AC usage lessens in tight economy

Alison and Tommy Crook have finally achieved thermal harmony.

In previous summers, Tommy, pining for cool comfort, would crank the air conditioning to 72 degrees.

Alison, who sometimes found herself wearing sweaters and fleece, would seize her chances to notch the thermostat back up to a toasty 78.

But then a new player entered their perennial summertime standoff — the recession. And now their relationship no longer blows hot and cold. The thermostat in the Crooks’ Winder home mostly stays at a balmy — and wallet-friendly — 79.

There are more sticky clothes, and there’s more ice water. But there’s also more padding in the bank account. Call it building sweat equity.

“When you get $200 power bills, it’s like ‘Ouch!’ ” Alison Crook said.

The Crooks aren’t the only ones tolerating higher temps. The heat may be bad, but the icy economy is worse.

Georgia Power has noticed the trend.

During the summer, the air conditioner often accounts for more than half of a typical household’s summer electric bill, spokesman Brian Green said. But current usage levels suggest people are pausing before turning down the thermostat for relief.

Green said Georgia Power’s all-time peak usage of 17,985 megawatts for Georgia was recorded in August 2007, and it appears highly unlikely usage will get anywhere close to that level this summer.

“That was pre-recession,” he said. “Today, you’ve got some office buildings that are empty and you’ve got businesses that aren’t ramping [the AC] up.”

An eternal cold war

That observation appears to be borne out in a recent survey of 4,285 full-time U.S. employees by online job-search site CareerBuilder.com. In the 2009 survey, 27 percent of workers said their workplace is too hot. Twenty-two percent said it’s so hot at work it’s hard to concentrate.

Of course, when it comes to what’s comfortable, one person’s inferno can be another person’s icebox.

In the same survey, 19 percent polled said their offices were too cold. Only about half of the total found the temperature about right, according to the survey. And about 1 in 5 workers surveyed believed their employer was messin’ with the thermostat to cut costs.

Getting the atmospheric conditions just right in the workplace is an ongoing hot —and cold — button issue.

Kurt Ronn, president of HRworks, an Atlanta-based national staff firm, said agreeable temperatures vary from person to person.

Years ago, when he worked for a national retailer and a survey of employees was done, the top complaints were related to the workplace temperature.

“The No. 1 complaint was it was too hot. And the No. 2 complaint? It was too cold,” he said. “So you just can’t win.”

He said finding agreeable temperatures for almost everyone is possible, but often requires flexibility, such as moving desks closer to — or farther away from — vents and windows, or allowing space heaters in the winter. Employees are more at ease when they feel like they have some control over the issue, he said.

Not warmer everywhere

Dr. Charles Williams, an Atlanta psychologist, calls fighting over the thermostat a “situational” problem, one that doesn’t rank among the bigger conflicts. Achieving comfort at home, or in the office, requires give-and-take and a commitment to finding solutions — sleeping under just a sheet; using fans; closing the curtains — instead of getting into a hot vs. cold battle.

But the economy is certainly influencing the debate. At Williams’ own office, the Atlanta Psychologist Network for Individual and Family Therapy, the temperature has crept up slightly — between 76 and 78 — to help save energy and cut costs.

Cool air comes at a cost, especially on scorching hot days when the mercury climbs toward 100. For every degree below 78, you’ll use 3 to 4 percent more electricity, according to Georgia Power.

Some companies so far aren’t moving the thermostat. UPS is sticking to corporate guidelines of keeping the workday temperature between 74 and 78; during off-hours, corporate headquarters can get as warm as 84 degrees, said UPS spokeswoman Rebecca Treacy-Lenda.

Darrell Pearce, owner of Antiques & Beyond, has seen business dip slightly during the recession, but he’s not willing to skimp on AC. Cool customers, he said, are more likely to dawdle and spend more time shopping.

He said it costs him $4,000 a month during the summer to cool his 17,500-square-foot Atlanta antique store. Two of his eight AC units broke down recently, and he put up a sign apologizing for “warm spots.”

Cost trumps comfort

Back on the home front, Lindy Start of Decatur said economic realities have put an end to any household debates on AC.

The Starts keep the temp at around 76, about 2 degrees warmer than the family did pre-recession (and pre-kids).

When Start’s husband, Darryl, returns home from his job as a chef at Piedmont Hospital, he’ll sometimes seek cooler air.

“He’s been in a hot kitchen all day and he’ll say, ‘It’s hot in here!’ ”