What temperature to set your thermostat during summer heat wave?
AC units can be lifesaving, but there are other tips to keep homes cool.
Millions of Americans are facing hot, humid temperatures at the start of summer.
Across the Midwest and Northeast, over 40 million Americans are under extreme heat watches on June 20. Some states could reach into the 100s with high humidity. New York and Washington, D.C., could see temperatures surpass 90 degrees for up to a week.
For people with air-conditioning, window units and central air will be humming for days on end. While staying safe and staying cool is paramount, people must also balance their bills.
Here are tips to efficiently cool homes at the start of a scorching summer.
Hot and humid: Heat advisory for millions as 'dangerous' temperatures kick off summer
What's the best temperature to set AC?
The U.S. Department of Energy recommends keeping temperatures inside comfortable and at a level that controls for humidity. People should also try to lower the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures to help save money.
Energy Star, an Environmental Protection Agency program promoting energy efficiency, recommends setting ACs to 78 degrees for comfort and efficiency when you wake up. Energy companies, including in Missouri, Maryland and Florida, recommend thermostats at 78 degrees during summer months.
Few Americans follow this recommendation, though.
A Consumer Reports survey in 2021 said people with central air set their median temperatures to 72 degrees. No respondents selected temperatures warmer than 76 degrees.
When sleeping, ideally when outdoor temperatures drop, people can set temperatures 4 degrees warmer.
Thermostats that are programmable can regulate these temperatures, according to Energy Star. Meanwhile, installing thermostats further from areas that receive cool or heat, like a window with an AC unit that takes in sunlight, can help regulate temperatures.
What about when I'm away?
The energy department says keeping a house warmer when you're away can avert unnecessary energy use.
Energy Star recommends setting temperatures 7 degrees warmer when you're away from home. Just a 7- to 10-degree difference, for about eight hours each day, can save as much as 10% a year on cooling and heating costs, the energy department said.
Other ways to stay cool
Climate and AC
More people are using air conditioning in the country, EPA data suggests. That's in part because we experience more hot days due to a warming climate.
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci and Greta Cross, USA TODAY; Steven Howe, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle; Jordan Green, Memphis Commercial Appeal; Greg Giesen, Delaware News Journal; and Manahil Ahmad, The Bergen Record.
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USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
What temperature to set your thermostat during summer heat wave?
AC units can be lifesaving, but there are other tips to keep homes cool. Millions of Americans are facing hot, humid temperatures at the start of summer. Across the Midwest and Northeast, over 40 million Americans are under extreme heat watches on June 20. Some states could reach into the 100s with high humidity. New York and Washington, D.C., could see temperatures surpass 90 degrees for up to a week. For people with air-conditioning, window units and central air will be humming for days on end. While staying safe and staying cool is paramount, people must also balance their bills. Here are tips to efficiently cool homes at the start of a scorching summer. Hot and humid: Heat advisory for millions as 'dangerous' temperatures kick off summer What's the best temperature to set AC? The U.S. Department of Energy recommends keeping temperatures inside comfortable and at a level that controls for humidity. People should also try to lower the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures to help save money. Energy Star, an Environmental Protection Agency program promoting energy efficiency, recommends setting ACs to 78 degrees for comfort and efficiency when you wake up. Energy companies, including in Missouri, Maryland and Florida, recommend thermostats at 78 degrees during summer months. Few Americans follow this recommendation, though. A Consumer Reports survey in 2021 said people with central air set their median temperatures to 72 degrees. No respondents selected temperatures warmer than 76 degrees. When sleeping, ideally when outdoor temperatures drop, people can set temperatures 4 degrees warmer. Thermostats that are programmable can regulate these temperatures, according to Energy Star. Meanwhile, installing thermostats further from areas that receive cool or heat, like a window with an AC unit that takes in sunlight, can help regulate temperatures. What about when I'm away? The energy department says keeping a house warmer when you're away can avert unnecessary energy use. Energy Star recommends setting temperatures 7 degrees warmer when you're away from home. Just a 7- to 10-degree difference, for about eight hours each day, can save as much as 10% a year on cooling and heating costs, the energy department said. Other ways to stay cool Climate and AC More people are using air conditioning in the country, EPA data suggests. That's in part because we experience more hot days due to a warming climate. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci and Greta Cross, USA TODAY; Steven Howe, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle; Jordan Green, Memphis Commercial Appeal; Greg Giesen, Delaware News Journal; and Manahil Ahmad, The Bergen Record.
USA Today
7 hours ago
- USA Today
Extreme heat expected to continue during the week, weather experts warn
As millions of Americans return to work June 23 for the first full week of summer, they will face scorching temperatures that could reach as high as 100 degrees, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic region, weather experts said. 'The toughest days are going to be Monday through Wednesday to get through,'' said Brian Hurley, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center, part of the National Weather Service. A heat wave is expected to continue across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast putting more than 150 million Americans under heat advisories, heat warnings or extreme heat watches, according to the National Weather Service. A heat warning is more extreme with temperature possibly reaching as high as 110 degrees, but all the conditions can be dangerous, said Hurley. 'It's a concerning issue just because of the fact that we're not really getting much relief, if any, at night," he said. 'We're not cooling off so it's going to feel pretty extreme.'' Some temperatures could reach 15 degrees above normal for June. It's early to see triple-digit temperatures, which usually happen in July, Hurley said. 'It's going to feel miserable' The Mid-Atlantic corridor, including Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York, is likely to be hardest hit. In the Washington, D.C., metro area temperatures are expected to reach 100 degrees early in the week with night-time temperatures in the 80s. "Those overnight temperatures are going to struggle to get below 80 degrees,'' he said. Hurley noted that D.C. just recently hit it's first 90-degree day. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a heat alert for Sunday, June 22, and extreme heat alerts for Monday through Wednesday, June 23-25. Officials urged residents to check on seniors and access cooling centers across the city. Cooling buses were also deployed for people without shelter. Other areas also expected to be impacted by the extreme heat include Raleigh, North Carolina and Richmond, Virginia. Both are predicted to experience near-record or record daily temperatures of more than 100 degrees early in the week. 'It's really the brute force of it all,'' he said noting the temperature shift. 'That's why it's going to feel a bit stifling.''Either way it's going to feel miserable,' he said. The extreme conditions could be dangerous. Experts recommend people limit outdoor activities, stay hydrated, put on air conditioning early in your car, bring water bottles and find access to cooling centers. The first day of summer, June 20, kicked off with a heat wave blanketing some parts of the country and continued into the weekend. Much of the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast was under heat advisory warnings, according to the National Weather expected to cool off – a little – by the end of next week with temperatures in the lower 90s. 'That will feel a lot nicer,'' Hurley said.
USA Today
9 hours ago
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Reds star, Mariners pitcher, MLB umpire buckle under extreme heat
Summer has just begun and forecasters are already sounding the alarm bells about a deadly round of severe weather working its way across much of the USA. As a storm system brought high winds and tornados across the Midwest and Northeast on Saturday, exceedingly high temperatures elsewhere took a toll on outdoor activities – including Major League Baseball games. In St. Louis and Chicago, the mercury topped the 90 degree mark, coupled with high humidity, driving the heat index above 100. Those conditions led to incidents in each game – both of which lasted over three hours – in which players and umpires had to seek treatment. Reds' Elly De La Cruz vomits on field With two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning in St. Louis, Reds star Elly De La Cruz vomited on the infield dirt near his position at shortstop. An athletic trainer came out to check on him as the grounds crew cleaned up the field. "I actually watched him," Reds manager Terry Francona said. 'He drank a bunch of water. I mean, a bunch, and then he went right out and got rid of it.' De La Cruz stayed in the game. Just an inning earlier, De La Cruz hit a two-out triple and tried to score as the throw came in from the outfield, but he was thrown out. Then later in the seventh, he was able to stroll all the way around the bases after hitting a 435-foot home run in a game the Reds eventually lost 6-5 in 11 innings.. Umpire, Mariners' Trent Thornton succumb to heat at Wrigley Following the fifth inning of the Mariners-Cubs game in Chicago, home plate umpire Chad Whitson left the field and received treatment from athletic trainers in the Seattle dugout. After a 10-minute delay, he was replaced and the game continued with just three umpires. Later in the game, veteran Mariners pitcher Trent Thornton – after going back out for a third inning of work – had to be helped off the field after nearly collapsing behind the mound. "It was a scary moment, for sure," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. "He battled hard. But just really glad that he's feeling a little bit better now and should be OK." At the end of the game, a member of the Cubs field staff also collapsed, but the team said he was okay. Likewise for umpire Whitson; an MLB spokesperson said he was feeling better Saturday night and had been cleared to work third base for Sunday's series finale. Climate change a real issue for MLB Those two games weren't the only ones played in stifling conditions on the first full day of summer. A high-pressure system over the Southeast that meteorologists sometimes refer to as a "ring of fire" resulted in more than 150 million Americans under some kind of advisory or warning for dangerous heat over the weekend. The Brewers-Twins game in Minneapolis was played under an excessive heat warning. And in Denver, the first-pitch temperature of 98 degrees for Rockies-Diamondbacks was highest for a major league game this season. And we're just getting started. Writing for North Side Baseball, Matthew Trueblood points out some of the elevated heat-related dangers umpires face when conditions get excessive. Home plate umps have to wear extra safety equipment for protection from foul balls. They must stay on the field at all times and aren't able to retreat to the dugout or clubhouse between innings. And they're considerably older than the players, making them even more susceptible to heat-related issues. In addition, the problem figures to get worse as the planet continues to warm. Trueblood cites data from the Environmental Protection Agency that shows heat waves (in which temperatures reach dangerous levels for several days) are occurring almost three times as often as they did in the 1960s and roughly twice as often as they did in the 1980s. "For the next several years," Trueblood writes, "baseball will need to be played only when safe, which will mean building in more off days on the long calendar of the season and/or canceling more contests." We already have one MLB stadium damaged to the point of unplayability for 2025 due to an extreme weather event. And along with the Rays in Tampa, the Athletics in West Sacramento, California, are now playing their home games in ballparks that will be among MLB's most extreme for heat and humidity over the summer.
