My in-laws have a gas well located on their property.
This provides them access to free natural gas.
It costs them nothing to heat their home, use the oven and run the hot water heater. Since we live in an area that is well-known for our extreme winter weather, this is very advantageous. It costs my husband and I a small fortune to heat our house. We set the thermostat as low as possible and bundle up in layers of sweaters in an attempt to reduce the strain on our budget. My in-laws take full advantage of their free gas. The whole family gathers at their house for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We all have learned to wear shorts and tank tops. It doesn’t matter what the outside weather is, the house will be horribly overheated. My mother and father-in-law have no qualms about turning the thermostat up to 85 degrees. It’s so hot that everyone is wet with sweat within ten minutes of arriving. We all fight over who gets to take out the garbage just for the chance to step outside. We try to open a window without letting my in-laws notice. The fresh air is such a relief. My mother-in-law always catches me and shuts the window. She gets upset that I’m letting the heat escape. She says it forces the furnaces to work harder. If she’s so concerned with wear and tear on the heating system, I would think she’d lower the thermostat to a tolerable setting. It’s absolutely bizarre that we arrive in wool coats and snow boots and are forced to strip down because it’s so stinking hot at her house.