During the summer, particularly in Texas, one can expect almost every day to be a scorcher, which creates an increase in the use of air conditioning in homes and businesses. For some individuals, this results in the requirement to carry hoodies or light sweaters or jackets to many places, while others suffer sweat-filled walks from their cars while wearing pants and other work or going-out attire.
Not everyone keeps their places at the same temperatures, though, and one must be prepared for various conditions or deal with potentially undesirable temperatures. If you were to ask Martha Stewart what the ideal thermostat setting is, she would advise keeping it at 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the summertime and between 68 and 70 during winter days (and 65 at nighttime in the colder months). Dallas resident Drew Mbiam, however, believes that the perfect temperature is 71 degrees.
“The cool, crisp air creates peak indoor performance conditions,” he said. “You can cook food that tastes tastier. Trash gets taken out with emphasis. Sleep is optimal.”
Dallas-area resident Ashley Hill isn’t far off from Mbiam or the aforementioned self-made billionaire in the temperatures she prefers. For Hill, between 70 and 72 degrees is her average ideal temperature during the day, but she said she needs it to be colder at night.
“I usually sleep with my thermostat set at 68 degrees, even in the winter,” she said. “Getting hot when you sleep is the worst, and I have found that with my body temperature, that’s the ideal number to get a good night’s rest.”
Some people are more inclined to keep their homes a bit warmer, though. Dallas resident Eli Rodriguez said he believes that the perfect indoor temperature is 75 degrees.
“I get cold easily, so it’s a comfortable temperature for me,” he said.
While each individual doesn’t have a say when working in a shared space, such as an office, research has shown that temperatures can have negative impacts on employees’ levels of productivity. They can also affect people’s moods, as Rodriguez has discovered.
“Uncomfortable temps make me irritable,” he said. “I am not able to concentrate because I’m either sweating or shivering.”
Like Rodriguez, Hill notices her ability to focus when she feels too hot or too cold because she isn’t able to think of anything else.
“I do my best to always bring a light jacket with me if I am going somewhere where I won’t know what the temp will be like,” she said. “I also always bring a bottle of water in case I get too warm. I know other people may have different temp preferences than I do, so I always try to be prepared for that.”
Mbiam also becomes uncomfortable and unable to focus when the temperature doesn’t feel right, but for him, this is more the case if the environment is too warm. In fact, he said he would likely even call it a day at work if he felt too overheated to be able to effectively concentrate on his job responsibilities.
“It’s harder for me to adjust to the heat,” he said. “I’ll probably just leave. PTO is a great thing to have in those kinds of situations. It can never get too cold, and even if it does, you can always add layers. Unlike heat, there is no limit to your layer changes and combos when it’s cold.”
Making a place colder or warmer doesn’t come without financial consequences, though. Many people who prefer icier settings notice significant increases in their electric bills during hotter months, while those who shiver easily may see higher expenses in the fall and winter. The extra costs are worth it to some individuals, though.
“My electric bill has no impact on my indoor temps,” Rodriguez said. “I value my comfort over money.”
Similarly, Hill said she would rather pay a little more and live in a pleasant and inviting environment than suffer to save some money.
“I do have family members with the opposite mentality, though, and I totally get why people do that,” she said. “Luckily, being single, I get to make all of the decisions on what the temperature is set at and how I want to spend my own money, so I am always going to keep the temperature at a comfortable setting.”
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