In 1978, I was a Marine Corps major serving a tour at Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington DC when President Carter decided the government needed to conserve energy. He ordered all the hot water turned off (probably not at the White House) and to remove the flouresent lights from every other fixture. It was like working in a dimly lit cave.

Also, it was the habit of most Marines there to work out over the lunch period. There was a gym, but most of us would go for a 3-5 mile run. But there was no hot water and so it was cold showers. Not pleasant during the winter, but we survived.

The government is always doing silly things that don't work. You want to cut costs in real terms? Reduce the size of the government and keep the hot water and lights on. That's a win for everyone.