I’ve spent my entire life in the northeastern part of the country, in an area that is often called the “snow belt.” We are known for our long winters, cold temperatures and lake-effect snow.
By the end of August, it’s often cold enough that I need to run the furnace at night. By the end of September, the sky is consistently gray and cloudy, the temperature is right around 30 degrees and the leaves are falling. It’s a rush to get all of the leaves raked up before the snow arrives. We normally have several inches of snow on the ground by Halloween. The accumulation of snow, high winds and icy conditions make it difficult to travel anywhere. Temperatures down to twenty-five below zero make it very unpleasant to spend anytime outside. I typically hide in the house with the furnace running at maximum capacity. Unfortunately, it’s necessary to shovel the walkways, plow the driveway and brush off the car. I need to create a path for the dog and dig out the mailbox. This takes several hours nearly every single day. In order to keep a warm and comfortable home, I’ve invested in a large, powerful and expensive boiler. There’s no reason to have any type of air conditioning. Our summers are short and often chilly and wet. I can easily get by with a few box fans and portable air conditioners in the bedrooms. After the lengthy winter, I look forward to avoiding such high utility bills for a couple of months. The furnace is responsible for nearly half of the energy use for the entire household.