While it is true that the Coronavirus lock down made this a more recent reality, I wanted to discuss it anyway.

When we were working during the day, we had the programmable thermostat turn on the heat or AC about a half hour before we got home so the house would be – or be getting – more comfortable when we arrived. So for a good 9 hours a day during the week, the system would generally not run.

When one is home all day long, sometimes the house gets a little too uncomfortable, be it too cold (no heat) or too hot (no AC). So occasionally, the thermostat is overridden and the system is turned on. I can foresee the thermostat being reprogrammed so it would run more often when at home all the time. Of course, the electric, gas, and or oil bills will be increasing accordingly.

We have our own well water from the ground. But I can see how metered water could also increase if someone is home all the time. I mean, after all, there is additional water / coffee / tea being consumed, and more toilet flushing. And during the day, there may even be a lunch being cooked with water rather than eating a sandwich. It doesn’t seem like much, but an extra gallon here and an extra gallon there, could start to add up.

There is no savings from eating lunch at home more, because we brought our lunch to work. See the Money posts for more details on this.

Most of the other expenses, that I can think of and in our situation, are the same whether or not they are used more or less – cable, trash removal, mortgage.