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It’s hot, electricity prices are high, and Americans are struggling to afford to stay cool. You might have heard public officials recommending setting your air conditioning systems to 78 degrees Fahrenheit (25.6 Celsius) to balance comfort and energy- and cost-efficiency.
But it’s not as simple as that, explains Destenie Nock, an engineering and public policy scholar at Carnegie Mellon University. Cooling equipment varies. The climate varies across the U.S. as well. And each person’s individual health needs are different too.
Nock explains how those elements factor into comfort and safety, and offers some key suggestions – with no or very low cost – for keeping yourself, your loved ones and your home cool as the thermometer climbs.
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