Ask HN: How to spend a winter at home with the least amount of energy?
6 comments
I just moved into a rental house after years of living in apartments with district heating. I still paid for electricity in my apartment, but there was less direct control and a smaller space to heat. This winter, I'll be heating a full house.
I'm researching whatever I can about optimizing my energy usage, and I'm totally up for just wearing more layers. The problem is, I was warned that at some point in winter the heat would _have_ to come on and stay on at some minimum level or otherwise our pipes will freeze. We won't actually even have day to day control over the heating level: when we think it's getting cold, the landlord will come turn it on for us. I think they suspect that we'll want the heating on before the pipe freezing point happens, which might be true. I'm hoping we can get them to just set it to the minimum possible heat level for the sake of the pipes, and layer up for the rest. Overall, I am doubtful as to how much I myself can optimize because it seems like this mandatory heating usage will just blow whatever impact I might have out of the water in comparison. That's not to say I won't try, though.
Overall, I am not complaining. I for sure want to do whatever I can to lower my own bill, but in the long term I think this whole situation can be a net positive (with the full realization that I'm in a privileged position of having a decent emergency fund and the option to find a cheaper place to live if things get _that_ bad.)
I'm researching whatever I can about optimizing my energy usage, and I'm totally up for just wearing more layers. The problem is, I was warned that at some point in winter the heat would _have_ to come on and stay on at some minimum level or otherwise our pipes will freeze. We won't actually even have day to day control over the heating level: when we think it's getting cold, the landlord will come turn it on for us. I think they suspect that we'll want the heating on before the pipe freezing point happens, which might be true. I'm hoping we can get them to just set it to the minimum possible heat level for the sake of the pipes, and layer up for the rest. Overall, I am doubtful as to how much I myself can optimize because it seems like this mandatory heating usage will just blow whatever impact I might have out of the water in comparison. That's not to say I won't try, though.
Overall, I am not complaining. I for sure want to do whatever I can to lower my own bill, but in the long term I think this whole situation can be a net positive (with the full realization that I'm in a privileged position of having a decent emergency fund and the option to find a cheaper place to live if things get _that_ bad.)
I did the whole layerying up thing a bit last winter - lowered temps in my apartment to 17 C (which isn't cold at all, if you're wondering about "pipes freezing" temperatures) and worm multiple layers. At 17 C, I was fairly miserable already. Of course, temperature perception varies a lot between humans, so it might be OK for you.
At some point during covid I had to relocate for a few weeks in an emergency move to a place with bad heating in the middle of winter. I switched to wearing insulated camping sleeping bags at night and while working at the desk and heated them with an electric blanket. Worked like a charm and tremendously reduced total energy bill.
Edit: and put an end to the "don't touch the thermostat" debate with SO.
> Don't you Europeans think that the situation this winter is a rare chance to reverse the global warming trend
In the wake of Asian economic activity outperforming European, I don't think it matters what we do.
Edit: and put an end to the "don't touch the thermostat" debate with SO.
> Don't you Europeans think that the situation this winter is a rare chance to reverse the global warming trend
In the wake of Asian economic activity outperforming European, I don't think it matters what we do.
Fuel: Biomass, pellet, wood,
Cooking: Rocket stoves
Insulate yourself: Hats, robes, slippers, socks. When in doubt - layer up.
Tape seams, cracks, flues, poorly insulated windows, doors. Someone once told me that if you add up all of small cracks and air leaks in a home, it would be the equivalent of an open window. We lived in a 105 year old home at the time. Most of the wooden window frames had expanded/contracted throughout the years, and a rubber mallet did wonders for resetting the frame and moldings to airtight status. Taping plastic over the worst windows helped until we could repair & replace the worst offenders, heavy curtains helps as well. Castles used heavy woolen tapestries to help.
Check your local tenant laws, landlords may be required to heat your home to a certain degree if heat is included in the rental charge.
Tape seams, cracks, flues, poorly insulated windows, doors. Someone once told me that if you add up all of small cracks and air leaks in a home, it would be the equivalent of an open window. We lived in a 105 year old home at the time. Most of the wooden window frames had expanded/contracted throughout the years, and a rubber mallet did wonders for resetting the frame and moldings to airtight status. Taping plastic over the worst windows helped until we could repair & replace the worst offenders, heavy curtains helps as well. Castles used heavy woolen tapestries to help.
Check your local tenant laws, landlords may be required to heat your home to a certain degree if heat is included in the rental charge.
Don't you Europeans think that the situation this winter is a rare chance to reverse the global warming trend?
That's not going to happen. In 2021 the global total CO2 emissions were 36.3 billion tonnes. There is nothing at all that an individual can do to make a difference to that number. We can't fix climate change. Unless the overwhelming majority materialistic consumers, energy companies, and manufacturers change massively the planet is fucked.
The only rational course of action now is to find ways to live with it, which is what you're suggesting. Just don't think it'll help fix the root cause of the problem because it won't.
[1] https://www.iea.org/news/global-co2-emissions-rebounded-to-t...
That's not going to happen. In 2021 the global total CO2 emissions were 36.3 billion tonnes. There is nothing at all that an individual can do to make a difference to that number. We can't fix climate change. Unless the overwhelming majority materialistic consumers, energy companies, and manufacturers change massively the planet is fucked.
The only rational course of action now is to find ways to live with it, which is what you're suggesting. Just don't think it'll help fix the root cause of the problem because it won't.
[1] https://www.iea.org/news/global-co2-emissions-rebounded-to-t...
Water is a deciding factor. If you can turn off and drain the hot and cold water system, and drain the hot water heating system (if that's the type you have) then the house can go below freezing without the pipes bursting. If you need running water or want to use the heating system sometimes then you have to keep the house well above 0C to keep the pipes from freezing. Look around for other things that might freeze also, like plants, canned goods, stored liquids, etc. If you can let the house go below freezing then you can decide where and when to apply heat and when to do without it. If you can not let it go below freezing then you need some minimum amount of heat to maintain it reliably above 0C, and possibly higher if you think power/heat may only be intermittently available. Maybe you can shut off most of the water system and still have some running water available in a basement if the pipes come into the house below the grounds frost line. It's difficult to live without running water though (toilets, showers, cooking, drinking, washing hands, washing clothes.) If you decide you want to let the house freeze then now would be a good time to dig a latrine/outhouse while the ground is still soft. And think about where you'll get drinking/cooking water from. And ways to get clean without much water. Guides to winter camping might be helpful.
You might be able to isolate some rooms (close and insulate their doors) which makes it easier to just heat the part of the house you use the most (again be sure to drain any water based systems in the closed rooms). At least the bathroom probably needs to remain heated and one common living room (which could also double for sleeping in). The basement may need some heating if some water pipes are kept active (maybe not every day since the earth outside the walls will tend to keep it above 50F, but you'd need to keep a careful eye on it since pipes around the edges can still freeze, maybe add some simple battery powered electronic freeze alarms in critical places close to the walls/pipes). If your basement is finished or livable close off the above ground house and live in the basement. The earth outside the basement walls will help keep it above freezing and perhaps make it easier to keep warm (although the cool earth will also suck heat out of the basement as well, it will trend towards 50F (10C).) Be careful with portable heaters, especially fuel powered ones. Have a carbon monoxide alarm and smoke alarms.
One trick I've seen is filling plastic jugs full of water and spray painting them black and setting them in sunlight inside the house. They absorb heat from the sun during the day and release it at night. Doesn't have a huge effect, but it may help some if you have a lot of them. Also open curtains during sunny days to let heat in, and close them at night to provide insulation. Remember that heat rises, so that might be useful to know (block ceiling vents?, heat a room above by heating a room below?) Stop drafts (but make sure some fresh air gets in). Insulate as best you can. Try to seal the insulation, small gaps can let a lot of cold air in, duct tape may help (but let some fresh air in so you can breath).
Insulate your body with layers of warm clothing, especially the head, hands and feet. Some small USB rechargeable hand heaters might be useful to warm up your hands when you need them to work on something. Sleeping with your head under the covers lets your breath warm you, though it also adds moisture so make sure there is some ventilation (you need to breath also!)
A spot thermometer (thermometer that can read temperatures from a distance using a special sensor) will show you where leaks of hot and cold are. Have the tools you need to shut down and drain your water systems in case heating is completely cut off so you can save your house. If life gets really difficult consider going to a public shelter, or maybe you can share space with friends/neighbors. Two or three families living in one house could greatly reduce heating needs and human bodies create heat also.
You might be able to isolate some rooms (close and insulate their doors) which makes it easier to just heat the part of the house you use the most (again be sure to drain any water based systems in the closed rooms). At least the bathroom probably needs to remain heated and one common living room (which could also double for sleeping in). The basement may need some heating if some water pipes are kept active (maybe not every day since the earth outside the walls will tend to keep it above 50F, but you'd need to keep a careful eye on it since pipes around the edges can still freeze, maybe add some simple battery powered electronic freeze alarms in critical places close to the walls/pipes). If your basement is finished or livable close off the above ground house and live in the basement. The earth outside the basement walls will help keep it above freezing and perhaps make it easier to keep warm (although the cool earth will also suck heat out of the basement as well, it will trend towards 50F (10C).) Be careful with portable heaters, especially fuel powered ones. Have a carbon monoxide alarm and smoke alarms.
One trick I've seen is filling plastic jugs full of water and spray painting them black and setting them in sunlight inside the house. They absorb heat from the sun during the day and release it at night. Doesn't have a huge effect, but it may help some if you have a lot of them. Also open curtains during sunny days to let heat in, and close them at night to provide insulation. Remember that heat rises, so that might be useful to know (block ceiling vents?, heat a room above by heating a room below?) Stop drafts (but make sure some fresh air gets in). Insulate as best you can. Try to seal the insulation, small gaps can let a lot of cold air in, duct tape may help (but let some fresh air in so you can breath).
Insulate your body with layers of warm clothing, especially the head, hands and feet. Some small USB rechargeable hand heaters might be useful to warm up your hands when you need them to work on something. Sleeping with your head under the covers lets your breath warm you, though it also adds moisture so make sure there is some ventilation (you need to breath also!)
A spot thermometer (thermometer that can read temperatures from a distance using a special sensor) will show you where leaks of hot and cold are. Have the tools you need to shut down and drain your water systems in case heating is completely cut off so you can save your house. If life gets really difficult consider going to a public shelter, or maybe you can share space with friends/neighbors. Two or three families living in one house could greatly reduce heating needs and human bodies create heat also.
> One trick I've seen is filling plastic jugs full of water and spray painting them black and setting them in sunlight inside the house. They absorb heat from the sun during the day and release it at night.
That's basically a ghetto version of the pasivhaus approach. In passive houses, you have one heavy interior wall, pained dark/black, facing a large, south-facing window. This wall gets to absorb lots of sunlight during the day, and then heats up the house 24/7.
> Stop drafts (but make sure some fresh air gets in).
It's good to get a CO2 meter for that, to make sure there isn't too much or not enough air exchange going on.
That's basically a ghetto version of the pasivhaus approach. In passive houses, you have one heavy interior wall, pained dark/black, facing a large, south-facing window. This wall gets to absorb lots of sunlight during the day, and then heats up the house 24/7.
> Stop drafts (but make sure some fresh air gets in).
It's good to get a CO2 meter for that, to make sure there isn't too much or not enough air exchange going on.
That is what I call a comprehensive answer. Freezing my house with remaining it livable and serviceable is exactly what I am considering if the bad time keeps going.
How much should be invested in thermal insulation and how much should be invested in changing habits?
Don't you Europeans think that the situation this winter is a rare chance to reverse the global warming trend?