There’s not much to laugh about when it comes to socialistic energy restrictions, or even simply grids so old that such restrictions are necessary, but I do find the current 78˚ restriction in some places amusing. For most of my life, despite living in the intense heat of Colorado summers, I didn’t have air conditioning at all, so 90+ temperatures in the house weren’t that uncommon. I’ve also lived a couple of places with air conditioning, but the person in control of the thermostat blasted air into the room so icy that I had to close the vents.
Now that I have air-conditioning and control of the thermostat, I have it set at 80. Sometimes, if I’m hot, I’ll lower it to 79, especially since my “office” is the least cool room in the house, but usually the room fan works as well as lowering the temperature.
Even if this weren’t a temperature I could get used to, I’d probably do it anyway. During my years (decades!) of no air-conditioning, I learned that the warmer the inside temperature, the less impact walking out into the heat has on one’s system. Going from hot to a blasting air-conditioner or from refrigerated air to extreme heat can be dangerous. For most people, the physiological stress is brief, but for others, it can strain the heart and worsen cardiovascular and respiratory conditions. And even if it weren’t dangerous, it’s easier to adapt to the outside temperature when the difference isn’t so great.
Too be honest, though, if a communist mayor were to tell me to raise my thermostat to 78˚, I’d lower my usual temperature to that setting just as a rebellion.
Or maybe not. Paying out money I don’t have to make a point seems silly. And anyway, I prefer to be able to set the temperature to my preference even if it does fit into someone else’s agenda. Having the choice is something to celebrate, especially during this holiday weekend when we’re celebrating 250 years of freedom.
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Pat Bertram is the author of Grief: The Inside Story – A Guide to Surviving the Loss of a Loved One
Bertram's Blog 
July 3, 2026 at 11:06 am
I often complain about living in a place that is too often too cool for me, who grew up where the summer evenings were warm enough that one could enjoy the outdoors. BUT, I also am very, very glad that I live here where I can do without air conditioning, and just have the windows open for most of the day, for about half the year. AC is life-saving in many circumstances, or house-preserving in some situations where the heat and humidity would create a mold problem. I’m thankful that I can do without it.
July 3, 2026 at 1:08 pm
Being able to do without air-conditioning is much healthier, except, of course, when it’s necessary! Enjoy your cool!
July 3, 2026 at 12:48 pm
Still having trouble adjusting to even the evening cool here. However, during the day, my dog has trouble with the heat. So I turn on the air and put on a sweater. Crazy, huh?
July 3, 2026 at 1:11 pm
You do what you have to do! Out here on the plains, we don’t get cool evenings this time of year and I miss them. It stays hot until way after dark; today it won’t get below 90 until 9:00 or even later.
July 3, 2026 at 6:19 pm
We have air conditioning in our new home but don’t often think to use it. Living in the relatively balmy Pacific Northwest, days don’t usually get hot and most evenings cool down pleasantly. I don’t handle heat very well though, and begin to feel nauseous over 27°C (80°F), so last week when we had a sudden hot spell, I was thankful to be able to flip the switch.
There are no energy restrictions here, but there are water use ones. It was a dry spring, so municipalities are taking precautions to conserve water in the reservoirs for drinking and cooking. We can’t use a hose to water anything outside — can’t wash cars, windows, driveways, etc., or any lawns or gardens except vegetable beds; although other new/vulnerable plants or shrubs can be watered by sprinkling bucket if necessary.
There are a lot of places in the world that don’t have free access to water for drinking let alone for gardens, so it’s not a restriction that we grumble about. We’re thankful we can still turn on our kitchen and bathroom taps at will, and glad our government is proactive about the need for water conservation, especially as the prime wildfire season is approaching.
July 3, 2026 at 7:13 pm
That wildfire season is in full swing in Colorado. Yikes. And yes, I’m very grateful to have running water. As you said, too many places don’t.