These Are the “optimal” Winter Thermostat Settings for the Lowest Energy Bills
With winter coming across the country and the COVID-19 pandemic still going on, it looks like we’ll be spending a lot of time indoors over the next few months. While it may be tempting to turn on your home’s thermostat when it’s cold outside, doing this regularly throughout the season can result in sky-high energy bills.
But there are strategies for installing a thermostat in the winter that will help you stay warm while still being able to pay your heating bills. Here’s what you need to know.
Energy saving winter thermostat settings
For various reasons, people are comfortable at different room temperatures. Some prefer to keep it on the cooler side and then cover themselves with blankets and warm clothing. Others would rather wear shorts and T-shirts all winter, and their home was more like a tropical climate.
But if you’re approaching it strictly in terms of keeping your heating costs low, Energy Saver , the U.S. Department of Energy’s consumer resource for energy conservation, offers a few recommendations—starting with setting your thermostat to about 68°F during the daytime in winter, and a few degrees cooler at night and when you are away from home.
If 68°F sounds a bit cold, there’s a reason for it. According to Energy Saver, the smaller the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your energy bill will be :
In winter, the lower the temperature in the room, the slower the heat is lost. So the longer your home stays at a lower temperature, the more energy you save because your home has lost less energy than at a higher temperature.
Other tips for saving winter heating
In addition to your thermostat settings, here are a few other Energy Saver tips to help keep you warm this winter and lower your heating bills:
- Clean and/or replace oven filters once a month or as per manufacturer’s instructions.
- Keep vents/registers, baseboard heaters and radiators clean.
- Make sure heating vents/registers, baseboard heaters and radiators are not blocked by furniture, carpeting or curtains.
- Put your windows to work, keep curtains/drapes and blinds on south-facing windows open during the day (to let in sunlight) and closed at night to block out any drafts.
And if keeping the thermostat at or below 68°F doesn’t quite fit your idea of comfort, remember that it’s winter and it’s time to take off your thick sweaters, sweatpants, and blankets.