78 Degrees Is Now The Recommended Temperature Setting For All Thermostats

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What’s cooler than being cool? ICE COLD!

Alright, alright, alright, alright… HA okay, so here’s the thing – the government says the coolest you should keep your house is 78 degrees and I am sorry but that isn’t cool with me.

Anything over 75 in my house during the summer and I feel like this:

And to be quite honest, I just can’t sleep unless my sheets are nice and cool.

But according to Energy Star, a federal government program, they recommend keeping your home at 78 degrees when your home and awake.

Ready for the really crazy part? They say you should keep your home at 85 degrees when you’re at work or out of the house and 82 degrees when you’re sleeping.

82 degrees while sleeping?! You might as well be sleeping next to the oven.

The reason for these recommendations is because Energy Star says these temperatures help reduce energy costs and energy usage.

I mean, that seems to be a given but if you are someone that can’t sleep while it’s hot or even have a medical condition that depends on you staying cool, it seems like these recommendations won’t work.

Perhaps we could meet somewhere in the middle? Energy Star says that for every degree you raise your temperature, you are saving 3% on your utility bill.

Personally, ever since I’ve been using a smart thermostat, I’ve been able to reduce costs by being able to program my temperatures during different times of the day or based when I am home or away.

Energy Star recommends starting at 78 degrees then lower it one degrees and see if you can handle the temperature until you get to a comfortable level. They also recommends utilizing fans and opening windows at night to help cool the air in your home.

So, what do you think? Are these recommendations just crazy or reasonable?

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12 Comments

  1. I guarantee the people making this recommendation do not keep their thermostats set that way. I live in Florida. I use ceiling fans and keep my thermostat at 76. I’m still roasting. No thank you. That’s ridiculous.

  2. when you start paying my power bill then you can have a say in where i sit it

  3. We do keep ours at 78 degrees F.I sometimes get too cold with that too though. Fortunately for me I live in a desert, with dry heat. I can go out and warm up.

  4. Nope, notta, isn’t happening at my house. 71-73 and no hotter. No way I would raise the windows in Arkansas. What would that accomplish?

  5. “When your home and awake…?”
    Your home is what?

  6. So the recommendations are keeping house at a certain temp with AC then at night open your windows to let more humidity back in your house so your AC can run more agin to get the humidity out again ! Lol no thank you ! I keep our house at 20 C degrees (68 F)
    And that’s cool enough ?

  7. They obviously don’t live in Florida where it’s humid at night too.

  8. 70 degrees is my happy place. I work in a grocery store, so I would roast IF I used those recommendations.

  9. This so called government recommendation must have been written by a “Nanny Stater” 80 year old 100 pounder!!! 76 is MY number and I pay my bill so therefore I get to set the thermostat. In Houston at 76 degrees if you stand up you begin to sweat this time of year so that is MY life!

    1. I agree with you there. I’m near Houston. 75 for me!

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