Willing to freeze your buns off this winter to save money and the environment? You're not alone.According to an article here, a crew of eco-friendly bloggers looking to save some cold, hard cash are pushing the idea of "furnace abstinence" by revisiting their pre-central heat roots by going cold turkey during the frigid months.
Yep, some frugal-minded folks are seeing how long they can go without turning on their furnaces. In fact, one competition in New Jersey offers an iceberg-shaped trophy to the one who braves the cold the longest.
Of course, old-school methods including space heaters, wood-burning stoves and fireplaces are allowed.
One blogger, known as the Crunchy Chicken, is taking a less hardcore approach to "furnace abstinence" by challenging her readers to "Freeze Yer Buns" by lowering their thermostat a few degrees this winter and ultimately using less fuel.
"Because of the economic situation, most everyone is tightening up their purse strings, plus heating costs (oil, natural gas and electricity) aren't exactly cheap, so you have even more incentive to hop on board the chapped cheeks express," Crunchy Chicken writes.
The federal Department of Energy estimates most households in the Northeast corridor that use heating oil will pay an average of $2,009 (up 3 percent over last year) in heating costs over the course of the winter, while those with electric heating should shell out $1,465 (down 1 percent).
Those with natural-gas furnaces will pay an average of $1,135, a 13 percent decrease compared with costs in 2008 thanks to a drop in natural gas prices.
Not willing to go cold turkey this winter? Save up to $175 on home heating oil here through Consumer United when signing up for MassEnergy.
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