Why 78 degrees isn’t the right thermostat setting for everyone during a heat wave

Elbert Yazzie adjusts his air conditioning unit in Tuba City, Ariz., in 2025. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images Across the U.S., it’s a hot summer, and electricity prices are high. Various public officials and corporate websites suggest people set their thermostats to 78 degrees Fahrenheit (25.6 degrees Celsius), or even 81 F (27.2 C), as a way to stay relatively cool without breaking the bank. But as someone who studies energy costs, I know from both personal and professional experience…