Originally Posted by
k_sheep
This thread makes me
(note all temps in celsius)
I can understand people want to be comfortable, but for heavens sake, it sounds like most of you can't deal with the difference between say spring and autumn (ie a few degrees). There's something seriously wrong with your body temperature regulation if you can't handle 25deg. Here it is more often >30deg with 80% humidity in summer/autumn all day long, and I'd say less than 20% of houses actually have air conditioning. Hell, in countries like Malaysia basically 2% of houses have air con, and they are regularly 35+deg with 95% humidity.
If you're hot, wear less (or wear more appropriate clothes eg loose cotton). If you're cold, wear more.
Business casual is even a bit warm as the office building is also cheap on a/c running it at 74-75.. I use a fan there. Where I live the temp goes from 15 deg F to 105 deg F. The a/c is only used to keep the temp below 75 deg F. I seldom use the heat. That is more than a few degrees. Fall and spring are the same here. It's winter and summer that are different.
In the hotel I'm already down to a t-shirt and jeans and my co-workers probably don't want me to take that off. Maybe it is my chemistry, but I don't feel like I should be running at a hot 76 degrees in the room at any time for any reason. I'm built for Northern climates, so 50-70 is my range. If I have to travel in the warm areas, yes I want it cool at least for sleeping. Otherwise I do not sleep.
If you are built to feel comfortable in warm/hot temperatures, fine and good but not all people are alike. Those of us who complain about the heat likely won't ever complain about the cold or demand the heater be run at 80 deg F. So there are two sides to the coin. I spent DEC in France and left the window open 24x7 and it was just above freezing outside. That was refreshing. BTW the hotel in Tours was right next to the electric gare station. So much for doing some shortwave listening from the otherwise advantageous 9th floor.
Your body and the planet will thank you. I get serious ecological guilt if I have a >3min shower, or accidentally leave a light on accidentally for 10 minutes. To think people have air con or heating blasting away 24/7 at ridiculous temperatures WHEN UNATTENDED just blows my mind. If you want your room to be cool, then come home, turn the air con on, then go to the hotel pool or bar or whatever for a few minutes while it cools down.
I never considered myself a greenie ... but good lord this planet is in serious trouble.
I get wallet guilt if I turn the water heater up too much. It cost money and wears it out, and is not necessary because more hot water with less cold achieves the same thing. 3 minutes is probably enough but I don't like to rush and actually like to get clean so I don't keep track of the shower time.
I get pet guilt if I do not leave a couple lights on during the day so my indoor cats have a well-lit day time to differentiate from the night when the house is dark. But be happy to know that I have asked them to use the time when the lights are on to find and kill the mouse I found evidence of, rather than resort to poison. That is very ecological see I am using natural predators to abate pests.