We don’t all agree on anything, but if there is one thing the vast majority of us can rally behind, it is this: it’s wicked nasty out there.
Record-high tying temperatures are expected in Columbus and around much of the nation today as part of summer’s first heat wave.
“Stay hydrated with temperatures remaining dangerously high,” the Accuweather forecast linked from Dispatch.com warns.
About 33 million Americans will bake in triple-digit heat, meteorologist Ryan Maue told the Associated Press. It will just feel like 104 degrees here. The actual temperature is only expected to reach 97, so we have that going for ourselves, right?
It will get better after today—slightly.
The National Weather Service forecasts highs in the lower 90s through the rest of the week.
So, most of us agree that it is real, real hot.
Here is where things might get tricky.
Where do you put your thermostat?
Where the experts say your thermostat should be. It seems hot to me.
Keeping cool in all that heat will not come without financial concerns in Ohio where electricity costs were already rising.
Energy Star, an EPA program that promotes energy efficiency, recommends setting air conditioning at 78 degrees when you wake up, increasing it by at least 7 degrees during the day when no one is home. It recommends setting it at 78 in the evening and increasing by at least 4 degrees when you’re asleep.
That advice seems utterly offensive, but that’s what they recommend as a starting point.
Carrier, an HVAC company, recommends setting air conditioning at 78 for a “a good mix of comfort and energy efficiency,” but says between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit is generally considered the most comfortable range.
Amelia Robinson is the Columbus Dispatch’s opinion and community engagement editor.
Note: This has been updated to provide further information.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: It’s so, so hot in Columbus. What do you keep your air conditioner at? Tell us. | Opinion
Reporting by Amelia Robinson, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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