NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #27/NN_1992_27.iso/spool/misc/consumer/house/14849

Internet Message Format | 1992-11-20 | 1.6 KB

Xref: sparky misc.consumers.house:14849 sci.physics:19308
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,sci.physics
Path: sparky!uunet!think.com!paperboy.osf.org!paperboy!macrakis
From: [e-mail] (Stavros Macrakis)
Subject: Re: How to cut back my heat bill?
In-Reply-To: 's message of Fri, 20 Nov 1992 08:53:34 EST
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail] (USENET News System)
Organization: OSF Research Institute
References: <[e-mail]>
Date: 20 Nov 92 11:38:46
Lines: 25

In article <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> writes:

      My question is, will turning my thermostat back to 60 and keeping
   it there save me more money then if I would keep it at 72?  I would think
   it would, but the person from the gas company said it wouldn't.

The gas company person is incompetent.  Of course keeping the
thermostat lower will cost you less.  Heat loss is proportional to the
difference in temperature.  Moreover, turning it down when you're out
of the house and turning it up when you're in will also reduce your
bills.  There is the mistaken idea that "heating the house back up"
costs more than keeping it warm constantly.  This is false.  Get a
timer thermostat and set it up so the house is warm when you get back
(experiment).  Also, turn down the setting at night -- most people
sleep better at lower temperatures.

I'd suggest 68 F when you're in the house, 63 F overnight, and maybe
55 F when you're out of the house.  Most Americans would find a
constant 60 F uncomfortably cold.  Do be careful though that you don't
let pipes freeze.

    -s