In PA home heating oil is more than twice what it was last year. Over $5/gal now.
I’ve always been conscientious about the heating. Priority is the pipes (since I’ve no children). They freeze more readily than I do. It’s an old house and like most 100+ yo homes, they put the bathroom on the shady side of the house, with no basement underneath because it started out as a back porch :( Take care of those pipes first! Wrap, insulate, or re-route them so they don’t get exposed to drafts because some enterprising critter dug a burrow in there.
Shut the attic door. Open the sink cabinet doors.
Spend most of your time in rooms with a southern exposure and maximize it — keep blinds and drapes open. That goes for every window in the house that offers sunshine.
Dress up. I wear thermals under regular clothes, plus a hoodie indoors if need be.
Space heaters eat money. If you need one you are probably in the wrong room. If you must use one, get a heater that radiates rather than blows hot air around. They blow dollars too.
Drip those faucets. Better a few extra dollars to the water co, than a few hundred extra to the plumber. Adjust the water heater temp downward and stay outta the spa!
If you aren’t totally in love with your house (a problem I have), think seriously about relocating to a more heat-efficient one or even a warmer location.
I’ve still got thermometers in every room with a vulnerable pipe. They help determine, over time, the point at which your pipes start to ruin your day.
Electric blankets are your best friend, second only to Fido.
I may sound like a fanatic but at well under 100lb I’m not a lot thicker than my pipes. To me it’s winter until the end of June.
“In PA home heating oil is more than twice what it was last year. Over $5/gal now.”
I remember my grandma freaking out when it hit $0.30.
You seem really in control of things at your house, I am the same way and prepared for it all in great detail.
If sitting for long periods, reading, watching TV, or using the computer, then indulge yourself by sitting in a sleeping bag with a blanket for your shoulders, it is far more comfortable than just using blankets.
Everybody here also needs to think of their car preparations for winter breakdowns or extended road blockages.
One trick to help stabilize the temperature is to save empty plastic bottles, fill them with water, and stash them anywhere that’s vulnerable to freezing. The thermal mass they provide should at least slow the rate of freezing. Depending on the type of jug, they might also serve as a backup water supply if needed.
Just make sure they don’t block airflow to the pipes themselves.