My roommates keep the thermostat at 60. I prefer it 65-68. What to do? Should I start just turning it up to 68 without saying anything?
Why do people like it so cold? Is it an environmental thing? Does it really save that much money?
My roommates keep the thermostat at 60. I prefer it 65-68. What to do? Should I start just turning it up to 68 without saying anything?
Why do people like it so cold? Is it an environmental thing? Does it really save that much money?
You could....you know...actually talk to them about it and try to reach a compromise.
Start with waterboarding and if that doesn't work then move on to other forms of torture. They should come to an agreement after a few days of that. We will disavow any knowledge of this conversation. Good luck.
Have you ever heard of a sweatshirt?
What about a blanket?
I've had this problem as well. I lucked out and each of our rooms has a separate thermostat that controls that room only. If the problem is persistent and a detrimental part of your life, talk about willing to pay for the extra heating cost.
Maybe your roommate is poor and can't handle a big heating bill. I keep my house around 58-60 most of the time. $300+ gas bills aren't my thing.
Buy a space heater. Talk to them first.
Have you ever done a run IN your house?
Put on a sweatshirt
Put more blankets on your bed
Talk to your roommate and figure out what works best for both of you.
Why is he the only one in charge of the thermostat? Is his name Sheldon Cooper?
Grow a pair and work it out.
There is a way to rig a thermostat. Read how to.
Nobody "likes" it at 50 degrees. People only keep it that low in order to keep heating costs down. As an energy auditor, I can tell you that an 8 degree difference can save huge amounts of money per year.
That being said, I would try comprising with them. The magic number for heating is 4. That is, if the home will be empty of occupants for 4 hours or more, you should turn the thermostat down as low as tolerable. Usually between 58-62. Then turn it up when somebody comes home. If the home will be empty for less than 4 hours, it's more cost effective to keep the heat at the higher occupied-temperature.
So, maybe a good agree between you and your roommates could be based around occupancy/sleeping schedules. Keep the heat at 60 degrees during the night when everyone is sleeping, and during the middle of the work days when everyone is at work/school. Then, in the evening for probably 5 hours or so, crank the heat up to 68, but remember to turn it down before bed.
well insulated........ wrote:
Have you ever heard of a sweatshirt?
What about a blanket?
That's a good suggestion but I feel most comfortable hanging out in a nice loose comfortable pair of boxers. Or if I think no ones going to be around, I prefer to unwind and lay around with nothing on. But 60 degrees is just too cold for me.
63 would be a good compromise
Get a space heater for your room. Workout w/ your roommates how much extra you will pay in electricity bill. Problem solved.
Man up.
Google cold exposure brown fat hormesis
I used to crank up the thermostat but to save energy I've been dialing it down. The interesting thing is that it doesn't feel any colder. You're body gets used to it and your brown fat production increases. It's a trendy way to lose weight these days.
I'd go down to 60 also, but my mother-in-law lives with us and the cold is hard on her arthritis. And that's with a space heater in her room.
Granted, this is a moderate climate, but I've not had the heat on all winter.
wear thick socks and beanie. Do 5 squats and 10 push-ups every 15 minutes.
What a goofy question. :)
When I was growing up, my mother kept the heat at 50 during the day and 42 or 44 at night. 60 would feel balmy by comparison. The worst part though was that the hot water heater didn't work properly so, when I took a shower, the water would be somewhere between tepid and ice cold.
She wasn't exactly poor either (retired at 55 and probably has more than a million in assets). Just dirt cheap when it came to heating the house. I suppose the bright side is that she still lives extremely frugally so chances are good that I'll be inheriting some money.
Hey energy auditor,
What temp is too low while you are when you are gone? I wonder about the cost of re-heating a cold place when you return. There must be a low temp that will require so much energy to re-heat that it is stupid to have it go that low.
It is a myth that you want to maintain a certain temperature while away to save energy. It is more about comfort. Do you want to come home to a 48 degree house and suffer for an hour or two while it comes up to a more comfortable temperature?