I used to pretty much dress always the same when I was in my home, regardless of the season. I would adjust the thermostat to cool or heat the place based on how I and others in the household felt. Nowadays, I'm on a tighter budget, and I have found that I wear less and lighter clothing in the Summer, so I can use the air conditioning less, and I wear thicker and more clothes in the Winter so I don't have to use the heat as much. Do you dress for the temperatures, or adjust your thermostat to your comfort, regardless of the cost?
I grew up being told to put on more clothes when I said I was cold. To keep the bills under control we wear sweaters and socks in the winter time in the house and use fans in the house during the summer, keep the windows covered to keep the sun out during the summer to keep the air conditioning off as long as we can.
I’ve never actually had a thermostat at home. It’s pretty uncommon here. So it’s always come naturally to dress according to the temperatures. There isn’t typically much fluctuation either, so the most that the majority of people need is a jacket. That said, I have to admit I enjoy when the air conditioning is extra cold at work… gives me a good excuse to wear the sweaters I love
I prefer to dress for the temp rather than adjust the temp depending on how I'm dressed lol. It's not to save money exactly, it just seems more common sense to wear enough clothing to stay warm or less when it's hot. I don't dress in a way that makes it possible to use heat/air, it would be odd for me. I love the cold so I can bundle up, I find it cozy and being cheaper is a bonus I never really thought of. In the summer, I always wear less because it's hot.. again, just seems the automatic thing to do lol. I don't like using the central air and if I can go without it, I always will. I personally find it excessive, so it's never on. Plus it makes me feel off lol.
I like the air in my bedroom somewhat cool, but many people down here keep their thermostats between 60-68 degrees, which is way too cold for me. Many offices and public buildings do the same, and I am always freezing when I go into them. I don't like it super hot, but my grandmother's house was always warm, because she usually had the oven on, and we could congregate in the kitchen. I think I learned to associate being warm with being comfortable for that reason.
As I grew up at the time when AC and central heating wasn't a common feature even in the most luxurious homes - dressing according to temperature rather than turning the heat/cold up is a habit that has never changed. In fact although that time was followed by over 35 years of having the benefit of both - I still did the same as it helped to keep the cost down - however - as I now live in country where AC is common but central heating is not - even though our winter temperatures generally hover around the double digit - well below zero mark for months on end - I now very definitely have no choice but to dress according to temperature - especially as my house is so cold in the winter that I more often than not - have to wear a coat on top of three or four other layers just to try and keep warm - as I don't have the luxury of turning a thermostat up or down. Do much the same in the summer too - as even though we generally have extraordinarily high temperatures - as the cost of our electricity is extremely high and we get charged by the hour - its way cheaper to wear small clothes and have a few fans running throughout the day - than it is to use the AC for a couple of hours.
Summers are undershirts and gym shorts, and winters are bundled in sweatpants and blankets. While I will still use the AC to try to compensate for what my clothing options do not protect, it's best to stick to a routine of something like this. It is even more imperative if bill season is coming up and you want to pinch those extra pennies before the utility invoices arrive.
I have to, since I live in a basement apartment and don't have control of the AC. This can be a pain in the winter, as it gets quite cold down here, regardless of how much they have the furnace shunting hot air upstairs. I don't mind that much, though - it's easier to warm up than cool down. It's especially nice in the summer since the AC is constantly on to cool down the upstairs, which means the downstairs is not touched by heat at all. I often forget it's still hot outside.
I'll always consider putting warm clothes on over putting the heating on. It seems daft to waste money on heating a room when all I really need to do is put a jumper on. Here in the UK, it's pretty much cold from September to April so it's easy to spend a lot of money on energy without even realising it.
I have been more conscientious about ways to save money in this respect. My husband and I would always battle with the heat and air. I'd be cold and he would be hot or vice versa. When our bills starting getting up to $300 I realized something had to change. It was just as easy for me to put on extra clothes and for hubby to shed some. Our winter and summer bills are much better by about $150 less. Yeah!
This is a good idea, DianeLane. I too wear very little indoors in the summer, because the heat's INTENSE. I usually have on a sarong, a light tank top and either crocs or flip-flops. BUT I don't touch the aircon at all because my bill would be way too high. If I have to, I always use the fan. I also throw all the windows wide open.
@Lushlala I absolutely love being able to open the windows. It doesn't happen much here, maybe a month out of the year, if that. If I had my druthers, I'd have awnings over the outside of the windows, so I could keep them open when it rains. I love the fresh air that comes with a nice cool rain, but it often rains sideways here, and comes right in if the windows are open. It's usually too hot to keep them open in the summers. I just wear something thin while I'm working on the computer. I'm on the second floor, and it's warmer up here. I'm sporting my slippers, too. I don't wear shoes in the house, just socks and/or slippers. I'd just as soon be as comfortable as possible, while saving money and conserving energy. @MrsJones I wish I had all of the money I've wasted in the past on energy costs. It's so much easier to put on a sweater in the Fall/Winter, or wear something lighter in the Summer. I think many of us are evolving in how we think about energy. Even if I had unlimited funds, I would probably keep my thermostat at the same temperatures that I do now. Socks are always the first thing i put on, because my feet are always cold, but I tend to keep a thin sweater on each floor, just in case I get a chill.
Oh, that's a shame! We have gauze over the windows, so that when we open the windows no bugs can get in. But of course, the gauze is of no use when it rains, so we have to close the windows. We don't get much rain here, so it's no biggie. Although we'd rather be blessed with a lot of rain LOL Closing the windows in the summer is out of the question here because we'd be stifled to death. Our temperature can soar up to 40 C! Luckily, we often get a nice breeze flowing through
It's almost never cold here so the only way I could offset some electricity bill expenses is to wear light clothing which does help a lot but doesn't really compare to having air conditioning turned on. Sometimes it does get cold and I always take that opportunity to save on some electricity but I don't really wear anything especially thick during those seasons since it's not really that cold and I kind of want to enjoy it more because it comes around so rarely.
A very valid point - as its the same where I live too. In fact - as our summer temperatures generally hover around the 48 - 50 degree centigrade mark - with nights rarely going much cooler than 30 C - I totally agree that keeping the windows closed during the hottest part of the day and only opening them when the temperature outside is cooler than inside - to let the cool air in - as well as making sure shutters or blinds are closed when the sun is shining directly on them - is the way to go - especially as the amount saved on energy by doing that - is very definitely significantly huge.
Many people here have solar shades that keep the house cooler in the summer. But, the ones I've encountered also make the house dark, which I find depressing. I love having the sunshine shining in up here in the office, but I keep the blinds/curtains closed in most other rooms, except a few that are raised somewhat for my kitties. I have one window where I pull the curtain back, and the rest are covered with blinds and sheer curtains. I don't like the heavy drapes that shut out all light, because I find those depressing, also. I have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), and lack of sunlight/daylight really affects me. I think there are newer forms of solar shades and other similar products that don't darken the house as much, though. If I were able, I'd have a rollback roof, and let the sunlight come pouring in for a few hours on cool days.
Oh I hear you on not wanting to shut out all the natural light - fortunately - apart from upstairs where I have no option but to keep the shutters closed - as the majority of houses here are built without windows on south facing walls - I don't have to where I spend most of my day - as I can generally get away with angling the shutters just enough to let some natural light in - but keep the heat from the sun out. Much as I too would love a rollback roof - as one of the major disadvantages for me would be the problems associated with having a large bird population whose regular flight path is directly overhead - my idea of bliss - would be to have an atrium roof and especially over my courtyard - which if fitted with those new solar shades that you can reverse to either keep heat in or block it out - not only would it be a wonderfully cool retreat during the summer - but so gloriously snug and cozy in the winter that I wouldn't need much in the way of artificial heat - as even though we do get extremely cold winters - we do have fair amount of good quality sun most days of the year.
I I put on more or less clothing as the season requires. I know some people who wear shorts all year regardless of the temperature. That would not be me. My electricity is expensive and I try to use as little of it as I can. I think it is just one of the ways I can save money.
Yes! Pajamas and a warm robe during winter-time are a must in my home. I end up saving energy because I don't need to heat the house as much, and avoid the dust and dry air problems using air conditioning causes. I get too sensitive and end up crying and with a congested nose any time I heat my house, so I can't do it for long anyway.
I use flannel sheets and flannel duvet covers in the winter so I can keep the thermostat lower in the winter. I also wear slippers and a sweater when at home. I try and save where I can and keeping the temperature a bit lower in the winter and higher in the summer helps. By lowering your thermostat at night I've heard you get a better nights sleep as well. I read somewhere that when you lower your thermostat 2 degrees in the winter and raise it by 2 degrees in the summer you can save up to 10% on your energy bill.
