All I can remember about the winter before was that I just never felt like I was getting enough from the gas furnace.
But then again, the first winter up here was a bit of a blur in general.
The combination of a new position with new responsibilities and the biting cold were a bit overwhelming. As for the office, I just did my best to stay late, do more and really learn and understand my new position. There were plenty of long nights inside the commercial HVAC of that office. And to be sure, I had a space heater with me everywhere I went. Really though, the cold here is unlike anything I could have ever imagined. There are mornings where I walk out of the heating comfort of my home to nearly have my breath stolen by the level of cold here. If I ever get back south, I’m never complaining about a summer that is too hot and needs too much air conditioning. But I can’t even let the thoughts of a mild winter with a heat pump enter my mind. Otherwise, it just makes this situation all the more painful. However, I think I did score a win in winter number two. With the help of my neighbor, I learned how to seal up my house to maximize the efficiency of the gas furnace. I followed just what he told me and it worked. I was much warmer this winter with a much lower thermostat setting. We’ve still got plenty of winter left but so far, I think I’ve saved nearly 20 percent on heating costs.