Friends, as winter truly arrives and our heaters struggle to keep up, it’s more important than ever to stay warm — and to stay safe. If your apartment is chilly or if heating is unreliable, here are practical ways to get cozy and protect yourself from accidents or worse.
How to Keep Warm When It’s Cold and Heat Is Spotty
- Insulate the space: Use draft stoppers, old towels, or rolled-up blankets at the base of doors. Hang heavy curtains or blankets over windows and inside doors to reduce draft and heat loss.
- Heat one room, focus on that area: Instead of trying to warm the whole apartment, choose one room (like a bedroom or living room) and keep doors closed to trap heat. This takes less energy and helps maintain warmth more effectively.
- Dress warmly indoors: Layer clothes, wear socks, hats, scarves, and keep blankets handy. Warm beverages, hot water bottles or heated blankets (safely used) can make a big difference.
- Use direct sunlight when possible: Open curtains on sunny days to let in natural warmth. After sunset, close everything up tight.
Heating Equipment Safety — What NOT to Do
When you’re cold and frustrated, it can be tempting to try quick fixes. Please avoid:
- Never using a stove or oven to heat your apartment — It’s dangerous and can lead to carbon-monoxide buildup or fire.
- Avoiding unvented fuel heaters, kerosene heaters, or grills indoors — They release carbon monoxide; indoor use is risky and sometimes illegal.
- Not using damage electrical cords, extension cords or power strips with heaters — Space heaters should plug directly into a wall outlet, on a flat surface, and be free from frayed cords or sparks.
Safe Practices If You Use a Space Heater, Fireplace, or Alternative Heat Source
If you’re relying on a heater or fireplace, follow these guidelines to reduce fire, smoke, or carbon-monoxide risks:
- Install working smoke detectors and carbon-monoxide alarms — at least one per floor and outside sleeping areas. Test them regularly, change batteries if needed.
- Choose electric space heaters that have safety features like automatic shut-off and tip-over protection. Use only certified heaters.
- Keep heaters at least 3 feet away from curtains, bedding, furniture, and other flammable items. Never cover a heater or place it on top of bedding or furniture.
- Never leave a heater running unattended, especially when you leave the room or sleep. Turn it off when you’re out or going to bed.
- If you use a wood stove or fireplace: make sure it’s properly vented, chimney and flue are clean, and ashes are disposed in a metal container away from flammable material.
If Heating Still Doesn’t Work — Know Your Rights (and What to Do)
In our city, when the weather gets cold — especially below certain thresholds — landlords are legally required to provide proper heating.
If your apartment remains freezing:
- Document the temperature with a thermometer (and take photos or notes) whenever it’s cold.
- Report the issue to property management or the building superintendent.
- If nothing changes, consider calling 311 or seeking local housing assistance (tenant-rights groups or legal aid) to help enforce heating laws.
A Few Words to My Roosevelt Island Neighbors
I know how frustrating — even scary — it can be when your heat doesn’t work and the cold creeps in. If you find yourself cold and unsafe, don’t wait. Take small steps today to keep warm safely. If possible, reach out to a neighbor, friend, or community group — sometimes checking in on each other can make a huge difference.
Stay safe out there, and don’t hesitate to share these tips with anyone you know who might be struggling this winter.
AVAC Is Working. The Model Is What’s Aging.
Roosevelt Island’s AVAC system is often discussed as if it were either a miracle or a menace. In truth, it is neither. It is functioning infrastructure that has reached a point in its lifecycle where how it is maintained matters as much as whether it exists at all.
