Real New Englanders Don’t Turn On The Heat Until…WHEN?
Do you find yourself in a competition with mother nature, when it comes to deciding when to turn on your heat? Here we are, 3/4 of the way through October, and I’m guessing most of us who grew up in New England, still haven’t touched the thermostat. This morning I woke up and had to put on a puffer jacket just to make coffee. I glanced over at the thermosta, and it read 57. “Let’s give it another week or two,” were the words that came to my head. Maybe it was my upbringing. How many times did you hear, “we aren’t heating the outdoors,” or “just put on another sweater?” We take pride in being about to tough it out and save some dough.
I did an informal poll on my Facebook page earlier today, and the results are in. Overwhelmingly, the average New England won’t give into their thermostat until November 1st. That’s when they typically turn on the heat. There could be some very chilly mornings and nights in our very near future. So, yeah, that’s toughing it out. That’s New England.
Here are some of the comments:
“November 1st is typically our goal”
“Not on yet!! That is why they make sweatshirts, sweatpants, socks and blankets!”
“Can’t do it till November 1st at least!”
” I try to wait till my place feels like a hockey school hockey rink.”
“60 in my house right now. Not doing it yet. Lol”
“I was waiting but my husband caved and turned it on last night”
“November 1 if needed”
“I was born during a blizzard in January so I love the cold…I can usually hold out till after Halloween…..”
“I’m a waiter also. When I get out the shower and I’m freezing the heat will go on”
“November, but hopefully later. Gonna be very expensive to heat this year”-
The last comment, was a very good point by listener Robin! In case you didn’t hear, there will be a signifcant rate hike starting on November 1! So you may want to take adventure of lower rates right now, and then scale back after November 1 to tough it out.
As masslive points out, “technically, the heating season in Massachusetts starts on Sept. 15, when landlords are required by law to heat their residential properties to at least 68 degrees during the day and 64 degrees at night, according to the Massachusetts State Sanitary Code.”
But for many of us homeowners, we wait. We cold. We need more hoodies.
