Is PA depressing? (Harrisburg, Carlisle, Girard: apartments, lofts, best school)

[ShadowCaver]

NWPAguy - quite interesting and mostly true/valid points you bring up. However, one person's desires and tolerances of heat is of hell, where another thinks its heaven... and vice versa on the winters in northern areas. And then ya can also compare PA's snowstorms, TX hurricanes; etc. Oh, as to your points, there is a couple IMHO at least semi-incorrect items there: Item 6: "Even when it's 110 degrees and humid, you won't get heatstroke in a few minutes." I know of many reports where people have fallen ill from heat-related issues in such temps, even lower. Item 4: "I don't care about summer electric bills for A/C... winter heating bills are much higher." I would say such is based a lot on one's own particular house, its setting, insulation, heating system, usage, etc. At the end of it all, you will evidently enjoy TX, while Stephanie will be waving at ya as she heads north to her new home...

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by dugdogmaster

I have a tip for you in reference to question 4 you asked. Have you ever heard of budgeting your heating bill? It's real simple, and your gas company is happy to do it for you

Of course they are. They're earning interest on the money you're paying them when you're not using their product; when instead, you could be earning interest on the money you won't have to pay them for another three or four months yet.

[toobusytoday]

Do you have to deal with $400-$700 monthly heating bills in the winter?

This one ^ I don't get. We have a two story four bedroom colonial. Four people home a good part of the year (college kid) and our electric bills for our all electric house are never more then $250 a month. To say that it's normal to spend $400 - $700 a month sounds a bit high to me. I don't like a chilled house, so 76 degrees in the summer and 74 in the winter is fine with us. If it's nice out we open the windows. I'm glad we escaped PECO prices, but still never spent more then $300 for electric in our last house in PECO territory.

[NWPAguy]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

Do you have to deal with $400-$700 monthly heating bills in the winter?

This one ^ I don't get. We have a two story four bedroom colonial. Four people home a good part of the year (college kid) and our electric bills for our all electric house are never more then $250 a month. To say that it's normal to spend $400 - $700 a month sounds a bit high to me. I don't like a chilled house, so 76 degrees in the summer and 74 in the winter is fine with us. If it's nice out we open the windows. I'm glad we escaped PECO prices, but still never spent more then $300 for electric in our last house in PECO territory.

My natural gas bills in the winter averaged $360 per month and they'd have been a good deal higher had I not turned the thermostat down to 50 at night and rarely gone higher than 57 during the day. They were augmented by the use of a space heater at night, naturally... so we were paying at least $400. Had we kept the house comfortable instead of barely livable, it'd have hit $450-500 easily.

My other house, which I'm trying to sell but can't because it has oil heat, would cost $652.35/month to heat in the winter. I always used 150 gallons of heating oil per month, and the highest price I ever saw from my oil company was $4.349/gallon. (These days they've magnanimously lowered their price to $3.989/gallon. Whoopee.) Back in the day when I first got the place and heating oil was barely over 2 bucks a gallon, of course the monthly heating bill was only a bit over $300. The times, they are a-changin'.

As far as a budget plan goes, I understand the concept but it doesn't change the fact that you're paying out the ying-yang for heat. Whether you pay $500/month during the winter or $250/month all year, it's the same cost.

When it comes to electric heat, that has become a good option these days. I think that the reason why electric heat has the possibility of being cheaper than other forms is all in how you use it. At night, you heat the bedrooms and no other rooms. In the daytime, you heat the other rooms. Individual heat controls ensure that you're not using too much heat. Maybe that's the secret. I'm thinking about getting my oil-heated house switched over to electric so that someone will actually have an interest in looking at it.

ShadowCaver- I never said you cannot get heatstroke when it's 110 or lower. I just said that a few minutes out in 110-degree heat (with humidity) will not get you heatstroke, whereas a few minutes out when it's 10 degrees and the wind is blowing at 50mph will get you at least the first stages of frostbite on your exposed skin. I remember doing night security duty at college and going out to make "rounds" every hour in January when it'd be 10 degrees at night.... even without wind, if I wasn't wearing gloves, I'd go back to my nicely heated shack after a 10-minute round and my hands would be hurting so badly from exposure to the extreme cold that they'd be painful to the touch for about another ten minutes until they heated up. I won't miss that.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

Do you have to deal with $400-$700 monthly heating bills in the winter?

We have a 200-gallon oil tank; a tank lasts eight to 10 weeks depending on the weather and how cranky the spouse gets when I turn the heat down to 65. At the current price of about $4.25 a gallon, it will cost about $400 a month to heat the house.

Shoot. Now I'm depressed.

[ShadowCaver]

Originally Posted by NWPAguy

,,,snip,,,

ShadowCaver- I never said you cannot get heatstroke when it's 110 or lower. I just said that a few minutes out in 110-degree heat (with humidity) will not get you heatstroke, whereas a few minutes out when it's 10 degrees and the wind is blowing at 50mph will get you at least the first stages of frostbite on your exposed skin. I remember doing night security duty at college and going out to make "rounds" every hour in January when it'd be 10 degrees at night.... even without wind, if I wasn't wearing gloves, I'd go back to my nicely heated shack after a 10-minute round and my hands would be hurting so badly from exposure to the extreme cold that they'd be painful to the touch for about another ten minutes until they heated up. I won't miss that.

Granted I be tired, but for some reason that there which is bolded of your writing I have troubles following? Seriously, not attempting to get into a pissin' contest here just trying to make a point that in my experience that people can get heat-related sickness from temps lower than that, per my statement "I know of many reports where people have fallen ill from heat-related issues in such temps, even lower". Depending on the person, their age, their history, their activity level, etc., they can get ill from heat-related issues; and, btw, once ya do, you are then also more susceptible for future occurrences. All trying to say is that heat is no less of a danger than cold, and for some people, at certain times, can be actually worse.

[NWPAguy]

Originally Posted by ShadowCaver

Granted I be tired, but for some reason that there which is bolded of your writing I have troubles following? Seriously, not attempting to get into a pissin' contest here just trying to make a point that in my experience that people can get heat-related sickness from temps lower than that, per my statement "I know of many reports where people have fallen ill from heat-related issues in such temps, even lower". Depending on the person, their age, their history, their activity level, etc., they can get ill from heat-related issues; and, btw, once ya do, you are then also more susceptible for future occurrences. All trying to say is that heat is no less of a danger than cold, and for some people, at certain times, can be actually worse.

The operative term is "a few minutes". As in, you can be outside when it's 110 degrees and humid, for a few minutes, and you won't overheat or get heatstroke. The longer you're outside, the higher your risk.

[Stephanie P]

Sorry everyone! Didn't mean to start a contest of north v. south. (Although the south lost the last battle.)
Just expressing my opinion that I can't wait to get the heck outta here!
There are so many wonderful, beautiful experiences about living in the north and I will be thankful everyday when I get to be a part of that.
NWPAGUY, you will find the land in Texas very affordable, plenty of open spaces to spread out, and a promising job market. Please check out west Texas, it is my favorite part of the state; although Austin (the hill country) definately comes in second.
I wish everyone a wonderful day!

[NWPAguy]

Originally Posted by Stephanie P

Sorry everyone! Didn't mean to start a contest of north v. south. (Although the south lost the last battle.)
Just expressing my opinion that I can't wait to get the heck outta here!
There are so many wonderful, beautiful experiences about living in the north and I will be thankful everyday when I get to be a part of that.
NWPAGUY, you will find the land in Texas very affordable, plenty of open spaces to spread out, and a promising job market. Please check out west Texas, it is my favorite part of the state; although Austin (the hill country) definately comes in second.
I wish everyone a wonderful day!

I'll be north of Austin... where it's almost 100 degrees every day in the summer. I can't wait to think snow is cool again... and when it's rare, it'll be cool. Maybe, being so close to Austin, I'll be able to launch a real music career...

[Stephanie P]

Originally Posted by NWPAguy

I'll be north of Austin... where it's almost 100 degrees every day in the summer. I can't wait to think snow is cool again... and when it's rare, it'll be cool. Maybe, being so close to Austin, I'll be able to launch a real music career...

Please check out 6th street, very cool and lots of bars!
My husband went to UT, so he has very fond memories of Austin. My sister went to Southwestern Univ. in Georgetown, and that is a fun place as well. Great area with lots to do! Also, will be cooler in the winter than Houston, perhaps a snowfall or two; although lookout for black ice.
Please let me know if you need info about the area, I would love to help!