No heating - don't worry, I'm warm

This winter, I haven’t turned on the heating—not even once!

When I tell people this, they usually start wondering, just like the meter man who visited me two days ago. He comes once a year to check my water meters. This time, after jotting down the numbers, he looked up confused and said, “Your meter seems to be broken.”

I smiled and replied, “Not broken—just barely used. Last year, I turned on the heating for less than 10 hours, and this year not at all.”

His reaction reminded me how unusual this choice is—but it’s a conscious one. And don’t worry, I stay perfectly warm! My house is a bit cooler than summer—14-15 °C downstairs and 18-19 °C upstairs—but I stay cozy in my soft boots, comfortable ski trousers, and two favorite pullovers.

The main reason I do this? To reduce my environmental footprint. Heating is one of the biggest household energy users, but last year, I only used 34 kWh compared to 1434 kWh a few years ago. That’s a 97% reduction—and it feels amazing to know I’m making a meaningful difference!

As a bonus, I saved about €415 (the German average would be even more: €800-900). Imagine the possibilities with those savings!

What about you? Could you imagine taking small steps to reduce energy use, save money, and help the planet? For example, by heating to a slightly lower temperature?

Knowing I’m contributing to a healthier planet makes every little action feel worthwhile. And imagine the collective impact if we all made even one small change!