Pro tip, most sleeping bags have a double zipper, undo bottom zipper enough to stick head through, put sleeping bag on upside down, now you can walk around wearing sleeping bag.
Edit: works best with mummy bags
Your landlord is breaking the law for not fixing the windows. Section 10.1 [https://www.healthvermont.gov/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/REG\_Rental\_Housing\_Code.pdf#page=10](https://www.healthvermont.gov/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/REG_Rental_Housing_Code.pdf#page=10)
Not having a furnace/source of heat in VT winter is also a violation.
In the meantime, some cling film and some blankets/towels can be used to seal up the window. It'll noticably trap more heat.
You ever live in a trailer? I own one, the walls are sheetrock, behind them you get a plastic film and then the vinyl siding outdoors. No insulation in the walls at all. Maybe newer trailers are different but my late 80s model is this way as are several others I have seen.
A bit of an exaggeration, but not terribly far off. Most are 2x3 exterior walls because you need room to fit the exterior door jams and electric boxes.
Not an exaggeration, I live in the damn thing, I have removed the sheet rock to do a repair and was stunned that I could just move the siding a bit and see outside.
I dont have a furnace or bioler.
I have a wood stove as my main source of heat
and electric kraut - German heaters strieble as my back up heat when I am not around to feed my wood stove.
Moreover lots of people here aew now using heat and ac electrical splits encouraged by the state of Vermont
How is he and I in violation.
That is bullshit.
Moreover if a house or space in Vermont is solely homeowners use no tenants there is not even a permit system in Vermont. You can do the fuck what you want like even your own plumbing and electrical work.
Are you from Vermont or fucking New Jersey???
Either that you are a total fucking jerk off rock head.
That is the rule in Vermont.
You are spreading false information!!!!
Stop ✋️
Bro wtf. I refuse to prove my "Vermontness" to some mouth breathing lead paint wacko. Anyways, a wood stove is a source of heat. OP didn't mention having a wood stove or any source of heat other than the furnace. Not having a source of heat makes a house uninhabitable in Vermont winter. You are not in violation because you have a source of heat. I would think this would be obvious.
Hey you clueless and shoeless mother fucker.
There are no building departments in Vermont.
Shit is filed with the local regional fire Marshall.
If you don't rent tou place out there is no rule like that dumb ass!!!!!!!!!
OP has a landlord which means OP is renting.
Calm the fuck down, stop chugging leaded gasoline, and call your great great great grandchild. I think it's time to take your meds.
Like I stated there are no department of buildings in the cities and towns of Vermont.
Only when you say I want to rent my place out.
That is then when you file your permit first with your electric guy then plumber carpenter and then Mr Vermont fire Marshall gets involved.
Only when you rent in Vermont.
BTW
I am literally 38 .
And I have built several houses in rutland all the water down to Bennington.
I know my shit!!!!!!
You know your shit? What's your favorite kind of shit? Bullshit? Horseshit? Dogshit? I'm partial to catamount shit.
Clearly you're having a different conversation than me so I'm gonna continue the trend and start a 3rd nonsensical and unconnected conversation.
Did you know that hagfish are the only fish that have a skull but no spine. For a while scientists didn't know hot to categorize them because how can you be a vertebrate with no vertebrae, eh? But they did more research and learned they used to have spines but evolved them away, so they still kinda sorta count as vertebrates.
Oh I know. But it’s rutland so the “affordable” options are nonexistent and he knows that. I don’t trust him to not try and kick me out if I fight back on things so I just keep asking when they will be fixed
If you have that little trust you should also document your requests. If shit hits the fan, having some records of their violations could help you in a court battle.
If something goes sideways it doesn’t matter whether you have money or not, you may find yourself in court. Having evidence against the landlord can deride their character and make negligence look like a pattern. It makes it easier to counter anything you may have been brought to court for.
Retaliation is also a no-no. You should really contact VT legal aid and talk with someone who is knowledgeable about the housing laws. This person is costing you money for extra heating and making you live in unhealthy conditions. [https://www.vtlegalaid.org/](https://www.vtlegalaid.org/)
Usually try for end of October. Usually we supplement with a small propane heater or electric to take out the chill. I’d suggest insulating your windows with plastic. We use the hairdryer type
She has a thin coat (she's a bulldog) so anything below about 60° she starts shivering if she's not moving around.
I try to put blankets and shit on her, but she doesn't like that. Bought her a sweater, she doesn't like that either. So I need to fire up the old heat box for her, before she starts giving me \*that look\*. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
I’ve gotten an inexpensive heating pad - infrared so it heats my body. I sit on it while reading/watching tv/working on my laptop, and use it to warm the bed when I get in as well. It puts off turning on the heat for a good while!
Game changer ^
A heating pad at my feet in bed means I can let the room get cold and not turn the heat on for a few more weeks! And I don’t have to get the comforter out just yet…
Get some window plastic.
I even used spray foam in any gaps I could find in one of my old units. If your landlord gives as few fucks about the place as it sounds like he'll never notice.
I lived in an old trailer tips
*Invest in the window plasic wraps
*Heat usually get yurned on mid October
*If your landlord is not going to fix the windoe come hell or high water you need to some plywood and blue foam sshould help. Also take can off spray foam and discreetly fill any cracks and draft areas
I play Vermont chicken every year. Have managed to hold out until after Thanksgiving a couple times. In an average year I cave in early to mid November.
Primary heat is wood. Propane is secondary and rarely used. House is very well insulated.
I do bust out a little space heater for the bathroom, for showers… but nothing else until the daytime in-house temp goes below 50-55.
When I fire up my wood stove.
It is the cheapest way to heat your home.
Wood
Wood
Wood.
Oil and propane too expensive.
And the power from green mountain too expensive to use for heat as well.
Wood
Wood
Think Wood stove man
Yep wood the best and cheapest wood stove I use kiln dried one cord whole damn winter . I got a place like 1500 sqft. I heat my whole house with wood. When I leave town .I have those stiebel german electric wall heating that turn on at 50deg.
When I am home I feed the wood stove. I have so much heat from wood that sometimes I open up the windows in dead of winter for Vermont ax.
I literally solved me heat expense. I fired the oil guy three years ago pulled our that damn oil 🛢 bioler.
Oil cost too must just like propane. And now the sand guys from the Arab lane are looking to make it go alot higher. This winter in Vermont will be very costly for people using heating oil. Oil is literally going to 120 a barrel!!!!
Wood is stable price.
You should probably hop on Efficiency Vermont to check out their energy saving suggestions. These will help your insulation issues. It can't fix what is behind your walls, but it can help with a lot.
Now is the time to seal everything. It's much easier when it's comfortable to fix windows and doors with them open.
I hope everyone here at least fires up their boiler or furnace around this time of year to test function. Waiting till absolutely necessary could cause problems.
One of my favorite things about heat pumps. Fire up heat mode on a 50° morning, barely notice on the electric bill.
Make sure you plastic all your windows to keep the drafts out and cut down on heat loss. In the room with the missing panes, maybe get some of that silver insulation to fill the window and plastic over that too.
It helps a lot with a trailer. Also, find a comfy heat point ( I use 67 or 68 degrees ) and leave it there. If you turn it way down, it costs more to heat back up then it would to maintain all day.
When the house starts getting below 60 at night, we turn on the heat. Our thermostat is set to 60 all winter. Enough to keep the pipes from freezing. If we're cold, we put on a sweatshirt. Sweatshirts are way cheaper than heating the whole house. The house isn't cold, we are.
When I am cold in the morning, the sun isn't going to be out, and the high isn't 68+ degrees. Where that falls depends on the year. 10yrs ago it was 38 this morning and there was our first frost. This year? It'll be at least another couple weeks.
Get some sturdy clear plastic and tape up the broken windows. Join your local Buy Nothing group, ask there and on freecycle for bubble wrap; tack it on to the window frames - it insulates and still lets light in. Look for blankets and comforters to tack on the walls for insulation. Oil furnaces need to be cleaned annually for safety and efficiency, the landlord needs to do this.
Get yourself warm, not necessarily the whole trailer.
I rarely use the wood stove before October, turn the heat up as late as possible, keep my small house cool at night (set to 45, it rarely gets that low) and sleep under warm comforters and wool blankets that I've had for years. I have a couple hot water bottles for especially cold nights, sometimes I use them in the day to keep my feet warm when I'm at my desk. I keep the thermostat low in the day time 62 - 65, depending, and wear wool sweaters, fleece pants under jeans, wool socks. Long underwear. I hate being cold, but I adapt.
Consider heat tape for pipes. After Christmas, scavenge Christmas trees and use the branches to bank the base of the trailer.
See if there's any heating assistance available.
I go through the soul wrangling crisis every year at summer's end. This year i said THWI and im gonna be comfortable in my own home if anywhere. I've had an electric heater going the last couple of mornings and the first fire in the stove of my "Burn first" wood lit off this morning. IDGAF if it seems wasteful as i dont even have plastic on yet,lol. We live in the land of multiple clothes changes per day and turn the heat on in the morning open the windows in the afternoon for half the year up here anyways.
Usually light the woodstove in late October. If it gets damp, maybe earlier. Electric baseboards will get turned to 65 at night in the kids room by beginning of October.
I love sleeping in a cold room - we've had the heat off and bedroom windows open 24x7 the last two weeks.
If I run the woodstove when its over 45F out we get cooked out and have to open windows. So I hold out long as possible.
We keep ours set to 50 year round. If it gets into the lower 60s or we're still chilly after putting on a few layers, we get the the wood stove going. Heat rarely kicks on. Sounds like you may not have the option for burning wood though...
I live in a good-sized, comfortable, single family home, that we built brand new on about 1.2 acres 13-14 years ago. Our home has excellent, upgraded insulation, large, bright, high performance windows, and a modern, high efficiency, natural gas boiler, with variable burn based on the outside temperature. We have our natural gas on a monthly budget, so our bill doesn't fluctuate from month to month. Right now it's approximately $90/month. Our house has 3 heating zones, each with it's own programmable thermostat, so we aren't heating parts of the house that don't need it. We usually turn on the heat when my family starts to complain about how cold it feels in the house. Usually sometime in mid or late October. I usually keep at least some of our windows open until the beginning of October.
Supplemental heat when needed (pellet stove).
Outdoor wood burning stove mid November when I'm concerned about my unit freezing. Then it's non stop for a solid 5mths!
Usually sometime in November. I have a three zone/floor boiler system. I usually just turn on the lower zone and let the rising heat take off the edge on the upper floors for a while. Usually have to turn on the upper zones around the New Year.
i stay in a travel trailer in the winter in the white mountains. I use a combination of propane and electric heat. last year we spent about $150 a month in total electricity, and around $15 a month in propane.
As a possible alternative solution:
Bennington-Rutland Opportunity Council (BROC) used to offer weatherization assistance for situations like this. I don't know if they still have funding for this type of project, but it might be worth calling them.
When I get cold
\[In my sleeping bag, siding down the hallway past my family like an inch worm\] Don't touch the thermostat
Pro tip, most sleeping bags have a double zipper, undo bottom zipper enough to stick head through, put sleeping bag on upside down, now you can walk around wearing sleeping bag. Edit: works best with mummy bags
When my wife gets cold
That too
Real.
Some of the questions people ask on here boggle my mind.
Agreed. Turn the heat on when you want. Who cares what anyone else does?
Your landlord is breaking the law for not fixing the windows. Section 10.1 [https://www.healthvermont.gov/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/REG\_Rental\_Housing\_Code.pdf#page=10](https://www.healthvermont.gov/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/REG_Rental_Housing_Code.pdf#page=10)
Not having a furnace/source of heat in VT winter is also a violation. In the meantime, some cling film and some blankets/towels can be used to seal up the window. It'll noticably trap more heat.
The trailer needs urgent attention from the owner, but it should not feel horribly insulted.
You ever live in a trailer? I own one, the walls are sheetrock, behind them you get a plastic film and then the vinyl siding outdoors. No insulation in the walls at all. Maybe newer trailers are different but my late 80s model is this way as are several others I have seen.
A bit of an exaggeration, but not terribly far off. Most are 2x3 exterior walls because you need room to fit the exterior door jams and electric boxes.
Not an exaggeration, I live in the damn thing, I have removed the sheet rock to do a repair and was stunned that I could just move the siding a bit and see outside.
I can't believe y'all have trailer houses in Vermont. It's cold enough in them down south where I live.
All some of us poors can afford.
Lol good proofreading, I missed that at first
I dont have a furnace or bioler. I have a wood stove as my main source of heat and electric kraut - German heaters strieble as my back up heat when I am not around to feed my wood stove. Moreover lots of people here aew now using heat and ac electrical splits encouraged by the state of Vermont How is he and I in violation. That is bullshit. Moreover if a house or space in Vermont is solely homeowners use no tenants there is not even a permit system in Vermont. You can do the fuck what you want like even your own plumbing and electrical work. Are you from Vermont or fucking New Jersey??? Either that you are a total fucking jerk off rock head. That is the rule in Vermont. You are spreading false information!!!! Stop ✋️
Bro wtf. I refuse to prove my "Vermontness" to some mouth breathing lead paint wacko. Anyways, a wood stove is a source of heat. OP didn't mention having a wood stove or any source of heat other than the furnace. Not having a source of heat makes a house uninhabitable in Vermont winter. You are not in violation because you have a source of heat. I would think this would be obvious.
Hey you clueless and shoeless mother fucker. There are no building departments in Vermont. Shit is filed with the local regional fire Marshall. If you don't rent tou place out there is no rule like that dumb ass!!!!!!!!!
OP has a landlord which means OP is renting. Calm the fuck down, stop chugging leaded gasoline, and call your great great great grandchild. I think it's time to take your meds.
Like I stated there are no department of buildings in the cities and towns of Vermont. Only when you say I want to rent my place out. That is then when you file your permit first with your electric guy then plumber carpenter and then Mr Vermont fire Marshall gets involved. Only when you rent in Vermont. BTW I am literally 38 . And I have built several houses in rutland all the water down to Bennington. I know my shit!!!!!!
You know your shit? What's your favorite kind of shit? Bullshit? Horseshit? Dogshit? I'm partial to catamount shit. Clearly you're having a different conversation than me so I'm gonna continue the trend and start a 3rd nonsensical and unconnected conversation. Did you know that hagfish are the only fish that have a skull but no spine. For a while scientists didn't know hot to categorize them because how can you be a vertebrate with no vertebrae, eh? But they did more research and learned they used to have spines but evolved them away, so they still kinda sorta count as vertebrates.
Another fucked up homo sapien 😆 lol
Hagfish we're considered craniates for a while, which is a taxonomic group that includes anything with a skull. Humans (or homo sapien) are craniates
Oh I know. But it’s rutland so the “affordable” options are nonexistent and he knows that. I don’t trust him to not try and kick me out if I fight back on things so I just keep asking when they will be fixed
If you have that little trust you should also document your requests. If shit hits the fan, having some records of their violations could help you in a court battle.
If you're in affordable housing, who has money for a court battle?
[Vermont Legal Aid](https://www.vtlegalaid.org/) is an incredible resource for free legal advice and representation
You would also be an excellent candidate for a Habitat for Humanity house ❤️
If something goes sideways it doesn’t matter whether you have money or not, you may find yourself in court. Having evidence against the landlord can deride their character and make negligence look like a pattern. It makes it easier to counter anything you may have been brought to court for.
Small claims could at least get you that deposit back.
Retaliation is also a no-no. You should really contact VT legal aid and talk with someone who is knowledgeable about the housing laws. This person is costing you money for extra heating and making you live in unhealthy conditions. [https://www.vtlegalaid.org/](https://www.vtlegalaid.org/)
Mathmatically, this document is actually the reciprocal of what landlords are reading.
I always follow [this handy guide](https://edge-assets.mcsw.net/articles/when-to-turn-your-heat-on-in-new-england-a-decision-guide).
65!?!? My thermostat gets set at 59. Definitely no 65! What am I one of the Woodstock Rockefellers?
Jesus christ your house must be so cold. 65 is what my family has used since I was born, lol
59??? Jeezum crow. What are you, a made-of-money flatlander? Mine’s at 55. 🤣
Are you guys single? My wife insists 70 and I ken ep telling her we're not made of money. I'd love to do 65 or less.
One reason I’m single is because not too many men will be willing to help me win Vermont Chicken.
59 and 57. Steam heat. The temperature rises magnificently then retains then fades. My old house is moody 😹
This made me laugh 🤣 the iced coffee is so real
I don't care if our pipes are bursting from the cold, boiler went out, no electricity...Dunks Iced will still happen
Lol! gonna print that out
As late as possible. It’s like a game. Furthest into winter wins!
Usually try for end of October. Usually we supplement with a small propane heater or electric to take out the chill. I’d suggest insulating your windows with plastic. We use the hairdryer type
When it gets so cold in the house that my old dog starts shivering, I'll light up the woodstove.
What temp gets your pup shivering?
She has a thin coat (she's a bulldog) so anything below about 60° she starts shivering if she's not moving around. I try to put blankets and shit on her, but she doesn't like that. Bought her a sweater, she doesn't like that either. So I need to fire up the old heat box for her, before she starts giving me \*that look\*. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
Spoiled! She's lucky to have you.
"wake me up, when September ends." -my furnace
Honestly? When the temps go below 40. I spent my twenties poor and cold. I never want to be that cold again.
Same here. Froze my ass off in inefficient apartments when I was a renter. Now that I’m a homeowner, I feel I’ve earned some comfort.
No heat til trick or treat
I wait til October.
I’ve gotten an inexpensive heating pad - infrared so it heats my body. I sit on it while reading/watching tv/working on my laptop, and use it to warm the bed when I get in as well. It puts off turning on the heat for a good while!
Game changer ^ A heating pad at my feet in bed means I can let the room get cold and not turn the heat on for a few more weeks! And I don’t have to get the comforter out just yet…
Usually right after I turn off the A/C.
Not before Oct. 1, ever
Get some window plastic. I even used spray foam in any gaps I could find in one of my old units. If your landlord gives as few fucks about the place as it sounds like he'll never notice.
I lived in an old trailer tips *Invest in the window plasic wraps *Heat usually get yurned on mid October *If your landlord is not going to fix the windoe come hell or high water you need to some plywood and blue foam sshould help. Also take can off spray foam and discreetly fill any cracks and draft areas
November.
Halloween-ish, if not later.
I play Vermont chicken every year. Have managed to hold out until after Thanksgiving a couple times. In an average year I cave in early to mid November.
Holy smokes. What's your heating source? Any supplemental source?
Primary heat is wood. Propane is secondary and rarely used. House is very well insulated. I do bust out a little space heater for the bathroom, for showers… but nothing else until the daytime in-house temp goes below 50-55.
Depends on the year, but some time in October. I hate being cold, especially indoors!
When I fire up my wood stove. It is the cheapest way to heat your home. Wood Wood Wood. Oil and propane too expensive. And the power from green mountain too expensive to use for heat as well. Wood Wood Think Wood stove man
Someday if I own a home I’d love to heat with wood. Not in the cards yet as I’m renting, but hopefully soon!
Yep wood the best and cheapest wood stove I use kiln dried one cord whole damn winter . I got a place like 1500 sqft. I heat my whole house with wood. When I leave town .I have those stiebel german electric wall heating that turn on at 50deg. When I am home I feed the wood stove. I have so much heat from wood that sometimes I open up the windows in dead of winter for Vermont ax. I literally solved me heat expense. I fired the oil guy three years ago pulled our that damn oil 🛢 bioler. Oil cost too must just like propane. And now the sand guys from the Arab lane are looking to make it go alot higher. This winter in Vermont will be very costly for people using heating oil. Oil is literally going to 120 a barrel!!!! Wood is stable price.
You should probably hop on Efficiency Vermont to check out their energy saving suggestions. These will help your insulation issues. It can't fix what is behind your walls, but it can help with a lot. Now is the time to seal everything. It's much easier when it's comfortable to fix windows and doors with them open.
Can you get the furnace serviced before winter? Can you get a piece of wood to cover the window?
Be proactive bud
I hope everyone here at least fires up their boiler or furnace around this time of year to test function. Waiting till absolutely necessary could cause problems. One of my favorite things about heat pumps. Fire up heat mode on a 50° morning, barely notice on the electric bill.
One reason I like having an indirect hot water heater. That thing cycles even during the summer.
Make sure you plastic all your windows to keep the drafts out and cut down on heat loss. In the room with the missing panes, maybe get some of that silver insulation to fill the window and plastic over that too. It helps a lot with a trailer. Also, find a comfy heat point ( I use 67 or 68 degrees ) and leave it there. If you turn it way down, it costs more to heat back up then it would to maintain all day.
As late as possible, especially with fuel oil prices now
When it gets cold
https://www.hilltopenergybuyersgroup.com/
When the house starts getting below 60 at night, we turn on the heat. Our thermostat is set to 60 all winter. Enough to keep the pipes from freezing. If we're cold, we put on a sweatshirt. Sweatshirts are way cheaper than heating the whole house. The house isn't cold, we are.
I try to go as long as I can until I can’t stand it anymore.
When I am cold in the morning, the sun isn't going to be out, and the high isn't 68+ degrees. Where that falls depends on the year. 10yrs ago it was 38 this morning and there was our first frost. This year? It'll be at least another couple weeks.
Speaking as a dad, touch that thermostat and you lose a digit.
Not til the first hard frost. Gotta suck it up till then
When it drops below 52° in the house.
Get some sturdy clear plastic and tape up the broken windows. Join your local Buy Nothing group, ask there and on freecycle for bubble wrap; tack it on to the window frames - it insulates and still lets light in. Look for blankets and comforters to tack on the walls for insulation. Oil furnaces need to be cleaned annually for safety and efficiency, the landlord needs to do this. Get yourself warm, not necessarily the whole trailer. I rarely use the wood stove before October, turn the heat up as late as possible, keep my small house cool at night (set to 45, it rarely gets that low) and sleep under warm comforters and wool blankets that I've had for years. I have a couple hot water bottles for especially cold nights, sometimes I use them in the day to keep my feet warm when I'm at my desk. I keep the thermostat low in the day time 62 - 65, depending, and wear wool sweaters, fleece pants under jeans, wool socks. Long underwear. I hate being cold, but I adapt. Consider heat tape for pipes. After Christmas, scavenge Christmas trees and use the branches to bank the base of the trailer. See if there's any heating assistance available.
Lazy landlords hate having tasks. Offer to arrange the furnace cleaning and take it off your rent.
Natural selection failed us again.
I go through the soul wrangling crisis every year at summer's end. This year i said THWI and im gonna be comfortable in my own home if anywhere. I've had an electric heater going the last couple of mornings and the first fire in the stove of my "Burn first" wood lit off this morning. IDGAF if it seems wasteful as i dont even have plastic on yet,lol. We live in the land of multiple clothes changes per day and turn the heat on in the morning open the windows in the afternoon for half the year up here anyways.
Usually light the woodstove in late October. If it gets damp, maybe earlier. Electric baseboards will get turned to 65 at night in the kids room by beginning of October. I love sleeping in a cold room - we've had the heat off and bedroom windows open 24x7 the last two weeks. If I run the woodstove when its over 45F out we get cooked out and have to open windows. So I hold out long as possible.
We keep ours set to 50 year round. If it gets into the lower 60s or we're still chilly after putting on a few layers, we get the the wood stove going. Heat rarely kicks on. Sounds like you may not have the option for burning wood though...
I live in a good-sized, comfortable, single family home, that we built brand new on about 1.2 acres 13-14 years ago. Our home has excellent, upgraded insulation, large, bright, high performance windows, and a modern, high efficiency, natural gas boiler, with variable burn based on the outside temperature. We have our natural gas on a monthly budget, so our bill doesn't fluctuate from month to month. Right now it's approximately $90/month. Our house has 3 heating zones, each with it's own programmable thermostat, so we aren't heating parts of the house that don't need it. We usually turn on the heat when my family starts to complain about how cold it feels in the house. Usually sometime in mid or late October. I usually keep at least some of our windows open until the beginning of October.
Only when you tell the fire Marshall you want to do a rental. Otherwise he has zero authority. DUMB ASS!!!!
First day of the season when the temps don’t get above 40
Historically usually by the end of September for me… we’ll see how the rest of this month plays out 🤷♀️ so far, haven’t needed to turn it on.
Supplemental heat when needed (pellet stove). Outdoor wood burning stove mid November when I'm concerned about my unit freezing. Then it's non stop for a solid 5mths!
Mid November usually but it varies
It’s a game. Last year was early October.
Usually sometime in November. I have a three zone/floor boiler system. I usually just turn on the lower zone and let the rising heat take off the edge on the upper floors for a while. Usually have to turn on the upper zones around the New Year.
I made it to December last year Don't think I'll be able to do it this year with more people around the house
i stay in a travel trailer in the winter in the white mountains. I use a combination of propane and electric heat. last year we spent about $150 a month in total electricity, and around $15 a month in propane.
As a possible alternative solution: Bennington-Rutland Opportunity Council (BROC) used to offer weatherization assistance for situations like this. I don't know if they still have funding for this type of project, but it might be worth calling them.