MONTEREY, Calif. -- Friday night may be the night to crank up the heat in your home, no matter what the cost, according to some people who live in Monterey.
Kathy Nolan said she's such a penny pincher that her family can't even believe what she's been doing: Turning up the heat.
She said these last several nights have been so cold that she's dreading how high her electric bill will be.
"I'm so stingy," she said. "In fact, one time when I went to complain about my bill they giggled and I said, 'What are you giggling for?' She said: 'Here in the office we make bets if anyone's even alive at that address.' That's how stingy I am."
"I think in the last month it's been up about $50," said Gayle Walsh of Pacific Grove.
Walsh said she's doing all she can to keep warm even bundling up extra on her morning walks.
But at night, she said it's even worse.
"It's just been so cold that I can't sleep," she said.40 percent over the last several months.
The unusually-low temperatures aren't bad news for everyone.
Carswell Heating and Sheet Metal in Seaside said business has gotten a lot busier, up at least "It seems like there's more of a sense of urgency when we talk to people. They need it (their furnace) fixed a lot sooner, because it goes from normal temperatures to very cold overnight," said Alex Carswell.
