We just bought our first Eichler and are very excited. We won't be moving in for a couple of months, but I've been reading a lot of posts about the challenges of keeping Eichlers warm in the winter and cooler in the summer. My questions are:
(i) what's the best way to use radiant heat? Turn it on in Nov and keep it on all winter at a steady single temp? Does it cost more when you fiddle with the temp (turn it up/down each day depending on the weather)?
(ii) what do you advise re use of space heaters for specific rooms (like bedrooms or bathrooms) for early morning/late night?
(iii) what are your average heating bills for a given winter month?
(iv) do ceiling fans help with cooling in the summer?
Thank you!
ABW, congrats, and get yer checkbook out!
If you search these boards, there was a discussion about this near the end of last winter.
Last winter was our 1st in the Eichler, and we had about $200-$300 utility bills over the winter (1800 sq ft house). ouch. I realized this was like a nice sweater per family member per month. I havent bought our sweaters for this winter yet....