Window Handle As Thermostat

OpenDemocracy has a bit on energy efficiency in Russia, and nearly all of it applies to Kazakhstan, especially the parts about citywide centralized heating for residences. Everybody's heat goes on one day in the fall and off one day in the spring, and if it's too hot-- you open the window. Newer buildings have radiators with shutoff valves. In fact, in our apartment, we keep nearly all the valves closed all the time-- heat rising from the floors below keeps the apartment more than warm enough anyway.

Of course, that has no effect on our heating bill-- everybody pays according to the size of their apartment, regardless of how much heat they actually use, because heat, unlike electricity and cold/hot water, is unmetered. So there's no incentive for anyone to use less heat, and no consequences for running it at full blast and then opening windows to regulate temperature. It's crazy.