Could You Live Without Heat?

January 22, 2010

In the New York Times article Chilled by Choice, writer Penelope Green interviews a number of people across the country living in cold climates (such as New York and Colorado) who choose to live in a home with no heating. In the Winter. Many of these folks' homes are an average of 30 to 40 degrees in the Winter, and they point to a number of reasons for their choice to live without heat.

I have a very hard time imagining that I could handle these temperatures, and I definitely don't want to wash dishes in a down jacket, or rig my toilet so it runs constantly, thus preventing frozen pipes, as these folks do. Still, I admire the pioneer spirit of these cold-weather-embracing dwellers. I just don't think I want to be one of them.

Source: Flickr User chispita_666

23 Comments

3 years

I have lived without heat and even hot water, and it totally sucks, I can do it, but really love my furnace at this time of year! I live pretty close to Lake Erie and it gets COLD! Last winter our power was off for a week, I was pregnant (ready to pop), with 3 kids ages 6 and under. We all just snuggled up in bed and lit a ton of candles and hoped for power as quickly as possible. Ramen cooked over a candle gets old fast :(

kurniakasih 3 years

Um no. I grew up in a tropical country where the temperature never fall below 75 (and that's we consider cold 75) all year long and goshdarnit, I almost 'died' the first Winter here. LOL.

3 years

I swear on my Mothers grave this story is true! My room mate and I some 22 years ago had to make a choice between a case of beer or getting the heat hooked up. You you guessed it we made a wise choice and got the beer. As the winter unfolded our apartment would dip to 29 F some nights. Morning showers before work we would open the window to let the steam out. You couldn't see anything and before you went for a chit, you would have to break the ice on the toilet water. The real secret was scoring a honey to sleep with you and a goos sleeping bag. Those were the days! So Take off from the Great White North Eh!

4evrfuzzy 3 years

I live in Portland and I try to o as long as I can w/o turning on the heat. I NEVER turn it on before December, and I try to only turn it on every few days if I'm REALLY cold. Otherwise, I run on my treadmill to keep warm (GREAT MOTIVATION BTW) or take a bath. Plus, your body burns more calories trying to keep warm than it does trying to stay cool, so that's a bonus too. Oh yeah, environment stuff ;)

betty kraker 3 years

no way i hate the cold and im in the Midwest so its real cold at times

Gdeeaz 3 years

I live in Los Angeles and we don't have heat at my house. If it gets to cold we just sit by the fireplace.

runningesq 3 years

oh.hell.no. it's been in the 20s the past few weeks. we live in a really old rowhouse (it was built in 1910) and the pipes froze the winter we moved in... now they are wrapped with healing coils and it was a total PITA to unfreeze them.

kimmyk10 3 years

I am living in Arizona and I couldn't live without heat here. It gets chilly at night time in the desert. I just moved back to AZ from Colorado, and there is absolutely no way I could go without heating there, it boggles my mind that people could do that...

LittleMzFit 3 years

Only if I lived in the tropics! Then, it wouldn't matter.

3 years

Denver has had an unusually cold winter this year. The down economy has hit us hard and we find that one of the ways to save money is to turn the heat way down. It is inconvenient to do everything with multiple layers on, especially if it involves water. But if I want to make my mortgage payment I have to live in a 55-58 degree house. I cut back in every way I can and I hope the economy turns around for all of us very soon.

HoneyBrown1976 3 years

I've experienced having no heat from time as I watched my mom struggle with bills. Hell no. I need heat. GlowingMoon, living in the warmer side of the country does not equip you to living with no heat. You live where there's a choice, not a necessity.

GlowingMoon 3 years

Yes, I could. I live in the warmer part of the country, so I can manage. Besides, I prefer to be on the cool side. I don't like being heated. Also, heated air tends to give me nosebleeds.

3 years

I'm sure I could but I wouldn't want to. We keep our heat down at about 63 and it makes me miserable. I pretty much sit myself right in front of a space heater and I don't want to move to cook, clean, work out, or do much of anything other than watch TV. And I wear sweats, socks, and a throw so it's not like I'm mozying around in the wrong kind of clothes.

weffie 3 years

When I was a kid, our house was heated by a woodstove, so when we woke up in the morning and the fire had died down overnight it was FREEZING! Often you could see your breath while you brushed your teeth, and even though it was only for the first 20 mins of the day it was awful... I don't think I could stand it full-time, and I certainly couldn't tolerate the trickling sound of the toilet running 24/7!

kimmieb124 3 years

Definitely not. I hate being cold. If it was financially and environmentally sound, I would have our house much warmer than we currently keep it.

syako 3 years

I agree with anon in comment 5. I probably could have easily lived heat free in NOLA, but now that I live somewhere with actual seasons, I'm going to say no thanks. We keep our house pretty cool though (62) and do fine. I don't have problems wearing socks/slippers and sweaters at home. Plus cuddling with hubby with a huge blanket while watching movies and drinking hot tea is an added bonus. :)

kclulu 3 years

Absolutely not. I hate the cold and feel completely tense when I am in cold and I want to feel like I can relax when I am in my own home. I also agree with Belle28 about motivated. If I am cold all I would want to do is lay on the couch bundled up and I wouldn't get anything done.

3 years

Yes and I live in a part of Canada where our winter lasts six months and it's below -20 C (-4 F) and for weeks at a time, half the winter it's pushing -40 C (-40 F). Our house is well insulated and it does not get cold inside (hell we wear shorts most days around the house.)

3 years

If they're doing this for economic reasons, I'd think that the bill from letting your water run all winter would cancel out any money you'd be saving.

LMessing 3 years

I *do* practically live without heat, but I live in Austin TX: our winters are legitimately cold, but they only last for a month or so. I can and do manage to function when it's as cold as 55 in my house, but I don't think I could do it for more than a few weeks. I didn't notice anything in the NYT piece about those people having kids. I'd never subject a baby or child to a cold house.

khameel 3 years

I'm always cold (and often wonder why I live in the Northeast during the winter) so I could NOT live without heat!

belle28 3 years

my roommate could. it's something i could probably adapt to, but simply choose not to. i LOVE being warm. and i know i could pack on the clothes and blankets, but breathing in cold air just bothers me. plus i feel more motivated when i'm content with the temp.

mo_ri_ah 3 years

If it wasn't for my 12 year old dog, I wouldn't have the heat on at all. I have 2 small heaters for each room. I love in Los Angeles though and the absolute coldest it gets is 30 degrees, lol.

Link Love

23 Comments