After receiving my first utility bill ever that was over $400 for last month, I wonder how the heck you can afford to live in places like that where it gets so cold for so long.
Jim,
It's not always this cold here, not that we don't get a few very cold days each winter. Most of North America has experienced an unusually cold winter this year, and for us it's the coldest February in 35 years; that's longer than I have lived in Moose Jaw, as I move here from slightly further North! Our infrastructure is geared to survive in winter; our homes are significantly more insulated than those in the South, we have high efficiency furnaces, and a vast network of natural gas pipelines and storage caverns. Our gas utility is regulated, and although it has purchased some product at a higher price, that will be averaged, and we will likely pay a slightly higher rate next winter. The biggest natural gas bill I recall is about $225.00 for 1 month, and technically, I could be on an equalized payment plan that could blend the summer and winter costs.
Many of us who live in "the great white North" have a certain sense of pride, just knowing we can and have lived through some fierce weather, hence my previous post. Many who can afford it (and some who really can't) take a Southern holiday in the winter to at least get temporary relief. I'm not one of those. Even though we like to complain, I can't imagine living somewhere where there are no seasons.
Besides, there are some upsides to living here:
no earthquakes, no hurricanes, very few tornadoes (and not as severe as in the South), no tidal waves and, a very low persons/square mile ratio!
Oh, and one more thing, when it's this cold, you can just stay inside and drink wine!
Ice on local lakes is approaching 4 feet thick, so it will be a while before we get to go boating.
