenever the sun is out, my home heats up quickly. Now that our children are no longer at home, I found that our use of heat has dropped. We have fleece blankets while watching TV, we use a lot of sweaters and try to save where ever we can, w/o being ridiculous. Going back to my childhood, we had only one coal stove in our living room. My mom would heat up teakettles and place them in our beds, before going to sleep. I think I can survive.

When I can see my breath in my house !!! Hahahahaha

Aiming for early/mid Nov., and then probably only in the evenings. Our apartment is so horribly insulated even if we were to turn the heat above 62, which is where it stays no matter what, it would just leak right back out, costing us money and not even getting the warmth out of it. That said, we're waiting as long as possible. Just bought a space heater for the bedroom in the mornings. Yucky plastic on the windows, draft blockers under the doors, electric blankets, etc. I have a circulatory disorder that causes my hands and feet to get extremely cold (sometimes to the point of being blue!) so I have to be careful with that, but I also want to be careful with what little money we have. It's a tough call. Luckily we don't have kids.
I would LOVE to have a fireplace or wood burning stove though!

To Christine, #232, it's true! I try to vaccuum the house every day when I get home from work, (two cats plus all wood floors equals too much dust!), and by the time it's done I'm sweltering! Works well. A fireplace, a space heater, and lots of snuggly clothes are also useful for now. I HATE to be cold, but unfortunately that's the way it goes. Every region has their issues. I suppose I'd rather deal with being a little chilly than having my neighborhood flattened by tornados! It is kind of ironic, however, when you can't afford to turn the heat on because you have to buy gasoline for the car you use to get to the job that doesn't pay enough for you to turn the heat on! Ha. (Side note: before I get yelled at, I do not live or work near public transportation.)

#269 ah.................. I think you missed the point.

I'M MOVING TO ARIZONA.....

I refuse to put my heat on until November 1st. and than it will be at 60 all winter-I am also buying 2 space heaters-one for my family room and one for the kitchen-and I have my fire place, too-I will not be sucked in by high fuel costs any more

Keep the heat at 50 or 60 at night ?? Are you people insane?? I'm so glad I don't have to live at your house. I want to be, you know, COMFORTABLE in my own home! I'd rather pack a lunch every day, eat out a little less, and make a few other cutbacks than walk around my apartment dressed like the Stay-Puffed Marshmellow Man. If you cut out your $4.75 latte every morning, you'll have almost an extra $150/month. 62 degrees is completely unacceptable in New England in January.

**A question: NStar once told me that turning the thermometer up and down, even a little, costs you more than leaving it at one temp at all times.. Is this true?
I'd like to turn it down at night or when Im not home... but have been afraid this would cost me more?

In any case, I plan to wait til Nov. 1 or later.. but my little apartment (in an old building in the North End, Boston) always gets cold early, and never seems to warm up even when I am forced to turn the heat to 80 or above during winter. I hate it and i always have heat bills of $200-300 a month.
I think the apartment must have very leaky windows and I hear exposed brick, which I have, wastes heat, too.
I just bought some new LL Bean slippers, am going to get a new down throw, and plan to bring out the couch blankets as usual, but I hope to hold out til early Nov. this year!

There are so many things you can do to reduce the amount of heat you need in your home. Last year, I added weatherstripping to my windows, then shrunk wrapped them. Insulated curtains to draw at night, two down comforters on my bed and used a portable electric heater in the room I was spending time in rather than heating the whole apartment. Kept the thermostat at 55 when I am away from home and 62 when I am roaming at home - back to 55 while I was sleeping.
Used 200 gallons of oil less than the previous year and only had minor differences in my electric bill. Even my oil company was stunned at my lower oil order.

I have a simple way to save heat. Even if you do not have large windows facing the south just pull the shades and blinds all the way up anywhere close to where the sun is shining. My house will maintain a temp of 60 degrees without heat in the middle of winter. Also I found that if you set your water heater on vacation all the time you will cut your bill in half and you will still get hot water when you take a shower or run the sink.

Every year I tell my husband that we are going to go til Thanksgiving... he takes out his long underwear, extra warm fleece sweatpants, his hooded sweatshirt, slippers, and thick socks and keeps a close eye to see if and when his nose suffers from frostbite... while I may wear two t-shirts and some sweats. But with a puppy in the house and my husband taking over the bill in pure revolutionary style- the heat came on lastnight!

I decided this year I'm not going to turn the heat on at all. I have just had all of my pipes drained in my house so I don't have a problem with them freezing. I will shower at the local Y every week or so, clean up with water I boil on the stove, and use a bucket instead of my toilet. If our ancestors survived without central heating and running water, I'm sure we can. People have it too easy these days with all of their modern conveniences.

er... for all people who gloat around that they have a wood stove, wood burning is not eco friendly; for the trees that are cut, and the CO2....

We are going to try as long as possible to avoid the gas furnace. If the house gets to 50° F then we will break down and employ space heaters. We decided we can just put on more sweaters and wool socks this winter. doing home projects help too. Somehow, we don't freeze if we are involved with something besides the TV set. Baking fresh bread makes a good activity, and the kitchen heats up some too.

This is my second winter as a homeowner and last year my gas bills were super high but I must admit that is not why I have not turned the heat on yet. It's almost becoming a game (why? I don't know why!) but I am trying to see how long I can last without turning the heat on. The funny thing is that I am shivering and freezing and in my long underwear, socks and sweatshirt (I have this vast collection that is finally getting to see the light of day) and crawl under the down comforter and within 3 minutes I have already stripped myself of my long underwear and socks. It says it's 53 degrees in my bedroom and 55 degrees downstairs but honestly I am not that cold with my blankets. And my bathroom has this wonderful electric heat coil thing that does wonders. I'm hoping to last to Nov 1st but I might just see how much longer I can go. I think cooking may be in order as well.

We keep our house at 64 during the day, 58 at night. We turned the thermostat for oil on this week in Upstate NY when the temperature outside finally was in the 30's during the day. We have two pellet stoves we've been running since mid-October that have helped us cut our need to turn on the oil, but they're also set on thermostats so they're not running all the time consuming electric and wood pellets. Pellet stoves are expensive, but just one installed last year cut our oil bill in half for a 3600 sq foot house, so we added another one this year to cut down our oil consumption even further. They should pay themselves off in five years with the amount we're saving on oil. Also since wood pellets are a very eco friendly fuel (made from sawdust at saw mills that would otherwise go to landfills, and also burns super efficient so very little green house gases are released) we're happy to fork over money to the pellet industry rather than the oil industry. One bag of wood pellets at around $6 heats the same amount as about 5 gallons of home heating oil( which runs about the same price as gasoline ). Sealing up your house, and using programable timers helps drastically. New windows are a waste of money and generally take 140 years to pey themselves off, and new windows only have a lifespan of about 15-20 years, so you'll only be spending much more money in the future and adding more to the landfills, restore your old windows(windows before 1950's when quality dropped and windows started being made of cheap wood/aluminum/vinyl) for a fraction of the price of new windows and let they're historical value shine.

December 1. And I live in Chicago. Those last days were tricky but we did it.
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