Even the temperature of your summer thermostat has become a political debate

How hot is it?

So hot, in the middle of a record heatwavethat even talking about the temperature on your thermostat makes people angry. And, apparently, make the pages of the Department of Energy website disappear.

Last week, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani advised city residents to conserve energy. To keep the power grid functioning, it recommended setting home thermostats to 78 degrees Fahrenheit and taking other steps to reduce electricity use.

He wrote on »

The reactions, particularly among political opponents, were lively to say the least. Fox News gleefully highlighted those who “brutally mocked” the mayor, including politicians and influencers who claimed 78 degrees was untenable for vulnerable seniors or that Mamdani may not be following his own advice.

“Show us your thermostat, commie,” the publication quotes an X-rated post from Spencer Pratt, television actor and failed candidate for mayor of Los Angeles.

To complicate matters and make them even more politically flammable, reports indicate that the Department of Energy has removed as many as 6,000 web pages referencing the same type of temperature recommendations and energy-saving advice.

The Energy Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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A review of the Internet Archive’s website shows an example of a page available in June that states: “The Department of Energy and Energy Star recommend finding a comfortable indoor temperature during the day and increasing it by 7 degrees F when no one is home.” Start with an indoor temperature between 75 and 78 degrees F during the day.

The agency advised homeowners to set thermostats “as high as possible” during the summer months and to raise the temperature when no one is home.

This page is no longer on the DOE website.

What about the current GOP outrage?

As some media outlets and social media posters were quick to point out, conservative politicians have also called on residents to protect power grids by keeping their homes a little warmer in summer.

As far back as 1999, then-New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s office made the same recommendation during that summer’s heat wave, according to an archived press release.

In Texas, where power grid problems caused 246 deaths during the 2021 winter freeze, the state energy board, ERCOT, has since asked citizens to save energy by adjusting their thermostats. Before that, the state’s longtime governor, Greg Abbott, asked residents to do their part to reduce their electricity use to avoid strain on the grid.

“To alleviate pressure on our state’s power grid, Texans should take simple steps to save as much energy as possible,” Abbott said in 2015.

Why set a thermostat to 78 degrees?

Heat waves like the one currently hitting the United States can present major health risks.

But the debate over temperature settings is less about personal safety and more about preventing energy grid problems that could lead to power outages, putting large groups of people and their pets at risk of heat-related illness and even death.

The 78-degree line is what organizations, including Energy Star (and formerly the Department of Energy), have cited for decades as a framework that balances comfort and energy savings. This recommendation dates back to 1979, when President Jimmy Carter mandated the same temperature for public buildings during a severe energy shortage.

There are a variety of home technologies and hacks that can help keep homes cooler in the summer without increasing energy bills, like CNET reported.

Learn more: Here is the right temperature for your thermostat in summer