Blog Update!
For those of you not following me on Facebook, as of the Summer of 2019 I've moved to Central WA, to a tiny mountain town of less than 1,000 people.

I will be covering my exploits here in the Cascades, as I try to further reduce my impact on the environment. With the same attitude, just at a higher altitude!

Friday, October 19, 2007

Freeze Yer Buns Challenge

Freeze Yer Buns ChallengeOkay, so I admit it. I did suggest that this new challenge didn't involve butts. However, it refers to your posterior in the title alone.

What's it all about, you ask? Well, let me tell you! Last winter I was all proud of myself at how I was keeping the thermostat low, trying to save energy and all. I kept it at a numbing 60 degrees at night and 68 degrees during the day. Which I thought was low. Until I got spanked by the people who took my poll. Almost half kept it at 59 degrees or lower.

This year I'm trying to outdo myself. I'm keeping the daytime temperatures at around 62 degrees. 65 if people are complaining. Nighttime temps will be 55.

So, starting November 1st, I'm challenging all of you to keep your thermostat low until the spring. Whip out those fuzzy binkies and down comforters and put on those sweaters and fleece slippers.

To sign up for the challenge, add a comment to this post and pledge what temperatures you will keep your thermostat. I'll be updating you all with hints and tips to keep warm as well as semi-interesting facts about the history of home heating. Plus, I'll regale you with reasons why you should keep your thermostat down (in case it just isn't patently obvious already)!

As per usual, I will keep a tally of participants (and your numbers) with a list in the right sidebar. Feel free to grab the graphic if you want to promote the challenge on your blog as well.

So, this one's pretty darn easy. How low can you go?

[P.S. For those of you in more toasty zones or those heading into summer, you can pledge to keep your thermostat higher and keep the A/C off.]

[P.P.S. I just love that powdery baby seal]

211 comments:

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Claire said...

Great idea! We've live in a drafty turn of the century house in Pittsburgh and it gets COLD! And it's horribly expensive to heat (we have radiators)--I'm talking hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Last winter, my husband and I pledged we'd never turn it above 65 (though I caught my teenager hoisting it up to 70 once...). This winter, we leave it off at night unless it's below 10 degrees out (then we leave it at 55); during the day it stays at 55 except for two hours in the morning (65) and three hours in the evening (65). We wear a lot of fleece here (and play DDR to stay warm)! ;) Keep up the great work everyone!

Jenn said...

I live in Oakland, California -- most houses on the rental market don't have central heat or insulation (I'm not talking about new condos or apartment buildings). I currently live in a Craftsman cottage duplex with no heat - it took a lot of arm twisting to get the landlord to put in some attic insulation (only 50% of my apartment is now insulated in the attic).

Our heat? The landlord has provided two oil-filled space heaters for both of our units. Just running it when I am home puts my electric usage at $250/month (for one person in a 1BR!). My place is facing south and west so it is usually colder inside than outside during the day (48 degrees for a week earlier this month). Down comforters don't cut it ... but the space heaters are inefficient, too.

I wish I had the luxury of deciding to keep a thermostat at 58 degrees!

Sign me -- BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

Robj98168 said...

60 at night
68 during the day

funbooksmom said...

I was feeling rotten last month after seeing a slight increase in my energy bill despite freezing my fingers & toes (the buns were toasty enough). This month I'm very happy to say that my energy bill was $40 less! Some of that is due to February being a slightly shorter month, but we definitely reduced our energy consumption.

I changed my strategy a little bit. I used our programmable thermostat more fully, reducing the heat even more at night but increasing it more for when we first wake up (the hardest time for me to deal with the cold) and then dropping it down again for the daytime. My next project is to sew some "warm windows" roman shades.

Spring can't come soon enough for me, though!

Molly said...

Wow! I just found this post thanks to Wendy at happilyhome.blogspot.com and I just have to say I have been freezing my buns off for years! I have turned our heater on three times this winter, and only then to warm up the house from 55 to 60 - just to take the chill off until I could get the wood stove going. We burn wood gathered locally from fallen trees. I'm just thrilled to see so many people out their willing to turn the thermostat down and put on an extra layer. Excellent challenge!

Hannah said...

Here I am, finally responding to the challenge as spring starts here is these parts. We kept our heat at 59 day and night this year--cuddling under blankets and wearing sweaters and jackets at meals.... (We turn it up a few degrees whenever we have company coming for dinner.) How nice to track everybody else's craziness here too!

Anonymous said...

My roommate is a wuss. I usually just leave a sweatshirt on around the house. We go to school in Delaware. He brags about being from Pennsylvania and how cold it is, but when he gets home he turns the heat up past 70! And in the summer he keeps the ac at a cool 60. I wish he was like all of you and understood energy efficiency.

DeAnn said...

uhhm, our house heat is turned off. we only turn it on if the outside temps are below zero. maybe for 1-2 hours a day i turn on one room to 55 degrees. I am sitting here with a hat on drinking my breakfast coffee. We live in Boulder, CO. heat is expensive and my husband is a mountaineer and likes it cold

Unknown said...

i leave the thermostat at 45 degrees from 6am to about 8pm. after 8, which is usually when i get home from work, i take it up to about 61-63.

Kenn said...

I'm happy to find your website. I've been keeping my house in the 50's for years and my family and friends think I'm nuts. While I may indeed be nuts, I now discover that I've got some company in you folks. I started doing it for the monetary savings and have come to find the colder environment invigorating and my health improved. Heat is overrated.

scootros said...

I keep my thermostat at 52 in a 3000 ft victorian I live in by myself. I live northern Ohio were can get very cold. Here are some helpful hints to keep you comfortable.

1. electric blanket
2. very warm socks(you are only as warm as your feet)
3. eden pure space heater(very efficient)
4.hooded sweatshirt and winter hat
5. hot coffee and boulion.

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