The benefits of a cooler home

[Laura Corin]

Many people in Europe expect to be reducing their heating this winter due to fuel prices.  This article suggests that it could be a healthy choice for everyone except the very young,  the very old and the infirm. 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a1971386-432d-11ed-abc9-d0d53e948d21?shareToken=121e8fd3dda7c1f2a9edf9db4d149a17

The article suggests that UK houses rose in temperature from 12 degrees C in the 50s to 18 degrees C now. I certainly remember ice on the inside of the bedroom window in around 1970.  For now, I have set all the radiators to 12 C except for the shower room  - 17 C - and the nearest bathroom which we use at night  - 14 C. 

 

Edited October 5, 2022 by Laura Corin

[Harriet Vane]

VERY intriguing!

I'm thinking to spring 2020. I had what I believe to be covid, and I was so very, very worried, both for myself and for my family. I read an article at the time about the benefits of fresh air. The article suggested that fresh air actually has a sanitizing effect within the body. I have no idea if that's true or not, but coupled with the evidence of better outcomes from open-air flu wards in the original flu pandemic, I was intrigued. We opened windows in the house and I made a point of walking outside at least once if not twice, taking deep breaths. 

It was easier to adjust to the ongoing low temperature than I had feared. Much easier.

I do not know if the experiment helped with my illness at the time. I like to think it did, but who knows.

But I found it invigorating and became addicted to the feel of a cool breeze on my face from the window adjacent to my bed. We've kept some windows cracked even on the coldest winter days ever since then for the sake of the clean air.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I can’t regulate my own body temperature very well beyond a narrow ribbon of “just right “. That would be literally torture for me and I would spend more money and energy having to stick my hands and feet in hot water to warm them up enough to use them. 
 

(call me “Goldilocks”)

[gardenmom5]

I prefer to sleep in a cooler room. . . . dh . . . . wants it warm.  I got him a heated mattress pad (dual controls, I rarely use mine), and a heavy winter level comforter .. . . He loves them, and will still NOT allow me to crack a window for a cooler room.  (I sleep better, he doesn't.)    I should have bought two twin comforters then he could have a heavy one and mine would be lighter.  (It also would have given me more options for duvet covers)

He gets up in the middle of the night - and wants to be warm.

I really think men are babies about temperatures.   My boys would be turning on the AC in the car at 72 f outside if I let them.  (I had to make a rule it had to be at least 75 - which is still cooler.  Or driving on the freeway when you really don't want windows open unless you really like that airflow . . .  )

I love the time of year I can have all the windows open.  Then I want them open, and dh wants to close them for AC or heat.

[Harriet Vane]

2 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

I can’t regulate my own body temperature very well beyond a narrow ribbon of “just right “. That would be literally torture for me and I would spend more money and energy having to stick my hands and feet in hot water to warm them up enough to use them. 
 

(call me “Goldilocks”)

That does sound rough. There are, of course, exceptions to every rule. I think of a similar-but-different scenario--my Florida friend's daughter has MS. She has a really hard time cooling down in the heat. She has to have air conditioning--it's a life necessity due to the MS.

[gardenmom5]

There is such a thing as too much cold though.  George Boole (Boolean algebra ring a bell?)  likely died because his wife took the "cool rooms are good for you" too far.

[Annie G]

When we lived in an 1880 house in Northern Illinois we kept our thermostat at 62 in winter and folks who visited were cold. Like really cold. I didn’t know anyone who kept their house that cool. But it was what we could afford and we were ‘fine’. All what you get used to (barring conditions some folks deal with), I guess. But it would take me quite a while to adjust to the temps you mention. 

 

 

[Starr]

Didn't Jimmy Carter lower federal buildings to 65 F? Everyone went crazy. I've lived in a very old house and we kept temperatures 65, turning one room up to 70 as needed. When I would visit an elderly friend I would cook.

[Jean in Newcastle]

My house growing up was cold. Cold enough that my pet bird froze one night. Our biggest threat to each other as kids during the winter was to turn off our sibling’s electric blanket. If I had to go back to that because of necessity I would figure it out but I don’t think that it gives anyone bragging rights. 

[Clemsondana]

I often see people talking about how we're adapted to wanting higher heat, but as somebody from the southern US I'm always amazed by people's expectations around air conditioning.  We set our house at 80 in the summer and somewhere in the 60s in the winter to reduce our electricity/gas use.  As a grad student in Georgia, my roommate and I didn't use AC because it was expensive - we'd just turn on the ceiling fan.  I'm much better adapted to heat, but I spend all winter with a blanket on top of fleece clothes rather than turning up the heat.  They say that you adapt, but I've never found that to be the case.  On the other hand, I rarely complain about heat unless I'm doing physical work and it's in the 90s, and if I"m just sitting I don't care how hot it is.  I don't think we need to be at our ideal comfortable temp at all times, but some are better adapted to heat or cold than ohters.  

[Elizabeth86]

Nothing! Nothing good about a cold house. 🤣I grew up with a coal fired furnace and it was beyond warm. Nothing compares and I hate a cold house.

[plansrme]

I am reminded of a Judith Martin (Miss Manners) line, "It is always a comfort to know that so many things one can't afford to do anyway are vulgar."

 

[Carrie12345]

Well, dang. I thought this was going to line up with the temperature argument in my house, but then I did the conversation! 😅 

I like 66-68ish and wearing sweats. My insane spouse prefers 72.  
Also, I regret getting an hvac system, despite what almost everyone I know recommended. I miss controlling individual rooms based on usage. 

[cjzimmer1]

1 hour ago, Harriet Vane said:

VERY intriguing!

I'm thinking to spring 2020. I had what I believe to be covid, and I was so very, very worried, both for myself and for my family. I read an article at the time about the benefits of fresh air. The article suggested that fresh air actually has a sanitizing effect within the body. I have no idea if that's true or not, but coupled with the evidence of better outcomes from open-air flu wards in the original flu pandemic, I was intrigued. We opened windows in the house and I made a point of walking outside at least once if not twice, taking deep breaths. 

It was easier to adjust to the ongoing low temperature than I had feared. Much easier.

I do not know if the experiment helped with my illness at the time. I like to think it did, but who knows.

But I found it invigorating and became addicted to the feel of a cool breeze on my face from the window adjacent to my bed. We've kept some windows cracked even on the coldest winter days ever since then for the sake of the clean air.

My grandma was a big believer in fresh air (especially while sleeping) and kept the window in her bedroom open year round.  Even in the most bitter of cold it was cracked at least a little bit.

I on the other hand absolute detest air blowing on me at all.  I despise fans and would never be able to sleep with a breeze blowing on me.  

[prairiewindmomma]

It is rather ironic that the Centre for Sustainable Energy is running this suggested temperature guide:

https://www.cse.org.uk/advice/advice-and-support/heat-and-health

The link suggests that 14-15C gives you an increased vulnerability to respiratory disease. I often think that science should do better at distinguishing between the risks of damp and the risks of cold.  We actually keep our house on the cooler end of normal in winter, but we run dehumidifiers.  (And, in the summer, we let our house run warmer.) Perhaps the risk of 14-15C is more because of mold from damp.

We are choosing this year to heat the person > heat the house. 

ETA: Best wishes to you and yours this winter, Laura, and all other UK and European families.  The news we hear regarding heating prices and general inflation in your bit of the world is very concerning.

Edited October 5, 2022 by prairiewindmomma

[livetoread]

My father had to go to London for work in 1971 when I was six, and we lived there in an apartment for about six months. I remember always being cold and having to put shillings into a slot to keep the heater going. My folks talk about the landlady coming by and telling them to quit their whining - cold air is bracing and good for you, lol (though of course she used much more civilized words). So yes, I believe any story about homes there being colder in the past!

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, prairiewindmomma said:

It is rather ironic that the Centre for Sustainable Energy is running this suggested temperature guide:

https://www.cse.org.uk/advice/advice-and-support/heat-and-health

The link suggests that 14-15C gives you an increased vulnerability to respiratory disease. I often think that science should do better at distinguishing between the risks of damp and the risks of cold.  We actually keep our house on the cooler end of normal in winter, but we run dehumidifiers.  (And, in the summer, we let our house run warmer.) Perhaps the risk of 14-15C is more because of mold from damp.

We are choosing this year to heat the person > heat the house. 

ETA: Best wishes to you and yours this winter, Laura, and all other UK and European families.  The news we hear regarding heating prices and general inflation in your bit of the world is very concerning.

How are you doing that?  

[JennyD]

2 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

My house growing up was cold. Cold enough that my pet bird froze one night. Our biggest threat to each other as kids during the winter was to turn off our sibling’s electric blanket. If I had to go back to that because of necessity I would figure it out but I don’t think that it gives anyone bragging rights. 

You grew up in northern Japan, right?  I was just thinking about the winters I spent in Japan -- the kerosene heaters had to be turned off at night, so it was just the electric blanket/futon cover for warmth.  Boy, that was cold.   

I did learn that a long soak in a deep super-hot bath will warm a person up for a long time, though.  

[Faith-manor]

1 hour ago, prairiewindmomma said:

It is rather ironic that the Centre for Sustainable Energy is running this suggested temperature guide:

https://www.cse.org.uk/advice/advice-and-support/heat-and-health

The link suggests that 14-15C gives you an increased vulnerability to respiratory disease. I often think that science should do better at distinguishing between the risks of damp and the risks of cold.  We actually keep our house on the cooler end of normal in winter, but we run dehumidifiers.  (And, in the summer, we let our house run warmer.) Perhaps the risk of 14-15C is more because of mold from damp.

We are choosing this year to heat the person > heat the house. 

ETA: Best wishes to you and yours this winter, Laura, and all other UK and European families.  The news we hear regarding heating prices and general inflation in your bit of the world is very concerning.

I think mold is the thing. So many simplistic statements, one size fits all, except that it is never quite that simple.

[Jean in Newcastle]

49 minutes ago, JennyD said:

You grew up in northern Japan, right?  I was just thinking about the winters I spent in Japan -- the kerosene heaters had to be turned off at night, so it was just the electric blanket/futon cover for warmth.  Boy, that was cold.   

I did learn that a long soak in a deep super-hot bath will warm a person up for a long time, though.  

Yes. We carted the kerosene heaters around during the day but they would give you headaches from the fumes. 

[Guest]

Both my mother and my MIL believed it was healthy to sleep cold. My MIL took this belief rather far and my dh reports that one could see their own breath in their bedrooms in winter. She believed that it built immunity. Don’t know if that’s true but dh and his sibling do mostly seem to have strong immune systems. 
 

We do keep our house colder than average but that was mostly an economic side-effect since dh uses a wood burning furnace to heat. It does not make the same very cozy heat as oil does. 

[prairiewindmomma]

1 hour ago, Faith-manor said:

I think mold is the thing. So many simplistic statements, one size fits all, except that it is never quite that simple.

I think the mold aspect being the culprit is mostly true. My asthma sometimes reacts to cold weather, and asthma is lung inflammation which does make me more prone to picking up infections, so I do think some vulnerable populations are at risk just from the cold aspect.

[SHP]

5 hours ago, Harriet Vane said:

VERY intriguing!

I'm thinking to spring 2020. I had what I believe to be covid, and I was so very, very worried, both for myself and for my family. I read an article at the time about the benefits of fresh air. The article suggested that fresh air actually has a sanitizing effect within the body. I have no idea if that's true or not, but coupled with the evidence of better outcomes from open-air flu wards in the original flu pandemic, I was intrigued. We opened windows in the house and I made a point of walking outside at least once if not twice, taking deep breaths. 

It was easier to adjust to the ongoing low temperature than I had feared. Much easier.

I do not know if the experiment helped with my illness at the time. I like to think it did, but who knows.

But I found it invigorating and became addicted to the feel of a cool breeze on my face from the window adjacent to my bed. We've kept some windows cracked even on the coldest winter days ever since then for the sake of the clean air.

There is a reason radiators were designed to heat a house on the coldest day of winter with the windows open. :)

[prairiewindmomma]

Heat the person, not the house is a concept I picked up living abroad. I was in an apartment where the heat to the building was turned off from midnight to 6am. 
 

You dress warmly inside the home—base, insulating, top layer, hat. You can use personal warming devices like usb gloves, water bottles, electric blankets, etc. But mostly you focus on staying warm (soups, hot tea, warm bath before bed) rather than heating up all of the air in the house.

Pipes still need to be 50F to prevent freezing risk, but the technique lets you keep the house much colder than most Americans do.

[J-rap]

I definitely sleep better at night if the room is cooler.  I'd rather pile on an extra blanket if needed, than be too hot.

We lived in a 100+ year old house for many years and never set our thermostat above 65.  (Our winters could get to -30 degrees.)  I'd just wear a turtleneck and wool sweater, but I also was moving a lot and stayed warm.  Sometimes, I slept with a beanie on my head!

 

[Melissa Louise]

As an adult, I've only ever lived in homes that get too hot in summer and too cold in winter, without any inbuilt heating or cooling systems.

Cold is less problematic than heat, that's for sure.

I can warm up through exercise, or by getting under the covers, or by using a hot water bottle, or drinking/eating warm foods and liquids or by wearing layers of clothing, including on head and hands.

Our 'cold', however, is not very cold. I think we get down below 10C in winter during the night, but a cold day would be closer to 14-16C.

In general, I am a fan of 'put another layer on/buck up/it's just a bit of cold/you are meant to walk around in every item of clothing you own in winter', but I think it sounds as if many disadvantaged people in the UK will really suffer from the cold this year, due to fear at $$ of heating. People do die of cold. The people who most need access to warmth during winter are likely to be those most worried about affording it.

 

[Ausmumof3]

I think houses that have thick walls and provide good shelter through natural means are healthy, but many modern houses are really poorly designed (little more than privacy screens) and don’t provide enough thermal comfort without artificial heating etc 

I love the concept of passive house and hope one day house builders and designers do more toward making houses habitable instead of just profit seeking 

[Melissa Louise]

5 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

My house growing up was cold. Cold enough that my pet bird froze one night. Our biggest threat to each other as kids during the winter was to turn off our sibling’s electric blanket. If I had to go back to that because of necessity I would figure it out but I don’t think that it gives anyone bragging rights. 

It's honestly a bit miserable being too hot or too cold for half the year or more. Livable, but miserable, and it does reduce quality of life + efficiency.

Definitely nothing to brag about.

I would much rather be able to afford a well-designed home that provided thermal comfort.

My pet bird died of heatstroke.

 

[Ausmumof3]

https://blog.csiro.au/passivhaus-free-running-design-principles/
 

This is a year or so old but I find the concept/comparison between passive house and free running designs really interesting!

[Jean in Newcastle]

Just now, Melissa Louise said:

It's honestly a bit miserable being too hot or too cold for half the year or more. Livable, but miserable, and it does reduce quality of life + efficiency.

Definitely nothing to brag about.

I would much rather be able to afford a well-designed home that provided thermal comfort.

My pet bird died of heatstroke.

 

We've done things in this home to help improve insulation but the heat in this split level house has much more to do with the temperature outside than our thermostat. 

[Ausmumof3]

1 minute ago, Melissa Louise said:

It's honestly a bit miserable being too hot or too cold for half the year or more. Livable, but miserable, and it does reduce quality of life + efficiency.

Definitely nothing to brag about.

I would much rather be able to afford a well-designed home that provided thermal comfort.

My pet bird died of heatstroke.

 

Agreed! We did without air con for a long time but it wasn’t fun in this house which is not at all designed for heat. I also love our wood fire in winter and at least some people believe it’s good from a climate change perspective (though it depends who you ask). It’s obviously not healthy in dense urban areas though.

[Heartstrings]

I’m really concerned about the people in Europe this winter.  I’ve seen a lot of TikTok people talking about their plan to only use a few hours a day of heat, heating the house to 60 for a couple of hours in the morning and again in the evening, meaning they expect lower than 60 degrees inside.  That’s just crazy and there is no way that’s healthy.

 

But a podcast I listen to estimates it will cost $4.50 (well pounds) per HOUR for heat in an apartment.  That’s $540 for the people planning on only using 4 hours of heat a day.   

[Laura Corin]

3 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Heat the person, not the house is a concept I picked up living abroad. I was in an apartment where the heat to the building was turned off from midnight to 6am. 
 

You dress warmly inside the home—base, insulating, top layer, hat. You can use personal warming devices like usb gloves, water bottles, electric blankets, etc. But mostly you focus on staying warm (soups, hot tea, warm bath before bed) rather than heating up all of the air in the house.

Pipes still need to be 50F to prevent freezing risk, but the technique lets you keep the house much colder than most Americans do.

Yes. Winter kit at home will be long wool socks, merino base layer, flannel shirt, fleece-lined trousers, fleece top, merino buff and down vest, with optional fingerless gloves. It's cosy. I have a heated mattress pad. And I often use a throw when seated.

The temperature hasn't dropped very low yet though - most rooms are sitting at about 15 degrees C.

 

 

Edited October 6, 2022 by Laura Corin

[Jean in Newcastle]

Is wood for a log burner also expensive? 

[Laura Corin]

46 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Is wood for a log burner also expensive? 

I believe it has been rising.

Logburners produce a lot of harmful particulates in the internal and external air. As we now have neighbours, we won't be putting one in. We have an open fire - we unblock the flu to light it at Christmas,  but it doesn't produce much heat.

I forgot - I'll need to keep the kitchen warmer at night for our ancient dog, who pushes heating pads out of her bed and won't wear a blanket. I wonder if she would wear her coat at night though.

[Carrie12345]

6 hours ago, Heartstrings said:

But a podcast I listen to estimates it will cost $4.50 (well pounds) per HOUR for heat in an apartment.  That’s $540 for the people planning on only using 4 hours of heat a day.   

I didn’t view this in full context when I responded. Of course I knew the general issue, but that is just… I don’t have words.

[Laura Corin]

1 hour ago, Carrie12345 said:

I didn’t view this in full context when I responded. Of course I knew the general issue, but that is just… I don’t have words.

Yes.  It's going to be a tough winter for many.  The government has put some rebates and per-unit price caps in place, but I don't know how it will be for many people in practice.  We are in a comfortable situation and previously negotiated a period of fixed costs; we plan to donate our rebate to the local food bank, for people who need heat but therefore can't afford to eat.  This is a rough calculation of our current bill (four bedroom house, lightly heated, old house but insulated as much as we can, cost spread across the year), what we will  would pay under the government price cap (eta our prices won't rise for another 12 months due to the deal we have) and what we would pay on a floating rate if we kept the rebate.

ETA: in theory, I could carry on using fuel at the same rate as before as we have the fixed deal, but the second risk is - due to lack of supply from Russia - Europe might just run out of fuel.  So it's good to reduce.

 

Edited October 6, 2022 by Laura Corin

[HomeAgain]

I grew up in a very warm, dry climate, moved to the prairie, moved to the mountains, moved to the desert..the beach..we used to keep our home at about 70F/21C.

You know what?  I keep my home cooler here in the winter (63F/17C) than I have most other places because we finally have the money for quality clothing.  It makes a HUGE difference between having a pair of jeans from Old Navy or slightly thicker or lined ones from L.L. Bean.  We wear wool socks ($15/pair) in various thicknesses and have wool or appropriate synthetic long underwear. 

 

Wool sweaters were commonplace, as were thicker materials in general, back 50 years ago.  It's hard to find warm clothes at a lower price point now.  When we lived on the prairie I froze my rear end off because I couldn't afford to stay warm, and there's no way my home would have been set any lower than it was.

[Laura Corin]

18 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

I grew up in a very warm, dry climate, moved to the prairie, moved to the mountains, moved to the desert..the beach..we used to keep our home at about 70F/21C.

You know what?  I keep my home cooler here in the winter (63F/17C) than I have most other places because we finally have the money for quality clothing.  It makes a HUGE difference between having a pair of jeans from Old Navy or slightly thicker or lined ones from L.L. Bean.  We wear wool socks ($15/pair) in various thicknesses and have wool or appropriate synthetic long underwear. 

 

Wool sweaters were commonplace, as were thicker materials in general, back 50 years ago.  It's hard to find warm clothes at a lower price point now.  When we lived on the prairie I froze my rear end off because I couldn't afford to stay warm, and there's no way my home would have been set any lower than it was.

This is a big deal.  If people are used to being able to heat their homes relatively cheaply and they don't do activities outdoors, they may well not have the clothes they need.  Lots of layers don't help much if none of them trap warmth effectively.

[Scarlett]

Houses used to be designed better to take advantage of cross breezes because no one had AC.  And those big windows which allowed the breeze to go through the house or the attic fan to be effective also provided sunshine.  I am mildly obsessed with building a house that takes advantage of natural sunlight and also has proper cross ventilation. Lack of windows in my current house really contribute to depression for me.

We sleep at 73/74 with ceiling fans and it feels much cooler than that to me.  During the day it stays at 77 unkess I am cleaning house or we are cooking a big meal. 

[Faith-manor]

52 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

 

 

Wool sweaters were commonplace, as were thicker materials in general, back 50 years ago.  It's hard to find warm clothes at a lower price point now.  When we lived on the prairie I froze my rear end off because I couldn't afford to stay warm, and there's no way my home would have been set any lower than it was.

This concerns me. We get serious winter here in Michigan, and it is getting harder and harder to find warm clothes. Most folks cannot afford LLBean, Columbia, and CarHartt. I see what passes for winter coats and hats and gloves at the resale stores and in Walmart. It is scary. In the girl's section it is mostly poly knit leggings and lightweight jeans, junk "snowpants" with crappy polyester fiberfill. The boys department is slightly better but not great. People will need to layer. Lots of layers, and that comes with just a host of problems because the coats aren't made for having three or four shirts underneath, impaired movement is a thing. Boots without proper insulation will have to be worn a size too big with multiple layers of sports socks making them clunky, and providing a significant fall risk for children and the elderly. It is disgusting because this is happening not because of circumstances beyond the control of governments, but because of gross, homicidal neglect and greed combined with complacency. 

I really need to look through my fabric stash. It occurs to me that I have some old, but in very good shape, twin size wool army blankets given to me by a family member in the army. Those would make good middle layers for some quick big, block quilts. I could make those up and donate them to a local organization that helps homeless families. They would be quite warm and cozy if I put flannel backs on the quilts.

[regentrude]

We sleep cool, with windows open, even in winter ( unless it's extremely cold). However, I can't deal with too cold a room during the day because my hands get painfully cold and I cannot work. Sitting cuddled with a warm blanket to watch TVin the evening is one thing, but typing on a computer with stiff fingers just hurts.

Our house has one heating until and we set the thermostat so that the main level is comfortable.  That means basement and upstairs where my study is are so cold to be basically unusable in the winter 

[skimomma]

I live in a very cold climate and the local housing stock, ours included (130yo), tends to be very old.  Houses are cold.  They just are and there is not a whole lot that can be done about it.  Even if heating costs were no object, my house will simply not hold above a certain temp. During the coldest months, even with the furnace running 24/7, 72 degrees is not a thing.  We have modern windows (not everyone does) but short of stripping down to studs and replacing the now-dust newspaper "insulation," it is what it is.  We set our thermostat to 62/50 (day/night) and depending on the outdoor temps/wind speed, that can mean that some parts of the house are much colder.  It is an adjustment every year but we get used to it.  It is routine here to wear hats, light scarves, longjohns, wristwarmers, and wool socks/slippers indoors all winter.  I will bump the heat to 66 for an hour or two if I get super uncomfortable and I will attempt to heat the house at a higher temp when we host any houseguests that are willing to brave our winters.  We have a few family members that cannot visit us in the winter because they require indoor temps that exceed what is possible in our home.

I do feel for anyone that has a condition that makes this miserable and/or dangerous, but I somewhat agree that most people can, and probably should, learn to adapt to fluctuating indoor temps when facing the threat of climate change and fuel shortages.  I actually have pretty severe Raynaud's, so I do understand.  It takes an extra degree of care to maintain functioning hands and feet.  But still quite doable.  On the flip side, kids raised here, including my own, will run about with bare feet and princess dresses and not think anything of it.  

 

 

[Faith-manor]

13 minutes ago, regentrude said:

We sleep cool, with windows open, even in winter ( unless it's extremely cold). However, I can't deal with too cold a room during the day because my hands get painfully cold and I cannot work. Sitting cuddled with a warm blanket to watch TVin the evening is one thing, but typing on a computer with stiff fingers just hurts.

Our house has one heating until and we set the thermostat so that the main level is comfortable.  That means basement and upstairs where my study is are so cold to be basically unusable in the winter 

This is a very valid point. I can't play the piano, Mark can't keep up working remote, typing on a computer all day long when the room falls below about 63-64 degrees. So we have the wood boiler for that which ya, the particles put out aren't great, but pollution for pollution is it less than burning propane when one considers the damage to the environment to produce and transport propane. My mom's winter heat bill went up $100 per month this year on the budget pay plan. It doesn't sound that bad, but her prescriptions went up $250 a month, and she lives on fixed income of $2300 per month so with inflation particularly in food and meds, increase in electric and phone bills, increase in car and homeowner's insurance, she is starting to really have a hard time. My brother, sister, and I are putting money on her account with her propane delivery company. But way too many folks out there have no one to help them. Bitter cold, in particular, is hard on folks with circulation problems and arthritis. My mother in law lives comfortably despite inflation so she won't have to be tempted to turn her heat down lower than she should with her serious vascular issues and Reynaud's disease. I am thankful for that.

[JennyD]

1 hour ago, Scarlett said:

I am mildly obsessed with building a house that takes advantage of natural sunlight and also has proper cross ventilation.

Me too.  Our house was apparently renovated/added-onto by many different owners over the years and the result is that it is maddeningly dim and has no cross-ventilation.  When we bought it the windows were painted shut; we had them all replaced so they would open, but even with all the windows open the air just doesn't move through the house.  Drives me nuts.

 

 

Edited October 6, 2022 by JennyD

[cjzimmer1]

2 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

Wool sweaters were commonplace, as were thicker materials in general, back 50 years ago.  It's hard to find warm clothes at a lower price point now.  When we lived on the prairie I froze my rear end off because I couldn't afford to stay warm, and there's no way my home would have been set any lower than it was.

I struggle to find thicker clothes period.  I can't wear wool as it makes me itch but even cotton shirts are so thin these days.  I have a few t shirts that are 20 years old and despite the years of usage, they are still thicker than what I can readily find in the store.  I'm always cold so even my summer wear needs some substance.  I hate the trend of these see through things meant to layer.  By the time I get enough layers to be warm, I won't be able to move. 

[skimomma]

33 minutes ago, cjzimmer1 said:

I struggle to find thicker clothes period.  I can't wear wool as it makes me itch but even cotton shirts are so thin these days.  I have a few t shirts that are 20 years old and despite the years of usage, they are still thicker than what I can readily find in the store.  I'm always cold so even my summer wear needs some substance.  I hate the trend of these see through things meant to layer.  By the time I get enough layers to be warm, I won't be able to move. 

This is my beef with Stitch Fix and the other subscription clothing services people rave about.  I tried one and made it clear in my profile that I was only interested in WARM clothing.  What they sent was not at all warm.  Not even close.  I tried the same service again a few years later because people assured me that they got better about matching to profile.  Same thing.  3/4 sleeves or breezy blouses are just not going to cut it here.  I can find things that work well via Duluth Trading Co and even Gap or Banana Republic, but nothing fancy....which suits me just fine.  Seeing as whatever it is, it will be under a wool sweater, down vest, or insulated flannel, it really doesn't matter.  

[Faith-manor]

1 hour ago, cjzimmer1 said:

I struggle to find thicker clothes period.  I can't wear wool as it makes me itch but even cotton shirts are so thin these days.  I have a few t shirts that are 20 years old and despite the years of usage, they are still thicker than what I can readily find in the store.  I'm always cold so even my summer wear needs some substance.  I hate the trend of these see through things meant to layer.  By the time I get enough layers to be warm, I won't be able to move. 

Though not fashionable, I have found that army/navy surplus stores sell short and long sleeve t shirts that are much higher quality than I can buy in stores without paying $50 a piece. I don't like to wear them when out and about since I am not your olive drap/camo kind of gal. But underneath my not wool ski sweaters, they make a much better layer than what is available within an hour drive shopping radius.

ETA: the best sweater our Dd has is the one provided for her by her EMS here in Michigan more than a decade ago. It is not wool. I don't know what it is, but whatever uniform company made it, they knew what they were doing when they made it. She removed the EMS patch carefully, and since her company color was navy blue, she has been lucky because it looks great and can be worn with just about everything.

Edited October 6, 2022 by Faith-manor

[mom2scouts]

1 hour ago, cjzimmer1 said:

I struggle to find thicker clothes period.  I can't wear wool as it makes me itch but even cotton shirts are so thin these days.  I have a few t shirts that are 20 years old and despite the years of usage, they are still thicker than what I can readily find in the store.  I'm always cold so even my summer wear needs some substance.  I hate the trend of these see through things meant to layer.  By the time I get enough layers to be warm, I won't be able to move. 

Have you tried alpaca wool? I itch when wearing wool too, but alpaca wool doesn't make me itch and it's very warm. It's expensive, but maybe you could try a few things.

[Innisfree]

5 minutes ago, mom2scouts said:

Have you tried alpaca wool? I itch when wearing wool too, but alpaca wool doesn't make me itch and it's very warm. It's expensive, but maybe you could try a few things.

Same goes for cashmere. Dd20 has found a remarkable number of nice cashmere sweaters at the thrift shop. Idk what people were thinking, but their loss, her gain.