With mercury plummeting province-wide, some B.C. couples aren’t able to find refuge under the covers at home, not from each other’s temperature tastes.
A recent study released by BC Hydro found more than 80 per cent of B.C. couples complain about the temperature at home to their partner, with 40 per cent complaining once a week and 15 per cent daily.
A third of couples argue about how the temperature is kept, with 25 per cent of those arguments focused on the bedroom, as 30 per cent of those who responded to the survey said they had or considered sleeping in another room because it was either too hot or too cold in bed.
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Those who live in Northern B.C. are the most likely to complain about their home temperature at least once a day, perhaps because of the colder climate.
Temperature isn’t the only issue that some couples are facing, with more than half of those surveyed complaining about snoring, 26 per cent who felt their partner takes up too much space, 26 per cent who felt they moved around too much, and 23 per cent who had a partner take all the blankets at night.
Close to 40 per cent of people also like to keep a window open at night and have fought with their partner over it.
BC Hydro doesn’t have a perfect solution for any disputes, and, but it does suggest an ideal temperature when it comes to saving energy.
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BC Hydro recommends keeping the thermostat at 16 C when away or sleeping, 21 C when relaxing or watching TV and 18 C when cooking or doing housework.
If a couple has different tastes for temperature, having separate blankets and covers might help — it can be one way to deal with a blanket-hog too.
For couples that can find a compromise, using a programmable thermostat to keep the temperature steady can also help to save up to 15 per cent in energy costs according to BC Hydro.
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