How to Stay Comfortable During the Summer Heat Wave

Honeywell conducted a survey and found that Americans like to be comfortable, no matter the cost. But with new technology and information, consumer behavior might begin to change.

The majority of the cities in the Northeast have suffered their hottest summers on record. Most of these metropolitan hubs haven't seen temperatures this high since 1921 or 1991, according to Northeast Regional Climate Center.



Well, I guess that explains why I've been sweating so much lately. There comes a point when I'm sitting in my apartment and the heat becomes unbearable, so I crank on the air conditioner. That's exactly the moment when the expensive utility bill becomes an afterthought.



Jeremy Eaton, vice president of Energy Solutions at Honeywell Building Solutions, reassured me that what I'm doing is completely normal. In general, people are putting their comfort before anything else -- which means if they feel hot, they are going to turn on the air conditioning.



Eaton said a recent Honeywell survey showed that two-thirds of American consumers chose comfort over cost savings and don't bother thinking about how they might be conserving energy. After phoning more than a thousand adults ages 18 and older during one week in August 2010, Honeywell had the hard data to back up this rather obvious conclusion.



In fact, the bills reflected the summer heat pattern, which is why 60 percent of all consumers reported an increase in their utility bills. And half that number -- 30 percent of the public -- claimed that it was worth paying more just to be comfortable.



There was some gender-based discrepancy in the responses, however. Females were twice as likely to claim higher bills and more likely to "cringe" at the thought of receiving a higher energy bill next month.



But instead of fretting about costly energy bills this summer, there is a way to sidestep it. Honeywell offers some tips on how to save:



What's more, Eaton broke the news to me that the multi-tenant high-rise I live in probably only has one meter, and therefore, one massive monthly electricity bill. The landlord splits up the charge, so while I might be doing the environment a favor by conserving on my use of the AC, it might not matter in terms of billing, because I share the costs with hundreds of other people in my building.



"Right now, energy prices aren't high enough to drive customer behavior, but I think it will change going forward," Eaton said. Clearly, in this heat wave, comfort remains the primary prerogative.