The Coolest You Should Keep Your House is 78 Degrees, Federal Program Recommends

[MechAg94]

https://www.wtsp.com/amp/article/life/the-coolest-you-should-keep-your-house-is-78-degrees-federal-program-recommends/67-17ad6fc5-e591-44e8-b556-09f5a2781945?__twitter_impression=true

   These guys are nuts.

Energy Star, the federal program from the DOE and the Environmental Protection Agency, said the coolest you should keep your home is 78 degrees when you're home.

When you're at work or away, the program recommends setting it at 85 degrees. When you're sleeping, Energy Star said to set the thermostat at 82 degrees.

I can't imagine how much mold and crap I would end up with if I set my thermostat that high.  And 82 degrees at night is crazy.  78 is the maximum my AC gets to during the say.  

Of course, looking at the Twitter comments, I was surprised how many people try to keep thermostats set in the 60's.

[BobR]

We run the central air (@74) only during the day for the most part and then when it cools off (below 78) we will open up the house. I have a portable A/C unit in the bedroom that goes on 1 hour prior to bedtime and it is set at 62 degrees. My bedroom will get down to 64-66 degrees on a good night. I seem to sleep better in the cold than the heat.  :)

bob

[Ben]

I saw that yesterday. If I had to sleep at 82 deg, I wouldn't sleep between JUL-SEP. I guess eventually you can get used to it, but man, I hate sleeping warm. When I have stayed at VRBOs in Hawaii in the Summer, where there was no AC, even with a fan going I would wake up at least a half dozen times at night hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable. That was around an average of 82 at night.

[charby]

Must be recommendations for old people.

[MechAg94]

Must be recommendations for old people.

Maybe it is part of their efforts to get social security costs under control. 

[Brad Johnson]

First Rule of Energy Management: Occupant Comfort Is Irrelevant

Brad

[TommyGunn]

I refuse.  Period.  End story.   

[RoadKingLarry]

My wife sets the A/C somewhere between Nuclear Winter and Glaciate.
I think I could hang a side of beef in her office to age.

[MikeB]

82 degrees basically means no sleep without consuming large amounts of alcohol. I can't sleep if I'm sweating and if it is 82 degrees I'm probably sweating unless the humidity is really low.

I try to get my bedroom to at least 68 degrees, I have been known run the A/C or opened windows in the winter time.

[RocketMan]

You must get with the program, comrades.  Having air conditioning is exercising your unfair [insert type here] privilege.  Set your thermostats to 78º or you will be sent to the camps for reeducation.

[MillCreek]

The menopausal Mrs. MillCreek says nyet, comrade!

[230RN]

Trouble is, too often goobermint horse manure like this morphs into goobermint mandate.

"Energy Star" ratings will be withheld from AC mfrs who do not make their minimum setting 78°.  Say hello to non-law law again.

And goodbye to "STP" (Standard Temperature and Pressure) at 68° and 760 Torr.  

And there will be a black market in clandestine devices which will blow warm air over your new Energy Star air conditioner's thermostat.  

Terry, SRF (Standard Rage and Fury), 230RN

[brimic]

There is a reason why I never signed up for the local Utility’s power throttling program.
“So you can shut off my A/C on the hottest days of the year, and in exchange, I save $1.50/month on my electric bill? Screw you.”

[Hawkmoon]

You must get with the program, comrades.  Having air conditioning is exercising your unfair [insert type here] privilege.  Set your thermostats to 78º or you will be sent to the camps for reeducation.

Do the camps have air conditioning?

[MechAg94]

First Rule of Energy Management: Occupant Comfort Is Irrelevant

Brad

Neither is the long term maintenance on your home.  I would have dew on my floors every morning. 

[MillCreek]

And there will be a black market in clandestine devices which will blow warm air over your new Energy Star air conditioner's thermostat.  

My wife's hairdryer comes to mind.

[brimic]

The movie ‘Brazil’ was supposed to be satire, not a how-to on governance.

[Larry Ashcraft]

We keep ours at 75 day or night.  Of course, we didn't even HAVE AC until last summer, when the new house was ready. Southern Colorado is hot and dry, but since we're high plains, the nighttime temperature is between 55 and 60, even if it's 100 in the afternoon.

In the old (1933) house, we slept upstairs, and in the wintertime the room was in the 50s at night.  Ideal for sleeping. Quilts were invented for a reason.

[grampster]

Ahhh, yes.  21st century problems.

We keep ours at 77 and if it cools down to that or below, we turn it off.  Sometimes we don't use it during the day even if it's in low 80's as long as it's not muggy.  We live in Michigan.  We like the warm and seeing that strange bright yellow ball in the sky...What is that anyway?

[Ben]

Ahhh, yes.  21st century problems.

We like the warm and seeing that strange bright yellow ball in the sky...What is that anyway?

In August, we call that the evil orb of sweating. 

[HankB]

Energy Star, the federal program from the DOE and the Environmental Protection Agency, said the coolest you should keep your home is 78 degrees when you're home.

Dear President Trump:

Please issue an executive order that all DOE and EPA office facilities - particularly those in Southern states - have their summertime air conditioning control locked at 78 Degrees.

Thank you.

[MillCreek]

I wonder how the White House thermostats are set.

[brimic]

I wonder how the White House thermostats are set.

Probably 75.
Its probably the perfect atmospheric conditions for eating a well done steak with ketchup.
No reason to turn it up, as Trump doesn’t sleep, as evidenced by his tweets.

[Boomhauer]

Probably the same fucksticks who want to tax away the consumption of meat.

[Ben]

Probably 75.
Its probably the perfect atmospheric conditions for eating a well done steak with ketchup.
No reason to turn it up, as Trump doesn’t sleep, as evidenced by his tweets.

At the highest. When I'm in a suit, I like 69.