Optimal Winter Thermostat Settings for Comfort

The standard recommendation: 68°F (20°C) while you’re home and awake, 60-62°F (15-17°C) while asleep or away. This isn’t an arbitrary number — the U.S. Department of Energy’s guidance is that lowering your thermostat 7-10 degrees for 8 hours a day saves roughly 10% annually on heating costs, and this range hits that savings without the house ever feeling genuinely cold when you’re in it.

Every degree lower saves roughly 1% on your heating bill, so the gap between “comfortable” and “aggressive savings” is smaller than people expect — you don’t need to drop to 55°F to see a real difference.

Why 68°F, Specifically

It’s the point most people find genuinely comfortable in regular indoor clothing, without needing a sweater just to sit still. Going lower saves more energy, but the savings curve is roughly linear (about 1% per degree) — there’s no magic threshold below 68°F, so it comes down to your own cold tolerance more than any hard rule past that point.

Adjust for your situation:

• • Colder climates: you may prefer the higher end of the range, or accept a smaller nighttime setback if 60°F feels too aggressive for your house’s insulation.
  • Milder climates: you may comfortably run lower during the day, or see less benefit from a big nighttime setback since the gap between target and outdoor temperature is smaller to begin with.
  • Older or less insulated homes: a big setback (a full 10 degrees) can mean a longer, harder recovery period in the morning — sometimes a smaller setback (4-5 degrees) is actually more efficient in practice, since the system isn’t working as hard to catch back up.

Automate It

A programmable or smart thermostat removes the guesswork — set the schedule once and it handles the daytime/nighttime/away transitions automatically, including pre-heating before you wake up so you’re not stepping into a cold house at 60°F. This is the single easiest way to actually stick to the setback schedule above, since manual adjustment is the thing most people forget to do consistently.

If a Room Feels Colder Than the Thermostat Says

This is a different problem from “what should the setting be” — if the thermostat reads 68°F but a room genuinely feels colder, the setting isn’t the issue. Common causes:

• Drafts around windows and doors — even small gaps let in enough cold air to make a room feel noticeably colder than the thermostat reading
• Poor insulation, especially in older homes or rooms over an unheated space like a garage
• Thermostat placement — if it’s not in the room that feels cold, it’s only measuring its own location, not the room you’re sitting in
• Airflow problems — a closed or blocked vent in that specific room

Sealing obvious drafts around windows and doors is usually the highest-value fix for the lowest effort.

Cutting Costs Without Changing the Thermostat

• Layer clothing and use blankets rather than pushing the setting higher
• Close doors to unused rooms so you’re not heating space you don’t need
• Run ceiling fans in reverse (clockwise) at low speed — this gently pushes warm air that’s risen to the ceiling back down into the room
• Use draft stoppers at the base of exterior doors

by Jace & Afsoon (https://unsplash.com/@jacegrandinetti)

Cutting Costs Without Changing the Thermostat

• Layer clothing and use blankets rather than pushing the setting higher
• Close doors to unused rooms so you’re not heating space you don’t need
• Run ceiling fans in reverse (clockwise) at low speed — this gently pushes warm air that’s risen to the ceiling back down into the room
• Use draft stoppers at the base of exterior doors

Common Questions

What should I set my thermostat to in winter?

68°F while home and awake, 60-62°F while asleep or away — see the table above.

What’s the best temperature for sleeping?

60-62°F. Slightly cooler sleeping temperatures are generally more comfortable for most people, which conveniently also lines up with the energy-saving range.

Does lowering the thermostat really save that much?

Yes — roughly 1% per degree, and about 10% annually from a 7-10 degree setback over 8 hours. It’s one of the few genuinely significant, zero-cost changes available.

Why does my room feel colder than my thermostat setting?

Almost always drafts, insulation, or thermostat placement — not an incorrect setting. See the section above.