John B

So far I’ve saved $0, (I telecommute, so don’t pack a lunch, and my landlord controls & pays for the heat), but I’m excited for tomorrow’s tip, I’m sure some of them will apply to me!

The Diz

This is something that my family readily does and we have discovered the difference that it makes. We live in the Northeast in a very cold, snowy area. We pre-pay for our fuel oil–it is still $4.39 a gallon. Ever since moving to this part of the country, we have a rule that we only use our heater/boiler from November 1st to April 1st–unless there is a danger of the pipes freezing. Even then, we never have it higher than 65 degrees and when we are all out of the house we either turn the heat off completely or turn it down to 50 degrees. If you come over to visit, you better be prepared to put on your slippers and sweatshirt.

Jaclyn

Tip #1 will save me $180 this month but it will be hard to predict how much #2 will save, I’m guessing we can save another $20.

we have a programmable thermostat and like it really cold when we sleep, we take it down to 64 at night and during the day when we’re not home. We have it at 71 when we are awake and home. I think I will take it down to 69 when we are awake and then 60 at night. we have tenants who live in the basement and we don’t want to have it too cold for them as they are often home during the day when we are not. Also the weather is very cold here and often unpredictable, we sometimes spend $400 a month to heat the house (we are in central Canada).

Hopefully this will save a few more bucks this month (although I suspect the biggest savings will be in the really cold months of January and February)

Thanks Ramit! You are doing a great job, of course not all 30 tips will apply to everyone but it is still a great FREE service you are providing.

marissa

I also have a programmable thermostat in my apartment, so since I had to set the time anyway today, I set the new schedule to heat only between 7:15-9am and 5pm-11:15pm on weekdays (and all day on weekends). The heat turns off completely during the unoccupied periods. I gain a lot of radiant heat from apartment neighbors and the sun, and I have efficient appliances, so my electricity bill is pretty low all year.

I can definitely benefit from making more of my own meals (food is one area I’ve been splurging on in recent months). I just spent $32 at Whole Foods on food and snacks, went home and made myself gourmet scrambled eggs and toast for brunch, so I think I already saved myself around $15!

Irina

I live in S. Florida, and my recent August electrical bill was about $300 dollars. I replaced my thermostat with a programmable one. I also set my temp to about 83 degrees when not home. It is programmed to go to 79 degrees when I am home. I also have a pool, which requires me to run the filter at least 4 hours per day. I recently replaced the pool pump and noticed that my electrical bill went down as well. With all these changes, my Oct bill was $188. I saved about $100 in one month. It also helps that we had a cool front come thru. In the summer months I know my bill will probably go back to about $300, but at least now I am saving.

Megan

I am also in Texas where the heater/ ac is not currently needed. No matter the season, we always turn it off when we leave and whenever we can live without. I will remember this next time we turn it on.

Funny about Money

Works here in AZ during the summer — actually, you need to turn it up (not down) about five degrees to realize an appreciable savings. My thermostat is presently turned off and will stay off for the entire winter and next spring, until outside temps hit about 100 degrees. Got a space heater for the rare winter day when it gets sorta cold.

karen w

Since I had to change the time on the programmable t-stat today anyway, I decided to bump it down from 62 to 56 for when I am not at home or am sleeping. An electric mattress pad and a down comforter make sleeping very cozy. We have already had our share of chilly weather in Michigan. Thanks for the tips Ramit!

Jaime

My thermostat is at 62 degrees right now and hasn’t kicked on for several days. It currently says it’s 72.5 in here (Atlanta). I refuse to turn it down to 59. That would be pushing it…. So I’m not saving any money on this. But yesterday’s tip gave me $44 and I convinced my husband to pack lunches too, so that takes us to $77 saved!

Vik

I admit to being a total spoiled brat when it comes to temperature comfort. But we’re going to be investing in a programmable thermostat soon. (Ah, to dream of finding one made in the USA… *sigh*) I think that will at least let us implement this while we’re at work or asleep.

Emily

The first tip won’t save me anything, since I already bring my lunch to work every day.

I don’t think this one will either. We don’t have a thermostat but I’ve only turned on the heat in one room twice this fall. We never have them on when we’re not home, or at night. I think we get a lot of heat from the surrounding apartments so it never gets very cold inside, even if it’s freezing outside.

I am looking forward to the rest of your tips, though!

Michelle

This is going to be a tough one. Already have a programmable thermostate but my spouse works at home, so it has to be a little more comfortable during the day than if we both went to an office (but we’re saving on gas). Plus, we live in Houston, where the temps vary by day right now between the mid to high 80s and the 70s. Our plan is to keep the air conditioning off as much as possible from here forward. We rarely use the heat except on the rare December or January day when it stays in the 40s, so we’re already good for major savings. Folks, it’s usually in the 90s here. So in the winter we always save $$$.

Austin

Tip #1: Savings = $0 I never eat out. Self-made sandwiches and hot dogs are the extent of my lunches.

Tip #2: Savings = $0 I live in a school-sponsored apartment and they pay for heating and A/C.

I’m still optimistic, it’s only Day 2.

College Guy

AFAIK my roommates and I don’t ever turn our thermostat on so dunno how much this will help. Our apartment gets pretty warm for some reason.

m

It’s been pretty hot here in SoCal for months and it doesn’t even feel like fall. We have yet to turn the heater on this year, but always do our best to conserve energy. We also unplug everything when not in use.

Stop Getting Cheated

Good job, Ramit. I already do both of these, but they are good common-sense tips to hear repeated. I live in Florida and did not use my heater all last year. I expect to do the same thing, this year. I wear a sweatshirt/pants in the colder months, but it is not a big deal.

Iwantatoyhauler

Already do this…tell kids to put on more clothes. As an accountant for an electric coop I’m telling you your electricity will cost more next year. We plan to do some caulking and look for other areas to improve heating/cooling bill even more. However, willing to push thermostat down from 64 to 62. We’ll see how I do. Hoping to save $20.

Maria | Never the Same River Twice

One further suggestion – if you’re going to turn the heat down at night and you don’t have a programmable thermostat, make sure you’ve got slippers and sweatshirt at your bedside for when you have to get up in the cold morning!!

So far I haven’t saved any money from these tips. I was already planning on brown bagging every day this month, and we keep the heat at 65 during the day. Plus, we’re having an unusually warm spell at the moment so I even have windows open.

Starving Artist

We have our heater set pretty low, but we also have a timed heater so for the hour we’re at home and awake in the morning (between 6:30 and 7:30) we have the house nice and warm. It shuts itself down in the evening. I just started to install plastic on all the windows to try and shave a few bucks off the heating bill later this year.

My GF and I spent Saturday making food for the week. We put together a lassagna and a large pot of soup.

Jim

I’m renting and living with friends in their house. Their thermostat is digital, so it is preset. Unfortunately, it’s never below 70 if anyone is home, and they only set it at 68 when they aren’t home!!! “For the dogs,” they say. I tried to tell them that the dogs have coats for a reason, but hey, my rent deal with them is a steal and their utilities aren’t going to affect it, so I’m not going to press the issue.

I’m looking to get an apartment in the next few months and this is a great one to store away for future use!

Excited for tip #3!

Veronica

Unfortunately, I live in a college dorm, so no matter what I set the heat to, they still charge me the same ridiculous flat rate of approximately $3000/semester. I figure that this will be the case in many of these tips, because I don’t control the price of a lot of my living conditions, but I’m excited for some that do apply to me.
Really if I want to save money I should just stop attending my outrageously priced college…

Pam

Living in So. Cal, this one’s not going to help much because of our near perfect weather. But, when it does get cold, how do I control my husband? Good Luck, he’s the one who cranks up the heat, albeit gas heater, even when we sleep!

Claire

I will try this one. We are on an equal payment plan (EPP) with our power company, and our bill is currently set at $73/mo. Due to how our bill is set up, it’s a set amount for 11 mos, and depending on if you are over or under what you’ve paid out for the year, you will have a credit on your statement or have to pay more. So, if this does save us $, we won’t be able to see the benefit until our annual cycle is up in July. But if this does save us 10%, we’ll save ~$7/mo.

This tip’s savings: $7
Cumulative savings: $7

Mark

I have noticed that my house feels cold when I get home mostly because I’ve been running the heat in my car on high. It probably gets up to 80 degrees or more in the car and when I go inside my 68 degree house it feels much colder. So, I’ve started keeping my car cool for the commute home and then when I get inside the house 68 feels warmer.

Charles

I think the comments are as much about diversity of situation and adaptation. Many options appear such as consider living with other people. Location is a consideration. I realize most of this is being used on a “Run what ya brung” type basis. The tip may not save me much this year but, I cut and heated mostly with wood last year because that is what is available in my situation. I reduced my heating by 100.00 or more per month. We had a major ice storm 2 years ago. Figured we might get better prepared a bit at a time.

TC

This tip savings: $8
Cumulative savings: $8

Our thermostat is set at 65 degrees for winter. We rent an older home, so we’re putting up plastic over the windows to keep the drafts out. I’m looking into a DIY installed programmable thermostat and an insulation jacket for the water heater. Just plugging holes and insulating the place better saved us $25-$50 a month, during the winter last year. I’m estimating the programmable thermostat (cost: $30) alone will save us $8 per month (calculated by total heat savings – cost for prog. thermostat). I can’t calculate the savings with the insulation jacket just yet, because the landlord MIGHT install one for free if we request it.

Peggy

We turned OFF the air conditioner in July (we’re in America’s Deep South) when it was still in the 90s and survived with ceiling fans and ice water. Even though it’s been below freezing at night, our heater is also dormant in all but our pet’s room (she has a small room heater, very cost-efficient). I’ve had to readjust my working hours a little to allow the sunlight time to warm my home office, but it works fine. Sorry, your tip also nets me 0 savings.

John W

Rose Fox said that those who rent where the landlord pays for water and utilities should not be reckless in wasting those resources because it means higher rent. But she misses a subtlety: It means higher rent FOR OTHER PEOPLE, and any true capitalist knows the following: Other people aren’t real people, so who cares.

Were I in such a glorious situation, I would spend all winter taking long showers and basking in my 80-degree apartment, just move after your lease is up and, viola, no rent hike.

Today\\\'s Budget

I already do this along with the other tips… so no additional savings for me yet. I’m hopeful though!

Michecox

I’ve actually had my heating/cooling system completely off for over a week now. (It’s pretty temperate here in Mississippi) I’m hoping to see some pretty significant decreases in my electricity bills.

Amy

This is something we already do. In fact, we do not have anything on right now because the weather has been nice. And last week when we got a cold front, the heat was only on 66 degrees on the side of the house where our six month old son sleeps. Since we generally do not run a lot of heat anyway, this will not yield big savings for us. But for those of you who do, it will.

JJ

Yeah, this is probably a good tip for those who run their heat all winter. I don’t run mine at all, though I occassionally use a small efficiency space heater.

Keep ‘em coming though.

nur

we only turn our heat up if our teeth are chattering. it would be nice to know, however, if our space heater is a better option – worse – etc.

Lena

In our part of California it is not necessary to heat or cool our homes at this time. I would venture to start heating in probably another 2-3 weeks. We do however own a gym where the A/C runs well into November. I have set the thermostat up 3 degrees and more when no one is working out. I anticipate saving about $20 this month on this.

Sean

It also wouldn’t hurt to have your furnace/AC inspected as well. If it’s not functioning properly you could be pissing away dollars.

case in point: Because of how poorly installed the 3-year old heat pump system was at my new home, it was actually cheaper to replace the entire system than keep it. Scrapping & replacing the whole system saved me about $250-$330/month. Extreme case, but it’s worth looking into. I went with the top-of-the-line everything and payback was still

Strong One

We do this year round at our house. We either turn it down before leaving for work, or we have a programmable thermostat that we can customize to lower the temperature automatically at set times.

Amanda

Oops…didn’t read about the posting comments till today…so here goes:

I already had the thermostat down to 69 degrees, but went down to 66 after reading this…our power bill last month was $77 (we have a fairly new house with double paned, argon filled windows), so we will see how much this does!

allen

@ Butte monkey:

No, it does not.

http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/heating.html (around half way down)

In fact, it is MORE inefficient to leave your heat UP. Same applies for cooling.

Mo

I live in a lovely old house in Western New York state. I still have not turned on my heat yet this year because I use a heat dish. It looks like a satellite dish and the heat it generates is amazing. If you put the dish about 6-8 feet away from you, you will be more than warm. If I’m going to be spending time in the kitchen or office, I just take it with me. The heat is immediate and there is no annoying loud fan blowing it at you. It’s radiant heat from the aluminum dish and soundless. I bought it about 5 years ago at Costco for about 49.00 and it has saved me tons of money on heating bills. Now you can get them at most home improvement stores for about 39.00. During the winter, I keep my thermostat at about 60 degrees and I wear my sweats and slippers with warm wool socks for when I’m walking through the house. I use my heat dish mostly in my living room and it heats up the whole room. To keep the heat in, I keep the doors closed that enter the room and a standing screen across the arched doorway into the dining room.

On the really cold nights, I use an electric blanket on low to keep me warm when I’m sleeping but I really prefer my fleece blankets.

Keeley

Savings yesterday: $0 (we already did this)
Savings today: $18. That’s not a whole heck of a lot.
Looking forward to tomorrow.

Ahavah

One of the biggest electricity hogs in your house is your dryer. If you can find place in your house, such as a dining room, formal living room, or a little used bedroom or office, or even a wide hallway or foyer, do this: put up a set of 1×4s on opposite walls with metal hooks fastened in about 8″ apart (mine are 5′ long and have seven hooks), paint them the same colors as your walls, and cut yourself some cotton clothesline to length for each of your sets of hooks (I have a second set of hooks attached to the ends of my clothesline sections, so I can unhook them and hide them away when I have company, etc). Let all your laundry except socks and undies do most of their drying on the lines, and then just throw the laundry in the dryer for a 15 or 20 minute fluff/run to finish them off if they still feel cool or damp (and to throw in a dryer sheet if you forgot or ran out of fabric softener). Your electric bill will go down at least 20% most months.

Mark Oates

I don’t have to pay for utilities in my apartment, so unfortunately this tip doesn’t help me.

M@

Bumped the “at home” time on the programables from 68 to 67. Updated one schedule a little lower at night for the sleeping floors.

Also: Walked around the house and closed all the STORM WINDOWS. That’s gonna have a big effect.

M@

G.L.

The person in charge of the thermostat in our house (my lease-holding roommate) doesn’t want to turn it down, even if it means saving some money. He said he’d rather pay a bit extra than feel cold…

10 Ways to Prove that Frugal Living is Really Green Living in Disguise. :: Steadfast Finances

[...] to Save $1000 shows that for every 1 degree your thermostat goes down during the winter, you save approximately 3% on your heating bill.  You can also try flipping the rotation switch on your ceiling fan to blow [...]

PDXGirl

We already do keep our thermostat fairly low, and even off much of the time. Novembers in Oregon are generally pretty mild so it’s not that hard.

However, what will help this month versus 11/07 is that my boyfriend and I are now on the same relative schedule, so we leave in the morning and come back in the evening. Last year he was working afternoons and weekends so he was still home when I left for the day and gone when I got back. This meant we kept the house at the “at home” temperature almost all day. Now we have it low (60 d) or off for almost 12 hours a day. Hopefully that will save us some money over last year.

Jen

I pay so much in Houston to get my place to a comfortable temperature during the summer that once the heat goes away, I almost absolutely refuse to turn the heat on… I have a digital thermostat, and I’ve deactivated it for now, so it doesn’t get bored waiting for the internal temp to get high enough to trigger some A/C action…
I run the gas heater 8-15 days/year, depending on how fierce the “winter” is. That said, I’m an adult, and I have a cat and dog. No kids, which would change that scenario some. I bundle up in the house, snuggle with the dog, cuddle under blankets to read a library book, that kind of thing. Also, I keep my water heater at a temperature that allows me to run a shower without adding cold water to the mix. Since I don’t run laundry in anything but cold, and I don’t have a dishwasher, my bod is all that wants warmth…

Terry

I live in the north east and I am very aware my of the heating system. 1st off, I ran a sealed “make-up- air” vent to my oil burner, so that the boiler only burns outside air not precious heated air. Next I am keeping my main heating zone at 55, day and night.( I re-zoned my 1st floor zone into 2 zones) Slippers/socks and a fleece is always on. I have no other zones running now. I held off on turning the heat on this year till just last week! I have a matteress blocking the stairs that head up to my walk-up attic, it works perfectly
Here are a couple of tips to be cautious with- Don’t turn your domestic water down too low, if too low it can harbor legionnaires diseases . In extreme cold areas, don’t turn your heat zones too low, A zone that is not calling for heat can end up freezing, then you end up calling someone like me,(a plumber) Always be totally aware of your outside and inside temps, learn how your boiler/ furnace works. As the winter progresses I will make small adjustments to myzones and temps.

Vivian

for this tip, it will be hard to figure out how much i’d save … our thermostat is already very low … i believe we have it around 65 (we live in the northeast) … i’ll keep an eye out to see what adjustments can be made … i can’t do anything more for now …

total savings = $15/week (day 1)

Marie

The problem with this tip…is that if you are turning your thermostat back up when you get home from work (at any point of the evening) more than 4-6 degrees, your furnace/boiler is going to do double duty to warm up your home. Cold settles everywhere..furniture…bedding, clothing, pillows etc. THis is an important thing to mention. I have had my thermostat at 50 for two years now….24-7. It almost never comes on but I do heat the downstairs of my 1100 sq foot home with wood. I really enjoy your info, keep up the good work.

Debbie

The local news here did a piece on this only their suggestion was to lower the thermostat down to 60 (or lower) at night. This works best with a programmable thermostat so it’s automatic.

Then of course they gave the savings in dollars for our area so it was more motivating for people to know what they could save.

This works great for me. I’ve always slept better when it’s cooler and I can snuggle up in lots of warm blankets and I’m not cold during the day because I have the thermostat set to go back up to 69 just before I have to get up.

Advice my Mother Never Gave Me « My Leveraged Finances

[...] I set my thermostats down three degrees based on Ramit’s post. MONTHLY SAVINGS: [...]