[pauldorell]

This is an interesting question for me too. I've already moved to Vermont (Middlebury) and am not sure how much the heating will cost this winter. So far we haven't turned on the oil boiler and have been heating only with a wood stove. It's actually pretty hot at the moment - over 70 degrees in the kitchen. We're trying to keep the oil consumption for the season in the 300-500 gallon range (approx. $1000-$1800), but we'll have to see how that goes. Obviously a lot depends on how large an area you're heating and how well insulated the building is. And some parts of Vermont are colder than others.

[FrugalYankee]

Well rawdog, the flipside is that there are about three days a year where I think it might be nice to have A/C. And you'll probably get a chuckle out of how hot it gets before northern New Englanders start complaining about the heat.

[joe moving]

You know I think its just more natural to be bundled up in the winter and in the summer have the windows open and be a little hot. there are a few days I wouldn't have minded AC but i didn't lose much sleep over it.

[square peg]

We heat our old house primarily with an antique wood stove. There are 3 bedrooms up and the only heat that makes it up there is from the exposed chimney in the bathroom and what radiates through the 1st floor ceiling vents. Let me tell ya - that bathroom is quite comfy. We also keep the doors to the guest rooms closed unless they're being used. When it's well below zero we can also heat the upstairs with the oil furnace, but it isn't done too frequently.

So long/short we are in the low to mid 70s downstairs and humidify the air with a kettle on the stove and a few house plants. Our bedroom is cool, probably 55, but we tend to sleep well. We use about 6-7 cords of wood and a hundred gallons of oil. Heating bill this year should be around $1300 - fingers crossed.

[Logs and Dogs]

We have propane HWBB that keeps the house to 48 during the week (when we aren’t there) our wood stove keeps the whole cabin (1300 sq ft) easily in the 68-72 degree range without trying too hard. When it was -18 last year we had the house comfortably at 70 with the stove cranking away at only 400-450 degrees.

For us, wood is the cheapest and most efficient heating we could use. We have oil in our home in MA, keep the house at 68 degrees as my wife works from home…..

[Dippylou]

We're at 65 too except we don't have any heat (waiting for conversion from oil to gas) and the house is frigging freezing right now.

[rawdog]

You all are really great! Thanks for helping out a long winter newbie. The particulars of knowledgable efficient winter heating is invaluble to me right now. Plus my husband is enjoying the " I told you so " coming from the thread.

[FrugalYankee]

Somebody mentioned humidity - that is very important not only to how cold it feels but also for your health. If the air is too dry in your home, it becomes very easy for you to get a cold as your mucus membranes dry out.

I'd recommend getting a humidity gage and a humidifier. The payback is pretty quick.

[joe moving]

I bet... in NJ I wake up with bloody noses.

[LisaMc46]

We have programable thermostats. we keep them at 65 during the day and 60 at night and when we're at work. When my child aren't feeling well, I'll turn it up to 68. I know some people who turn it down to 55 degrees, but I'd be miserable.