Today was my first day back at work after the break and after spending lots of time snuggled up at home in thick jumpers and cardigans the thing that struck me most was how hot the building was. Its always hot and I wear fewer layers of thinner clothing to compensate but after a couple of weeks living at much lower temperatures today I felt almost uncomfortably warm. I also noticed that my skin felt drier and more taut by the end of the day.
I don't know when workplaces started to be heated to high temperatures but I know of several buildings which are kept at such a high temperature that windows have to be opened to let the heat out! I don't know which came first, that buildings are hot so everyone wears short sleeved clothes in the winter or that fashion has dictated that light weight clothes are worn and so heating has to be raised accordingly.
There must be a whole generation growing up who wear similar clothes summer and winter and alter the temperature of their environment rather than change their clothing to suit the season. Of course its not just work places that are being heated to higher temperatures, the internal temperature of many homes has risen over the last few decades. An interesting statistic I found in the book "How We Can Save the Planet" by Mayer Hillman is that in the 1970s the average internal temperature of homes ( in the UK ) was 13C compared to an average of 19C today. That is a huge increase in just 30 years.
Perhaps now that energy prices are rising there will be a return to more comfortably heated buildings.
3 comments:
Yes, it is frustrating to go into hot buildings, especially when one is dressed for winter. Last night, with our very cold temperatures here, I had a wool top, a heavy wool sweater, and a wool coat on. When I went into stores to shop, I was absolutely roasting! It's hard to decide whether to be warm in the car or comfortable in the stores!
Unfortunately, I have an allergy to cold/temperature changes. This means we have to keep our house quite warm (72F). I hate the thought of all the money we are wasting -- as a child I was used to a house about 10 degrees (F) cooler, and I actually prefer the cooler temp, but it just doesn't settle with my genetic makeup. But, I think I've been in some buildings where it feels like 80F! That is definately too hot for the winter. :) Sorry for the long comment. :)
Happy New Year Willow!
I love the way you notice things and give us all a gentle reminder....
I feel ill in homes which are too hot.. my parents still only have storage heaters in their house and wear an extra layer if it's cold. My youngest daughter's classroom is sometimes far too warm and the kids come out flushed.
As a person who feels the cold, i have so many thermal tops and socks and believe in layering up.. both inside and out.
ginny
x
Thanks for the comments.
Heather
Yes, shops can be warm too though I suppose there has to be a balance between shoppers wearing coats and the shop workers who aren't! My husband often complains about the heating on trains and buses, he needs a thick coat while waiting on the platform and then the train is really hot and muggy.
Ginny,
Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who layers on the thermals during the winter, I'm sure I look a size larger in the winter due to the number of clothes I'm wearing - well thats my excuse anyway.
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