Plain answers
Best temperature to set your thermostat in winter
A comfortable setting while you are home, and a lower one while you sleep or are out.
Written by HYRE HVAC Research Desk Primary-source research, data analysis and fact checking
The short version
The best temperature to set your thermostat in winter is the lowest you are comfortable with while home and awake, often around 68°F, then lower while you sleep or are out.
DOE’s guideline is that turning the thermostat back 7 to 10°F for eight hours a day can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling. Heat pumps need a gentler approach.
Why does a lower setting save energy?
Your house loses heat to the outdoors all the time. The bigger the gap between inside and outside, the faster it loses heat. Lowering the setting shrinks that gap, so the heating system runs less.
DOE’s Building America Solution Center states the guideline: as much as 10% a year by setting back 7 to 10°F for eight hours a day from the normal setting. It also notes that savings are larger in mild climates than in severe ones. Treat 10% as an upper figure, not a promise.
A simple winter schedule
| Time | Setting idea | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Home and awake | The lowest you are comfortable with, often near 68°F | Comfort is the baseline |
| Asleep | Several degrees lower | Blankets carry you; eight hours is the DOE setback window |
| Out at work | Several degrees lower | No one to keep warm |
| Away for days | Low, but well above freezing | Protects pipes; set it, do not turn heat off |
Pick numbers your household can live with. The savings come from the hours at the lower setting.
Does setback work with a heat pump?
Yes, but carefully. When a heat pump has to raise the house several degrees fast, it may call on electric resistance backup heat, which costs more to run. That can cancel out the savings.
DOE’s guidance is to use a programmable thermostat with adaptive recovery in heat pump homes. Adaptive recovery starts warming early and slowly, so the heat pump does the work instead of the heat strips. Smaller setbacks of a few degrees are often the better choice with a heat pump.
Who should not set the heat low?
Keep the home warm enough for the most vulnerable person in it.
A deep setback in a hard freeze can risk frozen pipes.
Leave the house, then call 911 or your gas utility from outside. CPSC advises CO alarms on every level and outside sleeping areas.
Ways to stay warm at a lower setting
It makes the setback happen without anyone remembering.
Less cold air means the same setting feels warmer.
Furniture over a vent blocks airflow.
A clogged filter cuts heat output. See filter intervals.
How much would you save?
It depends on your fuel, your climate and how deep and long the setback is. The thermostat savings calculator runs DOE’s figure as a range on your own numbers. If your system struggles to hold any setting, read thermostat not working.
Questions
Is 68 degrees warm enough in winter?
Is it cheaper to leave the heat at one temperature all day?
What temperature should I set when I go on vacation in winter?
Should I set the heat pump lower at night?
Do smart thermostats really save energy?
Written and audited by
HYRE HVAC Research Desk
Primary-source research, data analysis and fact checking
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