According To Consumer Reports Your Thermostat Setting Should Be Set to 82 Degrees At Night

The calendar still says April, but if you've been outside you know that summer is already here in SWFL. It's the time of the year when we hide inside to stay cool. But what temp is the best for your thermostat setting? According to Consumer Reports, it's 78 degrees. They state, "Both the Department of Energy and Energy Star, a joint federal program run by the DOE and the Environmental Protection Agency, recommend that for optimal cooling and energy efficiency, you find a temperature at which you’re comfortable when you’re at home and awake. Once your family agrees on a thermostat setting, Energy Star suggests increasing the temperature setting by 4° F when you’re asleep and 7° F when no one is home."

Here's their recommendations:

• 78° F when you’re home
• 85° F when you’re at work or away
• 82° F when you’re sleeping

"While this may seem a bit higher than many people are used to, the report says that consumers can save an extra three percent on their energy bill for every degree they raise on their unit."

I personally don't know anyone who sets their thermostat to 85 degrees when they're at work. Sure, you could save a few bucks, but I'm afraid my fluffy dog would be dead when I got home. And 82 when you're sleeping? Who can actually sleep in bed at 82 degrees? I set my thermostat at 74 at night and 77 during the day and my last FPL bill was just under $200 (I have a gigantic oak tree that shades my house during the day). So, knocking my thermostat up to the recommended levels would kill my dog, I couldn't sleep, probably have to deal with mold creeping in, and I'd save $50 a month. Totally not worth it. $50 isn't even enough to fill my car with gas.

At 7'1'' we know that Shaq is big, so it's very fitting that he's expanding his franchise of Big Chicken restaurants and has plans to open them in Florida.

There's a few Big Chicken restaurants open in the US in California and Las Vegas, as well as in a few sports arenas and on two Carnival Cruise ships. Now, Shaq has plans to open 40 of them along Florida's Panhandle.

The Panhandle Restaurant Group wrote in a press release "From crispy chicken sandwiches and tenders to Cheez-It crusted mac n’ cheese and hand-crafted ice cream shakes, each menu item tells a story all while offering guests an inside look into the life and personality of Shaquille O’Neal."

As of now, it doesn't look like SWFL is in the immediate plans, but if there's success up north in FL, maybe he'll expand south! And by the sounds of the Las Vegas location menu, (my mouth is watering) we WANT Big Chicken!

One of Shaq's friends, Gentry, lives here in town. He needs to make this happen.

SOURCE: FOX 35