When Do You Turn On The Heat?

It's a dumb question.  Really it is!

I remember when I was in college (EONS ago), the heat didn't come on in the dorms until October 15th.  And there was no air conditioning.

When DO you turn on the heat?  The answer is quite simple:  when you are COLD.  It doesn't matter if it's October 15th or August 15th.  If it's cold; you turn on (or turn UP) the heat.  

The same goes for when you are hot.  IF you are hot you turn on the air conditioner.  I don't care if it's July 4th or December 4th.  If it's hot; turn on the a/c.

WHY wait for a certain date? What is the point of waiting?  What are you trying to prove?  That you can tough it out?  Who cares?  It's cold!  Turn on the heat!  It's hot turn on the air conditioner.  (Or at least put on the fan.)

Mother Nature is NOT ruled by the date.  It can be hot in December; even in the northeast. (I'm thinking back to that middle school concert in December when the heat was on because it was December and everyone was sweating to death in the auditorium because it was unseasonably warm. 
What the crowded auditorium actually needed was air conditioning; not heat.

Air conditioning?  In the middle of December in the northeast?  Yes!  It's not what you might expect, but it can happen.  And as the climate changes (for whatever reason) we need to apt to it.

We have heat.  We have air conditioning.  Why wait for some arbitrary date to use them?  What is the point of having them IF we are not going to use them when they are called for?

What is the point of "toughing it out?"  What are you proving?  That you are silly enough to freeze or sweat when there is a much better option?

In the early morning hour (3:30 to be exactly) on October 5th, the heat came on in my house.  My heat is never turned off, but it IS set to a low temperature:  60 degrees.  When the temperature went below that; the heat clicked on.  And I am grateful for that.  The date doesn't matter.  My comfort does.

The same goes for a hot day in April.  When the temperature soars above 85 it's time to put on the air.

I am, and the majority of people who I suspect actual read this blog, have a decent heating and cooling system.  If you have it; use it.  What is the point to do otherwise?