**I don't have a snake yet, hopefully that will be remedied next weekend at the expo. This gives me 1 week to make sure my temperatures are perfect for the coming cold months**

This weekend has been our first taste of winter, and it has brought some new challenges. Our house has been between 64 and 68, which means my tank has been too cold. I have a 40gal tank, set up as described in the "how to set up a glass tank tutorial sticky". The temps were perfect, before the apartment temps dropped below 73 F. The hot side has a 100 Watt blue bulb, and the cool side has a 60 watt blue bulb. I have a thermostat, but the UTH won't be here for a few more days, (I had to send the first one back since the wires were frayed). The temps in the tank last night were:

Hot side (the probe is inside a rock cave-hide) 84.5 F
Middle of the tank (the probe is inside a small hide) 74.2 F
Cool side of the tank (the probe is also in a small hide) 71.0 F

Once the UTH is here, I think I can get the hot side under / near the hide up to 86 - 88 F, but I don't know how to get the cool side up into the acceptable range. I was debating between getting a second 100 watt bulb and putting it on a dimmer, or trying a 75 watt. Any recommendations would be appreciated. The winter time has been my biggest concern since deciding to get a python.

Also, are red or blue bulbs better for nocturnal animals?

I thought about getting a CHE, but I have read that they get to 500+ degrees on the surface and that they need an open 'wire basket' type of holder hovering above the tank versus the typical aluminum bell shaped one or they can cause a fire. I also have cat's and don't really like the thought of basically an oven-burner just being on all the time.

I would also like to note that I live in an old apartment building that is too drafty to keep the house temps up in above 72 without completely breaking the bank.
I know that I will have humidity issues, so I already have cypress bark, I'm planning on keeping a moist hide on the hot side, and misting the cage as necessary.

Thanks so much for reading