Yes, it is winter in MN and people are going to be shocked when they get their gas or electric bills for the cold snaps that we have been having. There is no “magic” in saving money on your heating bills. I’m going to give you just one way that will help out in a big way IF you are one to keep your house at a higher temperature.
Did you know that IF you turn down your temp by just a couple of degrees that it can make a world of difference in your heat bill? Try turning it down even farther at night!
At our house, we keep our temp at just 58 degrees at night. Yes, that is a tad cold for many people, BUT you are under covers and sleeping! Once we get up if we aren’t running out the door right away, the temp will go up to 60 degrees and on a few really frigid days, it will go up to 62 degrees.
I can tell you that yes, we do have clothes on…a t-shirt, sweatshirt, pants, socks and slippers. We aren’t bundled in blankets. I am the freeze baby of the house and I am comfortable at 60 – 62 degrees.
Look around at the people in your household….what are they wearing? If anyone is in a t-shirt or shorts…your house is too warm! You are spending way too much on heat. Trim the fat from your heating bill and turn down the heat and put on clothes.
Your pipes won’t freeze either at 60 degrees! When we go on vacation during winter months, we turn the temp down to 54 degrees. Your house would have to get to 32 degrees in order for pipes to start to freeze.
Why did I decide to bring this up? Well…Xcel Energy has a request for residents in certain areas of MN and WI to turn down their heat to 60 degrees to conserve the natural resources after a pipeline exploded up in Canada. It is honestly bringing out the nasties in a lot of people on the news pages that are reporting about this.
People are complaining that there is no way that they are going to turn down the heat cause they will get cold. Their children and pets will get cold and that they will starve without using their gas appliances. Well…we live in MN and yes, it is cold, but in the spring, people are in shorts at 60 degrees…so we know we aren’t going to die at that temp. It isn’t permanent, but temporary.
Plus, pets have fur! They go outside in below zero temps to go to the bathroom…they will survive! Plus, Xcel is asking for the limited use of appliances…aka…don’t go making cookies, cakes, a Turkey or meatloaf…something that takes an hour or more to cook. You aren’t going to starve if you don’t have those items…use a crockpot for supper!
I look at it this way, if people don’t try to conserve…then what are they going to do IF Xcel Energy runs out of natural gas? Isn’t it easier to conserve now so that you have it for later until the problem can get fixed?
Taken from KSTP’s Facebook post:
“A pipeline rupture in Canada has lead to Xcel Energy asking natural gas customers in the upper Midwest to limit their usage. There is a chance supplies for Xcel Energy’s customers in the east Twin Cities metro area, including St. Paul, and other parts of Minnesota also could be affected, the company said. Xcel is asking natural gas customers to turn down thermostats to 60 and avoid using natural gas appliances. http://kstp.mn/75g7h”
Off my soapbox again for the second time within a week. LOL