Great Tips! We're loving this series! Some things which I *think* weren't mentioned which help keep us warm - HOT WATER BOTTLES: Use water for cooking (like boiling an egg) and pour the used water straight into the bottle. When it goes cold, either reheat the water in a Saucepan or use it to do dishes/water plants/hand-wash clothes. CERAMIC TILES: Choose any cheap ceramic tile at a DIY/tile place and pop them in the oven alongside cooking your food. When done, wrap them in a tea towel and warm the bed with them or cwtch them up as you would a hot water bottle. DRYING WELL-SPUN WASHING INDOORS ON A RACK: Keep the washing in the same room you spend your day in and allow to dry naturally. The added moisture in the air keeps the room warmer (like the Humidifier trick you mentioned!). The clothes benefit from any heating you have on in the room too! HEAVY BLANKETS FOR SETTEE, CAR AND BED: Anywhere you go, have a blanket handy! PLANT POT ROOM CHAFERS: These are tealight powered heaters you make from a terracotta plant pot, terracotta plant plate and a tin can with the top and bottom removed. These chafers take the "edge" off a cold room and help to delay putting the heating on. They heat the room sufficiently on Autumnal/Spring days too! They also make scenting the room easy as you can add essential oils directly to the pot! These chafers were Anderson Shelter essentials in the UK during WW2. HEATING A SMALL AREA/CREATING MICROCLIMATES: The easiest way to do this is to heat one room which you can stay most the day in but we have known people to put a tent up in the room or Blanket Fort! The idea is to maximise whatever heat you have (including body heat). EATING AND DRINKING HOT FOOD: The most direct way to get warm. Warm plates in the oven (if using. If not, in washing-up water) as you near the end of cooking. Keep hot food hot by using chafed plates. Keep liquids warm by investing in metal double-walled teapots, cafetieres or thermoses. If you drop them, they're still good and they keep things warm for hours! Don't forget to cover your warm liquids in cosies! TEA TOWELS ARE YOUR FRIENDS!: If cooking or boiling water that you need (or nearing the end of cooking something in a saucepan), cover the lidded receptacles in your tea towel or apron. It keeps the heat in and keeps your towels beautifully dry! COOK WITH RESIDUAL HEAT: Double bottomed pans retain heat (as do ceramicware, stoneware and Pyrex), so in the last 10 minutes or so of cooking, remove the heat and cover WELL with a tea towel. If using the oven, keep the door closed and reduce the time. Providing your oven has a good seal, your food will continue to cook FOR FREE! and finally CONSIDER HAY-BOXING: For centuries, people have used hayboxes to cook food. A lidded dish, saucepan, pot or dutch oven are suitable candidates. Take a box (thick cardboard is good, wood or fabric also work) and cover the sides and bottom with hay or straw. Blankets and towels you do not care for also work well. Find a lid (or something that can act as a lid) and put your box to one side. Now cook your food and bring it up to it's peak temperature. Once you've hit the peak temperature, immediately turn off the stove or oven and transfer the covered cooking vessel into the box. Add more Hay tightly over the top (or towel) and add the lid. Over the next few hours, check on the food periodically. As the heat radiates in the box, it is reflected back into the dish. This is like an ancient slow cooker but without the cost! I pray that these help someone as much as they help us! Xx

@pamwilliams6630

2 жыл бұрын

many thanks for all these good tips.

@UndertheMedian

2 жыл бұрын

Kaela, what a wonderful assortment of wonderful tips! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.

@jewelrussell8288

2 жыл бұрын

These ideas are brilliant! Thank you

@kaelaleedaley

2 жыл бұрын

You're so welcome! I pray that they can help you as they've helped us! Xx

@christinae.burlison936

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

We all appreciate you guys for doing these videos to be able to combat inflation.

@larryware1

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Dollar Bill Life!

@ishani5290

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, I thouroughly agree. Great people !!! 💯🏆🙏🏿🍀🏆👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿💫🌞🎉🎊⚘❤❤❤

My poor sister had cancer and even living in the San Diego area she couldn't get warm. I got her one of those electric blankets that even had a pocket for her feet. It made her much more comfortable. My poor sweet sister....

@UndertheMedian

2 жыл бұрын

I am so sorry to hear of your sister's illness. It's hard when our heart aches for those we love.

@eileenstasczak6606

2 жыл бұрын

I am so sorry your beloved sister is sick. You are a great sister-- kind, caring, loving and thoughtful. What a comfort you are to your sister! I'm praying for you both.🙏 God bless you all.

@jude7321

Жыл бұрын

I pray that God holds her in the palm of his hand, where she'll always be safe and protected. You're a blessing to her. Your care of her means more to her than you know. You're her warm place in a cold world. God bless y'all real good Jude, from Kentucky ✝️🐴🐦🌿❣️

We have the heating off at nights and in the day. Only comes on mornings and evenings. I live in the UK. Two jumpers, two pairs of socks, a blanket and a hot water bottle is what keeps me warm in the day. At night just a thick duvet.

@susandesheles8788

2 жыл бұрын

Ah at

I was loaned a throw electric blanket to use at my desk at work for a while. The building I work at is old and tends to have hot zones and cool zones. My desk happened to be in the coldest location and I was doing computer work full time during this window of time. And the electric throw was a huge blessing

A few years ago our electric company did an energy audit. They came out to your home and tested for leaks as what was using the most energy in your home. They would make a list of priorities. When you completed an item on the list they paid for half of whatever the cost was to complete that item. (Up to $1500 I believe). They also gave us a water heater blanket, outlet insulators, a few efficient light bulbs and pipe insulation jackets for water lines. Very good deal.

Keep unused rooms' doors closed. Put blankets on doorways without doors, like between kitchen and dining room. Run the humidifier to keep air moister (moist air holds more heat than dry), and keeps colds and flus down. On sunny days, take advantage of passive solar heating (just be sure to close curtains when the sun goes down).

We are in Florida so not too much spent on heating. But we have always shut OFF our hot water. Turn it on once a day for showers etc. I also heat water in an electric kettle for dishes as needed. Saves a bundle because it's not cycling over and over for the occasional hand washing.

I put the heat to 70 in the daytime, when we’re home. 68 at night. I could do less, but I’d rather save money in other areas of life, and be comfy.

@RealMTBAddict

2 жыл бұрын

Wow that's warm.

@dianetaylor1085

2 жыл бұрын

My thermostat says on 65 all the time. It runs last keeps the house and even temperature and retains the heat overnight without a problem. My only concession is I wear socks with my slippers I also will wear sweatpants and definitely always have a t-shirt with an outer shirt as well.

@JD-tn5tb

2 жыл бұрын

Joyce Gonzales - can I ask what is the square footage of your home and what city do you live in and what your average elec and or gas bill is during the cold months? 70 sounds so high. I live in Texas and have mine on 62 most of the time and although my bill is not as high as others, I think it' till so high for keeping the house cold. just curious how much yours is. Thank you!

@RealMTBAddict

2 жыл бұрын

Sounds like you need to buy pants and sweaters.

@joycegonzales4994

2 жыл бұрын

Our house is older, good windows though, our electric shows we use under the average. Our home in 1500 sq ft in Albuquerque, NM. That’s not warm like AZ, because of the high dessert

Your "curtain hanging around" comment reminded me of a Carol Burnett episode spoofing "Gone With the Wind". Carol comes down the stairs in a dress made from curtains~~the rod still in place." She remarks, "I saw it in the window and I just had to have it!" LOL We had a summer power outage once (we're used to winter ones, but not summer...) and I hung beach towels over our living room window because I had sheer curtains up and we were baking in the heat!! After the outage was over I bought some insulated curtains, which keep the cold out~warm in, in winter...and the warm out~cold in, in summer. Great tips!!

@UndertheMedian

2 жыл бұрын

Yes! Funniest episode of all time!

In Norway we love wool. Both for summer and winter. For me it must be 100% wool. I like to wear a thin tank top made of alpacca wool or lamb wool. Then I layer with other clothes over it. We also wear woollen night wear. I also need my hot water bottle in my bed before I go to sleep. A can can also help to warm your feet ;)

Thank you so much for the video. I'll sit down with my husband and watch it again! I think I'm going to give electric blankets a try. When we lived in Japan the concept was just to heat the room we were in. Most Japanese homes are not well insulated. I believe this goes back to a cultural/social belief they have. I remember some of our friend talking about waking up in the morning and finding their shampoo had frozen! We used Kerosine heaters and something called a kotatsu which is a coffee table with a comforter type blanket that looks like a long table clothe. Under the table, there was an infrared heater. Our cat loved it! The idea of using sunshine to heat can be extremely effective as this was another Japanese "trick" we learned. I hear that in some parts of the world, water heaters are not constantly heating water. Folks will turn the heater on 30-40 minutes before needing the hot water then turn it off. Older homes that don't have an "open concept" design I imagine are much more effective with heat/energy in this way. We now live in the PNW. Our son is serving in Americorps NCCC and his time in NJ gave him the opinion that "wet" cold is much colder than "dry" cold. During the winter we rarely get sun coming through the clouds so it can feel much cooler. When we purchased our home, the previous owners put in a pellet stove in place of the original wood burning stove.....we are hoping to once again put in a wood burning stove. Our home is all electric so, if the power goes out, we really have no way of heating our home. Just an FYI, our local food bank also supplies wood so, if there are folks out there in need and have a fireplace or stove, check with your local food bank.

There is so much of value here in this video that I hardly know where to start. Thank you so much, Hope and Larry, for your contribution to the community in general. I've been putting together little tips from you for a while now (since Kate Kaden's channel sent me over here) and I'm sure you're helping me to cut living expenses without too much pain, just being mindful of my behaviours around the home. Thank you again, I am so grateful to be part of the community around this channel.

I have my thermostat set at 20 degrees. 24/7. I live in the UK in a terraced house- which means both my side walls are attached to neighbors. Only the front and back of my house has an outside wall. Switching the thermostat down leaves the house really cold and it takes ages to warm up again. My monthly bill is coming in at £68 every month and that payment covers the years cost. I tried the bubble wrap on the window...it worked great!! X

I'm not really sure what they're called but you can buy a laser thermal reader. You point it at Windows or Doors or wherever you suspect leaks. It reads the temperature and it will definitely show you where all the leaks are. A great tool I bought thick plastic and used painters tape I didn't care what it looked like I was the one that had to pay the heating bill. It worked very well.

For years I've bought the plastic film window kits(Lowes). They really do help. You run the double-sided tape around each window, then stretch the clear plastic over the tape. Using a blow dryer, heat entire window plastic in small sections until the plastic is taut. I buy (fleece or flannel is best) pillow cases at the thrift store to make draught dodgers for the doors. They're usually $.99-$1.99, depending on store and pillow case size. Also, the pillowcases, sheets, blankets and towels are great for camping! Ollie's here in Upstate New York sells draught dodgers for $3.99. Country Max here sells 2 clay pots for $1.99 to make clay pot heaters. 🔥 Hope and Larry, you are so cute together. Thank you for your channel. Your warmth and love always shine through. God bless you. Love from frosty Upstate NY.☃️

@UndertheMedian

2 жыл бұрын

Eileen, you just made my day. I think using flannel pillow cases is brilliant! There are cute patterns available and they always show up at thrift stores - often without the sheets. But, if you are using them to make the draft dodgers, you won't need the sheets that go with them. Thanks for the great tip!

I live in upstate NY. Unless it is extremely cold and I’m worried about pipes freezing, I keep the thermostat at 60-62F. I supplement this with a 1500w infrared heater I bought from Home Depot. It really pumps out the heat in the room. I was concerned that it would run my electric bill up a lot, but I’ve only seen about a $10 difference per month, despite running at about 15 hours a day, every day. I’ve been very pleased with it. My furnace runs a lot less because the heater is in the same room as my thermostat. So I save on fuel oil. I work from home and I am in that one room most of the day. I don’t run the space heater at night. I keep the thermostat at 60 at night. I find that fine for me because I like it cooler room for sleeping.

some cable boxes use as much electricity as a fridge. When we got rid of our cable box, we have saves over $5 a month. If you're not using your cable box at night think about unplugging it if you can.

@eileenstasczak6606

2 жыл бұрын

You can also use a power strip.

I got a weighted blanket. It keeps me very warm. My house is usually between 62 and 64 during the day and 60 at night. If we have several days of temperatures in the teens or lower, our oil burner service person told us to raise the heat to 68 to avoid burst pipes. We also open cabinets and let the water trickle if we have a series of days with frigid temperatures.

@countryfrau8328

2 жыл бұрын

I have a country place so can't leave water dripping if we lose electricity as I don't have a generator and the well pump goes down I do keep the cabinets to sinks that are on outside walls open a bit. I have spent years shivering under quilts, down comforters, with heavy socks, gloves, and even full face masks/hats for using outside on inside my house. Screw that. I just refuse at 64 to live so miserably, spending all of my time huddled in my bed shivering. I can't even go into my car to warm up because the heater is down in that old beast, too. I believe in dressing for the seasons but when you literally wonder if you will actually make it until morning it is just ridiculous. Plus I wasn't keen on showering because the rooms were just so cold. This year I'm keeping it low but way better than before and I'm even using more lights in my house. Winters are too long to live so badly! I'm just going to have to cut back in other ways. So I'll be watching your shows. (By the way, one way to avoid creeping increased prices is to cut back on your internet speed. You probably can't because of broadcasting but I can and it helps. Mine has now crept up to $55 a month so I guess it is time to call them again and get them to throttle it down.)

@bria2596

2 жыл бұрын

@@countryfrau8328 At your age, cold is actually a health concern, and your approach is absolutely reasonable, if you can afford it, without having to give up food or medication. Try the rice or popcorn warming bags to get your bed warm during the winter. I love them.

As my name "Seeking the Minimum Level" indicates, we seek the minimum level for everything by continuing to use less until we can't stand the lowest level and then increase a little. As empty nesters who are out of the house all day for work, we keep the house at 55F most of the time unless we have company, which is not common. We have electric blankets that auto shut off after so much time that we use for warming the bed at night. We also use them when sitting and watching videos or reading versus moving around. Put another blanket on top of the electric blanket to keep the heat on you instead of leaking out into the room. Our house is nearly 100 years old (i.e. - no insulation other than solid double brick), and we have radiant heat. We use many of the tips you mentioned and always enjoy your videos. Like others have mentioned, even though we keep trying to use less, the bills are still higher. 🤥

@UndertheMedian

2 жыл бұрын

I just went onto our utility account on-line and looked. We are also using less, but just got our bill and it was the highest we've seen in the past three years.

@pigletsbank437

2 жыл бұрын

@@UndertheMedian that's bad news for every one😕 , we are still waiting for our bill.... 😬 But let's be positive, whatever little thing we will do, does help help us! otherwise it would be even more!!! You always could exercise at night time to keep warm😉, sorry just kidding, but that's what we did when we are camping in wintertime. Some jumping Jack's or take walk and than off to bed.

I love your tips! Personally I prefer a woolen blanket($ 35 ten years back) when I sit down at night. Your body can get used to electric heat. But it is more direct than central heating indeed. I personally do not heat the bedroom ever. We have ROLLER BLINDS that go down before we put on the central heating because we have large windows and this is a really big saver, keeps all the heat inside. Only heat the living room/ kitchen after dinner for about two hours. Also have thick fabric and LINED curtains all around the house from ceiling to the floor ( I know it is a lot of money but I really find it very good investment for winter's cold and summers heat!!!) the lined curtains close wen the heating is shut down and it last at least three hours. About than its bedtime😉😴. The electricity / heating bill is only 25-30% of an average bill for a household over here...so it pays back whitin no time.....

I always am covered with an afghan!! Helps me stay warm, and I am able to keep the thermostat down as a result.

I've been in my house for over 22 yrs and last months gas bill was over twice my previous high bill and this months was up another 80%!!!

I keep my thermostat at 64 when we are home. I wear a knit cap on my head and i am toasty. I turn the heat down to 62 when we are asleep. When it’s super cold out side we put a Mylar blanket over our bedding. We are very comfortable.

As always! Thank you!

Oh my gosh - you cracked me up with your opening. 🤣

Thanks for all your help.

Hi Hope and Larry, I too set my heat quite low 18C which is 64.4F, we put it down to 16.5 at night then it goes to 18 for an hour in the morning before we get up. Then it goes to 18 at about lunchtime to mid afternoon depending on if anyone is at home during the day, they then get switched off at about 9.30pm. We don't use any other heaters, but will leave the oven open once it has been switched off or even the dishwasher once they cycle has finished to let any residual heat come through. I make sure the blinds/curtains on the sunny side of the house are open as long as the sun is shining to get that heat in the house, then once the sun has gone we close them up to trap the heat.

@countryfrau8328

2 жыл бұрын

Agree! That heat from the turned off oven just seems so nice not to use!

You two are terrific!

You two are so much fun ! Thank you for sharing information with us

This maybe counter-intuitive - For those that have whole house AC - Have the a-frame inside cleaned. First time watch the repairman do it. Then if your comfortable do it yourself. I do mine spring and fall. Save electric by putting a power strip on wall wort's or other phantom loads. Turn them off when not using them. If household members can agree on this - For those having electric hot water tank, install a timer to maximize off time. Program the timer to turn on only once or twice per day. My wife and I agreed to turn hot water on from 5pm to 9pm. We both got our shower and cleaned up from dinner in that interval. Ours was hooked up with a 120v relay and an override switch if we needed to use water outside that interval. The switch was in the primary bathroom. (turn it on until the use was done then turn it off)

We call them Draught excluders for the bottom of the door . I make them out of old tights (pantyhose’s) very frugal and does the job. Also you can buy reflection roll to place behind radiators to reflect the he heat back into the room instead of the wall. I made my own with a old piece of cardboard box and some tin foil (aluminium foil)

@UndertheMedian

2 жыл бұрын

I had never heard of the reflection roll for behind radiators. Thanks!

So glad I found your channel. The advice was concise and very helpful thank you.

For hot water baseboard heat:: If it is really cold outside, the temperature of the hot water should be turned up or the water going through the radiators will not be hot enough to heat the house to average room temperature. This also means you have insulation problems that should be addressed! Tip: Something we take for granted as most of us don't know any better. When you get your furnace cleaned each year, get the repair man to check to see if you have proper continuity between thermostat and where the thermostat connects to. They turned on my heat in my apt on Sept 1 last year and it would not shut off. I reported it and within a day or two I had no heat. The wire from the thermostat to zone valve on radiator lost all continuity. The furnace repairman discovered this and said it was likely years that thermostat did not properly.

You have given some great tips!

Hi, I have a heated fleece throw which cost about 2p (uk) for 4 hours on low. It really helps when I’m sat reading. People may not know that if their central heating radiators are too small for the room, they have to work much harder to keep up with the thermostat. A thick fleecy hooded robe and some fluffy slipper boots are a must, very glamorous 😂 x

You guys make my heart smile

Thanks guys u doing a great job most appreciated xx

I use my wool blanket, I have knitt myself 3 so I am warm and happy. I am warm when I sit and knit, read and so on...

@countryfrau8328

2 жыл бұрын

Isn't that the nicest thing? You can stay toasty while knitting! I really want to learn how to knit more than knit and purl stitch. I can crochet, though, but the patterns you can knit are so gorgeous! And the sleeves and bindings of knit items always look nicer than crocheted ones.

Thanks for the great tips and tricks!

Great Video! I have another suggestion. Some thermostats have a swing value setting. By having a higher swing value, the temperature range between starting and stopping will increase. Every time a furnace starts energy is used warming up the furnace and the ducts. By raising the thermostat’s swing value it reduces the number of times the furnace will run in a day. During the day I have my thermostat set at 68 and 58 at night. If I get cold at night I turn on a heated mattress pad. Sometimes on a cold MN morning my furnace will run for 2 or 3 hours bringing up the temp. I think some of the savings that results from lowering the temp at night is similar to the swing value benefits not cycling the furnace as often.

OMG HOW CUTE ARE YOU TWO ON THIS OPENING SCENE?!! I'm dying! I love it!

@UndertheMedian

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Kate. We are trying to let our quirky, funny side out more often.

Thank you! Great tips. -32 degrees celcius here in Montreal, Canada. Had the warmest summer last year and this is one of the coolest.

Great video! Thanks ☺️

Just discovered you two and love the frugal message! I’m trying my best 😁

@UndertheMedian

2 жыл бұрын

Welcome to the Under the Median family. We're happy to have you with us.

68 day and 67 at night. The desert is chilly in winter. Thanks for all the good tips!

I just discovered your channel. I’m binging the videos. I too, saw my natural gas bill jump 50% last month. I’m in New Hampshire, so quite accustomed to cold. You’ve given me some tips that I hadn’t thought of. Thank you!

Can I add, please leave window trickel vents OPEN. These are essential if you burn a heating system with a flame. Also essential is a carbon monoxide alarm. Keeping internal humidity under control is very important as cold damp air feels colder and takes more energy to heat up. For less than $£10 on amazon you can purchase a digital thermometer with a hygrometer which measures the humidity of the air. Internal humidity should be between 30% and 60%. Any lower than 30% and your skin and throat will feel dry. Any more than 60% and your home will become damp and mould may develop.

Phantom loads include TV, Computer, Modem, TV receiver. Wall wort is like a phone charger that has the power supply right at the plug. Only turn things on when your using them - not charging the phone turn the power strip off that the charger is plugged into, etc.

I love my electric blanket on 3/9.lovely❤️

I only run the heat 6-8am M-F to 70f which really makes it easy to get out of bed in the mornings for work. The rest of the day and on weekends it’s set to 60f. Thanks for the added tips!

Picked up a wool throw at a garage sale for 3 dollars. Use it daily.

@countryfrau8328

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I've found some great wool blankets and throws over the years. People seem to just be going for those fuzzy synthetics but wool is awesome.

@UndertheMedian

2 жыл бұрын

You got a great buy!

We use insulated panels on our windows and heavy mylar on the outside of the windows. We use floor length blackout curtains in the doorways too. We wear slippers in the house. We put flannel or polar fleece sheets on the beds with extra blankets.

Great tips 👍 Thanks for sharing both 😊

Live in Austin tx. Have thermostat we set on 73 and it figures out if heat or cold is needed. Stays off most of the time. Also got my 90 yr old mother he electric throw she has used everyday since Xmas. I have 2 people on blood thinners so they are always cold whereas I’m always hot. The auto thermostat really helps.

Just came across you guys so am playing catchup on the vids. My personal space heaters are 4 dogs and 3 cats. They are virtually interchangeable and very transportable throughout the house. They walk themselves to wherever I plant myself !! 😜 They double as security and are free entertainment as they are all goofy and such a hoot.

You are so lovely, thank you 💜best regards from Switzerland ❄☃️☀️

@larryware1

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Jasmin. Blessings.

Great tips! Right away I closed the glass sliding door to my sunroom. I’m sure I was losing heat! It’s been chilly the last few days (I’m in central FL) so I’ve had the heat on.

Our Victorian home was built in 1900 so we need all the help we can get to save energy. The windows are drafty and have the original wavy glass. I am going to try your tips, thanks so much! Appreciate all the research you do.

I used to have my humidifier on 24 hours per day. My apartment ended up with mold. Be very careful because of the moisture......

If you live in a location were it gets into the single digits outside on a regular basis, you really have to be careful to not lower the heat too low. Below 60 degrees could be a problem in cold climates. Pipes will freeze especially if the freezing weather goes on for days. This is especially important if you have pipe that run in a garage, near a window or downstairs bathroom. Unfortunately, I learned this lesson the hard way.

@deegee9560

Жыл бұрын

Let these faucets run- drip heavy at night and they won't freeze. Great info!

I keep my heat in western NY @ 66 when I am home. I live in a mobile home and use propane. My heating bills are so much higher this year. You have given me hope to reduce my bill with some of your suggestions. Thank you.

We keep our New England house at about 68 /69 f. during the winter days. At night we turn it down to 66 f. because we have a high fill king size down comforter on the bed. Sometimes that even gets too hot. When I first get into bed I put my smart wool socks on. I'm going to try making up a sock warmer ...a sock filled with rice and heated up in the microwave... just to take the chill off the bed sheets. One thing I did notice was.. as I get older I feel more chilly because my blood circulation just isn't what it used to be. Having a nice hot cup of tea helps out there.

We keep out home very warm compared to many - 73 degrees. we do not got up in day and down at night but found remaining a consistent temperature prolongs the life of a furnace or heat pump. We had a heat pump last 26 years (the average in the neighborhood was about 10-12) and were the last to need a replacement.

Thank you so much for this video. Just last night I pulled a charging cord from the wall socket in my bedroom and felt a breeze coming through the outlet. I was wondering how I could fix that. Some how I came across this video and I wasn't even looking for solutions. You offer such wonderful ideas and solutions for savings.

It’s august now in 2022, our gas bill has DOUBLED in western NY. Winter is going to be a wild ride! Im getting ready now…. I just invested in blackout velvet curtains for my main rooms and bought a “used” (worn once) pair of ugg boots to wear indoors only, im taking the slipper game up a serious notch!! Shopping the used market now to get ahead.

You guys are the best😘😘 My gas bill is driving me absolutely nuts!

@UndertheMedian

2 жыл бұрын

Be watching Thursday for a new video with 45 more tips for saving on utility bills. We're so excited because it's all strategies from our viewers.

You mentioned closing a room off. Living in the NW where we have a lot of moisture, our closed room will grow mold. Therefore, our rooms need some heat. Mold repair is expensive. We run 70 degrees day and 60 degrees at night.

@keralee

2 жыл бұрын

Or run a dehumidifier...which makes heat and rooms feel warmer when not damp. Win win.

I came to this video from another you did on saving energy this winter. When you said, “Alexa, lower the thermostat by 4 degrees”….my Alexa said,” I’m sorry, I can’t seem to find that device “. 🤣🤣🤣

Thanks. Good tips. I'm going to check my hot water heater temp. And those door draft things, too. My front door is very drafty. Good video. 👍

I have made all my own draught excluders for the external doors. Using up old textiles makes them very cheap to make even after buying a bag of stuffing on eBay.

I have two ovens in my kitchen. A modern electric which I use in spring summer and fall and a modern but old fashioned style wood burning stove /oven that I use in the winter to cook meals and bake as well as making hot water. It also heats the kitchen and master bedroom right above. It really helps save a lot of money in the winter. I heat the rest of the house with a wood chip furnace. We have a lot of wood in Oregon. lol

@larryware1

2 жыл бұрын

Excellent. Dan!

@countryfrau8328

2 жыл бұрын

Are you talking about a wood pellet furnace? I had an outdoor furnace that ran off of wood on our property but my husband burned it up--melted it by lighting a big fire in it after it had already been fully drained. It was so cheap to run. I'm thinking I should really replace that thing because running two old heat pumps here isn't providing great heat and it's expensive to use them.

@danabe3220

2 жыл бұрын

@@countryfrau8328 No its actually a log burning indoor furnace that I converted to burn free wood chips as well. I know the kind you used to have. They are a great way to save money on heating. I used to have a heat pump but its too expensive to run and doesn't do a very good job. I hope you are ale to replace your wood burner eventually.

I live in a 1 level ranch with "Open Concept". I have a natural gas fireplace with a blower that actually heats the entire house so I can keep the thermostat at 66-68. I have insulated curtains (also light blocking) on the patio doors and the bedroom windows. I also invested in an electrical blanket with a timer on it to keep me nice and warm at night. A couple of Kitties on the bed at night helps too ! lol!

Our electric company has different rates at different times. We try to plan accordingly on what our needs are.

@countryfrau8328

2 жыл бұрын

We don't have that. And when they first switched everyone over to those smart meters my usage soared by 3 times regular. There was clearly something wrong but it took several complaints from me and several months before they did whatever they did to get the meter to give realistic readings. It was SHOCKINGLY high. Did they ever refund me a penny? Nope!

@downtoearth1950

2 жыл бұрын

We now use timers to shift many appliances time of use to the cheaper times.....we don't mind if the dishwasher, clothes washer and other appliances turn on in the wee hours while we sleep. The difference in tariff between day and after midnight for us is 50% less

Every winter we humidify our living room & bedroom. We notice it makes a difference....our rooms feel warmer. We also humidify to help w/static electricity & because it's better for our health to have some moisture in the air.We have tried humidifiers in the past but got so frustrated w/them. Many have filters that have to be changed. The humidifier has to be cleaned which can get kind of involved. We gave up on humidifiers. Now we use what's called either a mister or a diffuser. They're put out a cool mist. Ours run thru a variety of colors via led lights which are so pretty. Makes a great night light as well. All of ours can be set to run continuously or intermittently. They turn off automatically when they run out of water. Super easy to clean, need no filters. We use space heaters, too. Yep, we shove old towels up against the bottoms of doors to the outside. We open curtains on sunny days.....welcome that free warmth!!

Bubble wrap works great.

I used to set it at 68…but when we needed it for the 1st time this year…i dropped it to 66. Stays at that temp all winter…May look into a programmable for overnight 🤔👍. Great tips. Thanks 👍

I had to replace our hot water heater we replaced it with a tankless water heater. I’ve noticed a pretty good savings, and the only thing I noticed that is a con is the fact that you have to run around more water for it to get hot instead of having it ready in the tank. But overall I have not seen much difference in my water bill and the electric bill seems to be less to

I SO Thank You For All Your Help I SO Use My CROCKPOT In The Morning And Use the Appliance's on Off-Peak Hours And 3 Space Heaters And I SO Layer Up! 150.00 (the most) Electric Bill

I use painters tape on my wood windows to seal them, cheap and it works

Hello Glad I found your video, a month ago. I own my owe home, in state of Indiana. My light and gas bills come together, in this state. And I went from $129.00 to $364.00 a month, in a monthly budget. My water bill has gone up, from $40.00 to $65.00. Including trash bill too. I enjoys watching yall video, and learning new ways, in all sorts, of saving.

@UndertheMedian

Жыл бұрын

Wow! That's a huge price jump for utilities. So sorry.

My best tip. I run my air conditioner at night in the summer. House cools down really fast and maintains cool till about 5 pm saves a ton on my bill vs running it during the day . 2nd tip tape all the seams on your duct work. Older homes alot of times have uninsulated duct work and seams are not taped alot of heat loss goes into the false ceiling of basements at least here in Minnesota.

Pls feel better. I went through it over Thanksgiving. Aleve works on sore throats

My thermostat settings (I WFH and live in NC piedmont area): Heating months: 66F daytime, 58F night Cooling months: 76F daytime, 70F night My tricks to feel warm in the winter when the thermostat is low is: 1) when I go to bed, I put a heating pad with a timed auto-shut-off under my feet. If my feet are warm, the rest of me is comfortable waiting for my body heat to build up under the comforter, regardless if I'm wearing socks and layered clothing. 2) when I'm sitting at my desk an extended period of time: not only do I have a lap blanket, dress in layers and wear fingerless gloves, but I also have heated mats under my feet and under my mouse-hand. 3) I try to get up every hour to move for a few minutes to get my body's "furnace" going. 4) I use a humidifier. Not only do I get fewer nosebleeds when the humidity is above 40% in winter, but also dry air causes your skin's moisture to evaporate, which makes you feel colder My tricks to feel cooler in summer with minimal AC: 1) obviously, fans of any kind 2) I keep damp bandanas in the fridge to place around my neck 3) misting myself with a spray bottle for evaporative cooling 4) misting the bedsheets at night for the same evaporative effect (especially when paired the a fan) I just installed ceiling fans in all the bedrooms, so hoping to tweak the thermostat a couple of even-more-efficient degrees thru all seasons next year. I'm renting an older, new-to-me home, and still chasing the energy efficiency improvements that are cost-effective for me to manage.

We keep our heat at 65 like you do. We rent and we are not allowed to have space heaters in the house. But, keeping it at 65 has helped us out a lot. One thing that we do is pay extra on our elective bill so that when we have a large usage we have a overage built up to help cover that.

Hugs from Italy

I'm new to channel love you guys

I use 2 table top humidifiers. The air is definitely more comfortable and my nose is thankful. But, when I run the humidifiers I do have to change my furnace filters more often. It seems like the moisture calcifies and it is pulled into the furnace filter through the cold air return. I have tried running the humidifiers at the lowest level and that helps somewhat.

@UndertheMedian

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much. I did not know that the humidifiers would cause the furnace filters to fill up more quickly. Kind of makes sense though, since the air is so much drier in the house in winter because of the furnace running.

Keeping closet and bathroom doors closed really makes a difference!!

63 during the day when we’re not home (we have a cat) or during the night, and 68 when we’re home and awake. Larry caused our Alexa to respond! 😆

@UndertheMedian

2 жыл бұрын

LOL! You weren't the only one. Several people had confused Alexas after the program. So funny!

I am in cold Alberta. I heat up to 22 in am then shut off for day as I use my wood stove during the day. I keep a pot on the wood stove for tea and cook some of my food in the small oven. Then I turn it on for about 15 minutes before bed to heat the basement where my kids sleep, then shut off furnace at night. I also use the door crack pads. I also use bolts to lock doors which gives a better seal and reduced drafts. I also reduced the temperature of my hot water tank.

I’m 65 during the day and I turn to 60 at 10pm. I have a space heater in my bedroom if it gets too chilly. I turn furnace back on at 6am to 65 degrees. I’m used to 65 if I turn up to 67 I get hot 🥵 moving around the house lol 😂 In 30 degree overnight weather I only lose 3 degrees in the house turning down the furnace at night.

Yes I use humidifiers in winter as good for skin, wood furniture & heated air feels warmer

We too got the letter from our natural gas provider that the 2022 bills would be higher. It arrived today. The overall bill was lower than I had budgeted for, so a win there. But in comparing Jan 2021 usage (150 Ccf) to January 2022 (141 Ccf), the 2022 bill was $32 higher than the 2021 bill. (That is just the portion of $ for the gas itself, not the provider service fee.)

My home is well insulated and I have double glazed argon gas filled windows. With that being said, I keep my thermostat set at 70 degrees during the day (I'm home all day) and then at 65 at night. I'm all for adding layers to stay warm, but I won't go so far as to be uncomfortable. Fortunately, I don't have to choose between heat and food, like so many folks do, and I'm grateful for that. One thing I don't and won't use is an electric blanket because an acquaintance of mine died in a house fire that was found to have started in the electric mattress pad. Know that's probably an unrealistic fear in this day and age, but it's a fear I have. Thanks for all the good information you so generously share.

@countryfrau8328

2 жыл бұрын

I know someone whose apartment had a major fire due to a toaster oven. It started itself or something in the night.

same in Canada

Yes electric lap blankets r really nice . Also sitting on an electric heating pad is nice

Hi, Thanks for all of the helpful hints. I love your videos and learn something every time I watch. Went to Taotonics and the throws and blankets are all SOLD OUT. I wonder if they will extend the sale if you contact them and ask for an extension. Thanks and Blessings

My fiance and I have been working from home since the pandemic. It recently got much colder where we live, so we've had to put the heating on (made it to mid December before doing so this year!). We don't have central heating, we have these crap storage heaters, so we got a decent plug-in oil radiator, moved both our desks into the same office and turn it on for half hour/an hour at a time. It heats up a small room very quickly, but it is expensive to run.

Living in the SoCal desert my heat kicks on at 60 or 62 degrees in the winter. I have a small electric heater for my home office that I’ll use if it’s really cold in there (north side of house). It’s frequently warmer outside than inside 😂 I also use blankets and in the evening my dog gets under the boa with me on the couch and he is soooo warm!