Sometimes I wonder if couples ever get divorced because they can’t stop fighting about where to set the thermostat.
That battle is heating up as we speak, so I checked in with a few friends to find out how cold their home has to get before they turn the heat on each year, and where they like to keep it.
Pretty clear what happens in the Ewing home. Bill: "I don’t even TOUCH the thermostat!"
Same deal at my editor Willy Williamson’s residence: "I’m not allowed to touch it. Ever! It’s like hot yoga in here." Yikes. And I always thought Willy was as cool as a Cadillac.
Janet Bray-Wiatrowski: "I keep mine at 24C."
That’s 75 degrees Fahrenheit people.
Same with Edie and Denis Hammerstedt: "I (Edie) like it at 24.5C. Daughter Wendy comes home, ‘Good grief it’s hot in here’. Me: No, it’s just right. Wendy. ‘Then why is dad sitting here without his shirt?’ Me: BAD WORD."
Folks, 24.5C is killer hot. I’d die.
Interesting to note there are still a few people out there reporting in Fahrenheit, so I’ll give them to you as received.
Here’s one from Shauna Jacques, who hints at a bit of thermostat tension in their otherwise loving nest: "Furnace has been on for a while. I leave it at 71F, and he tries to put it up because he is cold (while wearing shorts in winter), though at night I have the window open a crack to accommodate my late-night tropical moments."
Shorts in winter? He deserves to suffer.
Speaking of tropical moments: Jocelyn Elliot: "Set it at 20 and leave it. Kicks on as needed. Then at night I need my turbo ceiling fan for hot flashes. Yay menopause!"
SO many systems out there for deciding when it’s thermostat time. Jessica Angell: "I judge by a shiver per hour ratio. If I shiver more than two or three times per hour the heat has to come on. Once the cool weather hits it gets set at 19C. Then I see how long I can tolerate that temperature before I bump it up."
Whatever it takes.
Then there’s the violent crowd. Valarie Newsham: "Has to be 0C outside. Before then, touch the dial and risk serious injury."
Valarie’s a good friend. I had no idea.
And this next one is almost beyond comprehension. Nancy Gill: "Generally I leave my thermostat at 50F or lower all the time, but then my roommates (furmily) have always had big fur coats. Since my new little guy is so young he doesn’t have fur on his belly yet, I put the heat up to 55F. Am I a good sport or what?"
For the record, 50F is 10C. That’s a decent temp for a garage, but in the house? I’m almost speechless.
Then there’s the old-fashioned approach: Nicole Nixon: "Wood stove, sweaters, bake cookies, snuggle with a lover and your puppy, and if you still shiver, turn on the heat."
I like it. My favourite so far.
Now here’s an interesting one. When it’s just out of your control. Geoff Fierce: "Since I moved into this apartment in 2015 I have only turned on my heat about a dozen times in total. I have people from tropical countries living all around me and below me a guy who can’t stand the cold, so my place is always warm, and sometimes too warm and not a thing I can do about it. I’ve even taken to sleeping with my bedroom window open because it’s too hot in this place!"
I’d be considering moving to escape the heat.
Straight-out lying works for some. Suzanne Broughton Halpenny: "My husband’s always asking, ‘Who turned up the heat?’ My response is always, ‘Not me.’ We’re the only two who live here."
But if I had to pick a winner from today’s submissions, it would be Miss Winterpeg, Ashley Newton. No doubt some will relate.
"You people turn yours off?"
Stay safe and stay cool.
Comments/feedback always welcome!
lmustard1948@gmail.com
