Admittedly, I’m a beach girl. I’d prefer to live in shorts on a beach near the equator than in wool on snowy mountains. Being comfortable temperature wise is important to me. I get irritated easily and can’t focus if I’m too cold. And unfortunately, Northern California never gets hot enough for me.

When I lived in Florida my ex-girlfriend took liberties to use the air-conditioner at my apartment non-stop. My bills were outrageous the summer months we were together. I asked her to stop adjusting the thermostat or chip in for the bill but that didn’t work. Because of that and a few other issues, I broke off the relationship before heater time!

A recent Better Homes & Gardens article reminded me it’s almost heater time again. My heater becomes more valuable to me than my computer. But it running it as much as I’d like is very costly. Khaia could probably go the whole winter only turning it on a couple dozen times. Our home has 12′ ceilings and as we remember from grade school’¦heat rises. Life would be fine if I could live on ladders.

The BH&G article was about living green and talked about making your home energy efficient. One of their tips is use a programmable thermostat. They’re easy to install and you can find a decent one for about $30. We have used one for the past few years and it really helps control our heating cost.

Our heater clicks on about 30 minutes before typically we wake up. That way the house is getting toasty while we’re catching those last few minutes of precious sleep. It shuts off when we leave for work and comes on again before we return. (Note: our house is small and heats quickly. There are additionally ways to use programmable thermostats. Find the most effective settings for your home.)

We have saved hundreds of dollars over the past couple years with the programmable thermostat alone. We found a schedule and temperatures that keep us both comfortable. How about you? Do you find keeping the utility bills at a reasonable amount is difficult? Is your partner a heater-hog or fan junkie? Has it impacted your finances?

Tips:

  • Utility companies can be resourceful. Check with yours for energy saving tips for your area.
  • Set your thermostat at 68 degrees, and even lower when you’re sleeping or away from home for more than 4 hours. Save up to 10% on your heating cost.
  • Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120 degrees. Save up to 5% on your heating cost.
  • Utility companies often offer rebates. This can come in handy if you’re considering purchasing or replacing major household appliances

No matter how much you need to heat up or cool down your house, don’t let it ruin a relationship or your finances!