When winter arrives, the thermostat wars begin in earnest. We’ve all been there — one person is bundled in a blanket, and a couple of feet away, someone is walking around in a tee shirt; every time you pass the hallway thermostat, the number is changing by itself; and so on. If you can work through the social compact of the household, there is a comfort and efficiency sweet spot for winter months. It is not a shot in the dark.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Saver program has an official position. They suggest keeping it around 68°F during the day. That is their balance point — warm enough that you’re not freezing, and low enough that you’re not flushing money away in your heating bill. If you can stand to get it a couple of degrees lower, then you will save even more. At night, they suggest going cooler, perhaps 60 or 62°F. It turns out that cooler air is actually helpful for sleep. And, your furnace will take a break too.
Going away for a while? They suggest setting it at 55°F. That is low enough that you save plenty in energy costs, and still enough to keep the pipes from freezing. It’s one of those little changes that can add up for you throughout the winter.
Now money and efficiency are one thing — but safety is another. The World Health Organization has an opinion. They suggest maintaining living spaces at a minimum of 64°F for nearly all healthy adults for safety. This is to reduce the risk of cold weather illness. Especially when there are elderly individuals, sick persons, or people who are more sensitive to cold air in the house.
But one thing many don’t understand is that the location of the thermostat is equally problematic as the number on it. So, when the thermostat is in direct sunlight, it will read warmer. Because it thinks the entire house is as warm as that sunny area. Or, if it’s located close to a drafty window or door, then it’ll run longer and heat places unnecessarily. Even being placed a few feet from a stove or space heater can impact the thermostat’s ability to react to these changing temperature pressures. It could even able to turn off heating early when it shouldn’t.
So what’s the best approach? Placing the thermostat in a central location in the home that has minimal access to outside cold and hot air temperatures. Choose a spot that best represents the average temperature of the living space.
After finding the spot, now you can start making it work harder — actually, smarter — for you. If you don’t own a programmable thermostat by now, what a no-brainer! You can set it to different temp ranges during the day, night, work hours, and weekends. Whatever — it runs according to your scheduled needs.
If you’re a more tech-savvy homeowner, and you own one of those smart thermostats that can be controlled by your phone, even better. Forgot to adjust the temp when you left the house? No problem — open the app. Want it a little warmer before you pull yourself out of bed? A couple of taps and you’re good!
If you own a bigger home and have zones for heating, you can take this even further using a zoning system. Depending on the size of your home, you may be able to heat specific living areas differently. Base this on your lifestyle. Maybe you want the living room warmer for movie nights. Maybe you want your bedroom cooler when you are sleeping. You don’t have to negotiate a compromise. You can add heat in one area of your home and leave other areas cooler.
So the ideal thermostat temperature for the winter is not a single temperature. It’s a smart range. You should stay around 68°F during the winter. You could comfortably drop to 60–62°F at night or 64°F if health is a concern. If you are smart about where you place the thermostat, use a programmable thermostat, and apply a little common sense to how you heat your living space, you will have a consistently warm home when you need it. Lower costs when you can afford to cool it, and a bill that doesn’t make you want to scream before spring arrives!
