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But that does not negate that I know people in WA and CA that have no heating systems in their houses.
I've personally never met these people, but I've heard of them. Truth is we usually have remarkably predictable and stable weather as compared to other places I've lived in. Spending a few days in the 30's isn't very typical and I think we only did it once or twice last year. That one storm in 2012 was impressive, even for me and I had just spent 5 years living in the upper midwest. One thing is assured, you can survive without heat way better than getting around on Puget Sound hills with 1/4 in of snow.
This would not work in MN. I have a programmable thermostat which is colder at night, heats up about 30 minutes before I get up, cools back down when I'm at work, and heats up about 30 minutes before I get home.
For the purposes of using less electricity and natural gas, we don't light the pilot on our furnace until Nov 1 and we try to turn it off on March 15. We have a programable thermostat that is set at 62 when we are home and 58 at night and when we are at work. It kicks the heat on about 20 minutes before our alarm goes off in the morning and again before we come home from work. Even on the coldest days (5000 ft elevation, winter days usually sunny and in the 30/40s, nights in the teens) our furnace only comes on once or twice before we go to bed. It only comes on at night when it is in single digits or colder. I don't think it ever comes on while we are gone during the day because it is usually sunny here. If we have some gloomy days in a row we'll put a fire in the fireplace to warm up the walls and floors. Our house really seems to hold the heat when we do that. And our house is over 30 years old so it was not built with energy conservation in mind. We have not had the funds to add extra attic insulation yet, but anxious to do it when we can afford it.
We do have a couple of things to help on cold days, besides the fireplace (and our firewood is free). We have one of those electric heaters that looks like a radiator for the family room. We put a door on that room to keep the heat in. It's the room where we spend most of our time. We also have electric blankets for all the beds, everyone has flannel jammies. Since we all hate making our beds everyone has big quilts on their beds that we just straighten out in the morning.
With a gas kitchen stove and water heater (another thingon our wish list is an on-demand water heater) we still have to budget for our utility bill, more than I would like. But not as bad as some of the neighbors who easily have twice the utility bill that we do.
Electric blankets make sense to me on a couple of levels. First they are efficient because they heat only a small space (the bed) instead of an entire room or entire house. Second they are real cozy and wonderfully warm.
But what about getting up in the morning? I would not like getting up from that snug coziness and warmth into a cold room! I remember winter tent camping with the Boy Scouts and how it was nearly impossible to force oneself out of the sleeping bag on cold mornings. Now that Boy Scout experience was probably a much greater contrast, but for me personally I think the same principle would apply.
In other words, I think the sleeping experience with an electric blanket would be great, but the getting-up-in-the-morning experience would take the enjoyment out of it. How about it - what have been your experiences?
Electric blankets make sense to me on a couple of levels. First they are efficient because they heat only a small space (the bed) instead of an entire room or entire house. Second they are real cozy and wonderfully warm.
But what about getting up in the morning? I would not like getting up from that snug coziness and warmth into a cold room! I remember winter tent camping with the Boy Scouts and how it was nearly impossible to force oneself out of the sleeping bag on cold mornings. Now that Boy Scout experience was probably a much greater contrast, but for me personally I think the same principle would apply.
Or getting out of the shower into a COLD bathroom? Brrrrrrrrr.
What climate are you in? I would not be willing to live without heating in any non-tropical climate (that is, any climate with near- and below- freezing low temps).
I don't think any place in the US fits the bill, except Hawaii and the lower Florida Keys...
Southern California within about 20 or 30 miles of the coast comes close. (I do agree with your general sentiment). Here, during a "cold spell", our overnight outside temps may be in the low to mid 30's and our daytime highs in the 50's. Some winters we have a light freeze or two and some winters we don't.
By using electric space heaters (and perhaps an electric oil radiator or two) and electric blankets I could get by here in the Los Angeles area without a heating system in the home, but I wouldn't want to. I only run my gas forced air heat maybe 15 days during a winter, but I just wouldn't want to be without it during those 15 days. (I heat to 63 degrees).
I don't see how the people in the Seattle area stand it without a heating system in the home. And yes, I realize Seattle doesn't have the severe cold of Minnesota or upstate New York, but still! It's NOT Los Angeles. Perhaps I have been spoiled by so many years living in our mild weather?
Or getting out of the shower into a COLD bathroom? Brrrrrrrrr.
Agreed, but a small electric space heater in the bathroom is the answer to that. I use one for showering even here in Los Angeles more days a year that the approximately 15 days that I run the central heat.
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Question for the electric blanket fans:
