# People That Refuse To Turn The Heat (Or A/C) On "Out Of Principle" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 9, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235 "2012-10-09T17:54:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/61 "2012-10-09T23:48:30Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Yes she did, and that’s ridiculously pedantic. Answering “maybe” in response to “Is it not for financial reasons?” does not, in any way, clarify that’s she’s talking specifically about people with arbitrary principles. > [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > People who don’t have enough money don’t deprive themselves of comfort on principle. They do it because they don’t have enough money. But that’s not the only type of person that exists. You can have enough money to pay for it, but not want to out of principle that arose from finances. ---
**Author:** ![Library\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cab0a1/32.png) [@Library\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Library_Boy)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/62 "2012-10-09T23:50:37Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > You can have principles based on other factors. It’s entirely possible to have, in this case, a heating schedule on principle that arose from financial matters. Only if you don’t understand what a principle is. Which you don’t seem to. In any event, I have to go now, so take this participation trophy and be proud. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/63 "2012-10-09T23:50:49Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > She didn’t though. And they’re again not necessarily mutually exclusive. I’m clarifying it now, and in the OP I thought I made it clear that I meant people that turn the heat or AC on based on the calendar. That’s why I thought your responses were so bizarre, because I clearly wasn’t talking about people that didn’t turn the heat on because they couldn’t afford it. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/64 "2012-10-09T23:52:39Z")
My apartment building doesn’t turn on the heat until the 15th. It’s been a cold couple of days! Personally, I hate the AC. In very hot weather, it’s nice to cool down for a few minutes when I come inside. But i dislike spending any amount of time in a chilled room. Supermarkets in the summer are my enemy. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/65 "2012-10-09T23:52:48Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > I’m clarifying it now, and in the OP I thought I made it clear that I meant people that turn the heat or AC on based on the calendar. That’s why I thought your responses were so bizarre, because I clearly wasn’t talking about people that didn’t turn the heat on because they couldn’t afford it. My response was **based** on your calendar remarks. Why can’t that still be financially driven, as you even agreed might be possible? ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/66 "2012-10-09T23:53:49Z")
> [@Library\_Boy](#): > > Only if you don’t understand what a principle is. Which you don’t seem to. And you don’t seem to realize that principle’s generally aren’t formed out of thin air ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/67 "2012-10-09T23:57:37Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Another factor: In some houses, it may be necessary to clean out the furnace and ducts before turning it on for the first time in the season. You plan a date for doing that based on when you _think_ it’ll get cold, but maybe you’ll be unlucky and it’ll get cold before then. And you plan it for not just when you think it will get cold, but when it will _stay_ cold. Because at the same time as I get my furnace cleaned, I am also taking the air conditioners out of the windows etc. If I do it too early (like the end of September) , then I’m likely to end up with a week where I want the air conditioning, not heat. If I wait until late October, that’s not likely to happen. And the same thing in reverse in the spring. It could be 80 degrees for a week in March, and I’m still not turning the heat off and putting the air conditioners in until May, because it will get cold again ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/68 "2012-10-09T23:59:14Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > My response was **based** on your calendar remarks. Why can’t that still be financially driven, as you even agreed might be possible? But I wouldn’t start a thread asking people why they don’t turn they heat on when they can’t afford it. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/69 "2012-10-10T00:01:04Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > But I wouldn’t start a thread asking people why they don’t turn they heat on when they can’t afford it. That’s right, you didn’t, which is why I offered it as possible answer to your question, which you seemed to accept as a possibility. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/70 "2012-10-10T00:04:44Z")
> [@minionkat](#): > > The summer is another thing completely. If I am sweaty in the house, the AC is on. > > You can always put on another sweater or blanket, but you can only get so naked. then you plant yourself in the yard naked on a lawn chair under a lawn sprinkler. ---
**Author:** ![Library\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cab0a1/32.png) [@Library\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Library_Boy)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/71 "2012-10-10T00:14:53Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > And you don’t seem to realize that principle’s generally aren’t formed out of thin air Ok, I lied. I’m still here. The reason the expression is “It’s not the money, it’s the principle of the thing” is because the accepted idea we humans have of principles is that they are divorced from economic realities. Why is this so hard? Why am I wasting my time on it? Why did the Jets get Tebow if they were not going to use him in their running game? ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/72 "2012-10-10T00:18:42Z")
> [@Library\_Boy](#): > > Ok, I lied. I’m still here. > > The reason the expression is “It’s not the money, it’s the principle of the thing” is because the accepted idea we humans have of principles is that they are divorced from economic realities. This [pie chart](http://i.chzbgr.com/completestore/2009/10/12/128998462519627575.png) will hopefully clarify things for you. ---
**Author:** ![Library\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cab0a1/32.png) [@Library\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Library_Boy)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/73 "2012-10-10T00:21:54Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > This [piechart](http://i.chzbgr.com/completestore/2009/10/12/128998462519627575.png) will hopefully clarify things for you. There are no words, but I’ll try anyway. If you were familiar with a concept called “humor”, you would realize that your link proves my point. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/74 "2012-10-10T00:23:38Z")
> [@Library\_Boy](#): > > There are no words, but I’ll try anyway. > > If you were familiar with a concept called “humor”, you would realize that your link proves my point. And if you understood this strange “humor” concept as much as you purport to, you would realize “humor” is often “humorous” because it’s based in truth. ---
**Author:** ![Library\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cab0a1/32.png) [@Library\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Library_Boy)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/75 "2012-10-10T00:34:51Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > And if you understood this strange “humor” concept as much as you purport to, you would realize “humor” is often “humorous” because it’s based in truth. I have as much chance of enlightening you as I do of teaching my cat to play “Rule Britannia” on a xylophone, but I’ll take on one more windmill. Yes, people say it is the principle when it is really money, but that is because they are LYING. If it is really the principle, it has nothing to do with money. People lying do not change the meaning of words. So when someone says it is the principle of the thing, they may be lying (gasp, clutch the pearls!), but I am still free to take their statement at face value, which would be IT’S NOT THE MONEY! ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/76 "2012-10-10T00:37:28Z")
Even if you can, when it comes down to it, afford it, you may feel like you’d rather spend your cash on hookers and blow than heating. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/77 "2012-10-10T00:38:02Z")
> [@Library\_Boy](#): > > I have as much chance of enlightening you as I do of teaching my cat to play “Rule Britannia” on a xylophone, but I’ll take on one more windmill. This is the first thing you’ve said that I agree with. ---
**Author:** ![Library\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cab0a1/32.png) [@Library\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Library_Boy)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/78 "2012-10-10T00:47:06Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > This is the first thing you’ve said that I agree with. I suspect we would differ on the reason for it, however. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/79 "2012-10-10T01:12:40Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > I’m clarifying it now, and in the OP I thought I made it clear that I meant people that turn the heat or AC on based on the calendar. That’s why I thought your responses were so bizarre, because I clearly wasn’t talking about people that didn’t turn the heat on because they couldn’t afford it. I thought your OP was completely clear. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235/80 "2012-10-10T01:31:16Z")
I live in an apartment. My heat isn’t thermostatically controlled (baseboard). I don’t turn it on until chilly weather is forcast for the next whole week. Otherwise, it gets waaaayyyy too warm whenever the sun comes out to give us a glorious 70-75 degree day. For AC in the spring, the heat has to be off at least a week (I cool with box fans then) before I relent to turning it on. Once on, it usually stays on for the season. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-refuse-to-turn-the-heat-or-a-c-on-out-of-principle/637235.md?page=5)