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> Then you use insulation. This especially is something that feels nobody in the US has heard of. At least in California. In defense of Californians, most of u

• dragonwriter 12y ago
  > > Then you use insulation. This especially is something that feels nobody in the US has heard of. At least in California. There's lots of poorly insulated homes in California, either because they are old or cheaply-made, or because they are in places that have milder weather where it is less necessary. But there are also lots of well-insulated homes in California. > In defense of Californians, most of us rarely, if ever, turn on a heater and most homes here don't have AC. Our heating and cooling costs are a small fraction of those of you who live in places that have seasons. As a Central Valley resident, I think you may be falsely generalizing from "the Bay Area" to "California". Even cheap homes in the Valley usually have AC, even if its not central AC.
  • _delirium 12y ago
    I don't think it's only the Bay Area. I've lived in parts of California that between them add up to about 70% of California's population, and not one of them had A/C prevalent, from San Bernardino County to Santa Cruz County.
  • x0x0 12y ago
    My 2 bed apartment, with both people working from home pretty regularly, and floor-to-ceiling windows on one side, costs < $30/mo for electric + gas except for 2-3 months in the winter, when it rises to $60 or so. Though we have no tv and no a/c. (last bill: 5.8 kWh/day) Given those costs, it's very difficult to get a return on better insulation or insulated windows.
• dredmorbius 12y ago
  "most homes here don't have AC." That really depends on where in the state you are. Coastal cities, generally, more so. Inland, even within the SF Bay Area or Los Angeles, you'll find a lot of AC, and in the Central Valley it's a huge determinant of load and peak load.
• Swizec 12y ago
  > In defense of Californians, most of us rarely, if ever, turn on a heater and most homes here don't have AC Then why on earth was I freezing my balls off in Menlo Park this November? The weeks before we realised our house even had heating were miserable. And even afterwards, as soon as the heaters weren't blowing hot air, or you were more than 3ft away, you were instantly cold and miserable.
  • jessaustin 12y ago
    Had you previously lived in more equatorial climes? Temperature preference really is about what you're used to. Some years ago when I visited India in January/February, my friends' relatives in Rajasthan were shivering in sweaters and coats while my friend and I were perfectly comfortable in short sleeves.
    • Swizec 12y ago
      No, I previously lived in a climate that goes up to 100F in summer and down to 5F in winter. But I've always lived in a proper house with heating and insulation and whatnot.
      • davepage 12y ago
        New Zealand's North Island has a similar problem. A typical house has cheap construction with thin exterior walls, unfinished crawl space with exposed soil, no insulation and no heat pump. Coupled with a damp climate 5-25C, in the winter one gets heavy condensation, black mold, chills, and the fingers don't work. I bumped into a guy here from Northern Germany who said he's never been so cold as in a kiwi house in the winter. The NZ government is trying to change minds, but I still see houses going up with empty wall cavities and no air barrier. But then, the natives wear shorts and tees outside in 5 degree weather all winter. So, maybe its just me.