Heating and cooling system settings in office buildings are based on men’s needs and could result in excess energy use, a new study suggests.

Temperature standards in office buildings are based in part on the resting metabolic rate of a 154-pound, 40-year-old man, the researchers say.

These standards may overestimate the amount of heating or cooling women require to be comfortable, they report in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Adjusting heating and cooling standards, established in the 1960s, to account for different metabolic rates in women and men could reduce energy consumption and make offices more comfortable for women, the researchers noted.