How long do you go before turning on the heat... (how much, houses)

[KellyCrash]

for the first time once it starts turning colder.

Right now i's 65 in the house and I'm cold!! I'm thinking it's waaaaay too early to turn on the heat tho. I would probably be fine if I put some socks and a sweatshirt on.

What temperture do you keep your heat on?

[western mass and love it]

i keep mine off till maybe late october,but my mother turned hers on last night(but she is 77)

[MassTwingles]

Depends on how much money you want to pay for your heat. I usually try to not turn on my heat until the end of October/early November depending on how cold it gets. I may turn it on for a second if it's really cold and turn it off just to take the edge off from the cold and to heat up the house before the kids get up in the morning.

A lot of times, like today, I'm doing a lot of baking and cooking so that alone heats up the house. I also put on sweaters/sweatshirts and I invested in those fleece clog-type slippers from Lands End. Even in the winter when I'm home by myself during the day, I turn the heat down to about 60 and walk around with a blanket if I get cold. The thermostat gets turned down to 62 at night and I never put it above 68 during the day. It's just too darn expensive to keep the heat up all the time.

[xo_kizzy_xo]

I usually turn it on the end of October/beginning of November at the earliest. My heat is on budget billing, but since what I pay next year is based on how much fuel I use this year...y'know, economize

It's unseasonably cool here today and I think it took everyone by surprise. I'm in sweatpants, sweatshirt, and fuzzy socks. I'm still cold!

[LeavingMA]

I try to go until November, but usually end up putting it on by mid to late October. Once the house gets cold, the furniture, walls, and everything gets cold and makes it harder to heat everything up. The furnace then has to work twice as hard. I probably could save an oil tank a year if I wanted to, but would rather be comfortable and warm and just pay the $400 to fill up an extra time.

[brightdoglover]

I turn it on when I'm cold. To me, being cold at home is like camping or perching, not being home. However, I don't like the house too warm (and tend to like my environment a lot colder than most people, home and work).
I think it's safe to cover the compressor for the central air. On Oct. 1 here in eastern Mass., it was 77 degrees at midnight and 100 percent humidity. Gross.

[bmak57]

We have our thermostat set on auto for 56 overnight / daytime, 65 when we are home (5 am to 7 am; 3 PM to 10 PM). It hasn't come on yet, but I am thinking late October, early November

[AandD]

I wanted it on yesterday! But my husband is from this area, and he told me to suck it up. So, I'm thinking late October?

[miu]

I've waited as long as February to turn my heat on. In the meantime, I insulate my windows a lot. And with a couple of my windows, I basically cover them completely up in the wintertime. Of course, in the house I wear thermal undershirts and leggings, and sweaters. I have many layers of comforters on my bed. My dogs are another source of warmth in my bed. And on the really cold days, I throw a roast in the oven.

I see no need to keep the house warm enough to run around in a t-shirt and shorts.

[western mass and love it]

i don't see the need to keep it warm enough for t-shirts and shorts either,but i do feel the need to keep it warm enough that my plumbing doesn't freeze and burst


leaving it off till febuary in some houses(or should i say most houses) would really cause some serious issues.that i am sure would cost a great deal more money than a couple hundred bucks in oil or natural gas or propane.


when my kids were little we kept the heat at 66 and now that they are grown we keep it at 62.and i feel like that is adequate.