The Cost of Cold

Perhaps I should have titled it "The Cost of Getting Warm."Here we are in March, that long, dreary month. Yes, spring arrives, but it's still a tough month - my least favorite. And this year especially, so many of us are weary of the never-ending, hard-hitting, spirit-sapping winter. Today I'm considering the high cost of cold.I realize not everyone lives where I do (Rhode Island). But so much of this country has experienced a dreadful time this winter. So I ask:

• Where do you set your thermostat? We live in a two-story one-zone condo, about 1,400sf or so. We like it cool. No, really, we do. But still, heating costs have been brutal. We keep the temperature around 60-62 and just wear fleece. How about you? 68? 70?
• How do you heat your home? We use natural gas, which used to be a lot cheaper than oil, but a few weeks ago, natural gas prices hit a five-year high. My first apartment was a cozy studio, and heat was included in my rent. My second apartment was a second-floor walkup, heat also included, but the landlord locked the thermostat at 68. No worries for me, that was plenty warm enough. My third apartment was the entire first floor of an old, drafty house, and it was never warm.

There are so many other costs associated with the cold. Plowing. Salting. Car washes. Damage from snow and ice. Our roads are filled with potholes. Everywhere. It feels like driving in a third-world country. So there are the necessary repairs to cars. Who can't wait for spring?

from www.WPRI.com