As an intense summer heat wave envelops Portland and the surrounding areas, residents are grappling with the age-old question of the ideal thermostat setting that balances comfort with cost savings.
The federal government’s Energy Star program suggests a thermostat setting of 78 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer. Furthermore, it recommends raising the temperature to 82 degrees before going to bed to conserve energy.
However, many residents, like Hillsboro’s Casey Millot, are finding these suggestions too warm for their tastes.
Millot, for instance, maintains her thermostat at a cooler 74 degrees during summer days and prefers even lower temperatures at night.
This sentiment resonates with other Portland residents, who have voiced similar opinions in recent discussions about the optimal indoor temperature during hot weather.
Energy Star, a collaborative initiative of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, emphasizes that its temperature guidelines serve merely as a starting point. It encourages individuals to tailor their settings to their personal comfort levels.
The guidelines have sparked a significant debate, with many arguing that the recommended temperatures are uncomfortably high. In response to the backlash, a spokesperson for the EPA indicated in 2019 that individuals should determine their comfortable setting and then adjust by four degrees at night and seven degrees when away from home.
Contrarily, a tip sheet from the U.S. Department of Energy proposes slightly different advice—suggesting a daytime thermostat setting of 75 to 78 degrees—without providing specific nighttime recommendations.
Despite the heated discussions surrounding the ideal indoor temperature, energy officials assert that adjusting thermostat settings higher during summer can lead to substantial savings. John Farmer, a spokesperson for Portland General Electric (PGE), points out that it’s challenging to quantify exact monetary savings over short timeframes.
He explains that the cost of running an air conditioning unit varies with the temperature outside.
If the thermostat is set to 70 degrees when it’s 80 degrees outside, it will cost significantly less than if the same set temperature is required on a scorching 100-degree day.
“It’s like running uphill instead of running on flat ground,” Farmer illustrates, stressing that keeping the house cooler during extreme heat demands more energy and, consequently, higher costs.
Energy experts offer estimates to quantify these savings. The Department of Energy suggests households can save as much as 10% annually on energy bills by shifting their thermostat by seven to ten degrees for eight hours a day.
Moreover, Energy Star promotes the use of programmable or smart thermostats, stating they can help save nearly $180 each year on utility bills.
PGE provides several discounted or even complimentary thermostat options on its website. The Google Nest can be obtained for free after a $129.99 instant rebate, while ecobee is available for just $10 following a $189.99 instant rebate, mostly through incentives from the Energy Trust of Oregon.
Farmer describes the affordability of these options enthusiastically, asserting, “There’s a $200 thermostat for 10 bucks. I’ll take it. Like that sounds like a pretty good deal.”
There’s more at stake than just saving money; energy conservation also bears significant environmental benefits. According to the EPA, household energy consumption can emit twice the greenhouse gases as the average car. This is largely due to the reliance on fossil fuels for electricity production.
Although PGE successfully sources 45% of its energy from renewable sources such as hydropower, wind, and solar, 36% derives from natural gas, and 6% comes from coal, with 13% labeled as other sources.
During a recent gathering among friends, Portland resident Miriam Lissy observed the varied thermostat preferences among her peers, spanning from 70 to 78 degrees.
Lissy herself finds balance at a comfortable 76 degrees, opting for this mid-range setting partly to conserve energy and partly for personal comfort.
Yet she has noticed contrasting temperatures in public spaces, particularly in grocery stores where she feels the air conditioning is excessively cold.
Lissy questioned, “Why do they want to have it so cold?” inviting further discourse on the subjective nature of comfort temperatures, particularly amid the ongoing summer heat wave.
image source from：oregonlive
