These are the ‘optimal’ winter thermostat settings for the lowest energy bills

With winter all over the country, and the COVID-19 pandemic still strong, it looks like we’ll be spending a lot of time indoors in the coming months. While it can be tempting to turn up the thermostat inside the home when it’s cold outside, doing it regularly throughout an entire season can give you sky-high energy bills.

But there are strategies for setting the thermostat in the winter that will keep you warm, while you can afford your heating bills. Here’s what you should know.

Energy saving winter thermostat settings

For a variety of reasons, people are comfortable at different indoor temperatures. Some people prefer to keep it on the cooler side, and then enjoy themselves under blankets and in warm clothes. Others would rather wear shorts and t-shirts all winter, and keep their home more like a tropical climate.

But if you approach it strictly when it comes to keeping heating costs low, Energy saving, the U.S. Department of Energy consumer resource to save energy, have some recommendations – starting with setting the thermostat to around 68 ° F during the day in winter, and a few degrees cooler at night, and when you are away from home.

If 68 ° F sounds a bit chilly, there’s a reason. According to Energy Saver, the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures is smaller lower energy bill will be:

In winter, the lower the indoor temperature, the slower the heat loss. So the longer your house stays at the lower temperature, the more energy you save, because your house has lost less energy than it would have had at the higher temperature.

Other cost-saving winter heating tips

In addition to your thermostat settings, here are some others tips from Energy Saver to help you stay warm this winter, while keeping your heating costs down:

• Clean and / or replace oven filters once a month, or according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Keep heating valves / registers, baseboard heaters and radiators clean.
• Make sure that heating valves / valves, baseboard heaters and radiators are not blocked by furniture, carpets or curtains.
• Put your window treatments to work, keep it curtains / curtains and shades of the south-facing windows open during the day (to let in sunlight) and close at night to block draft.

And if it’s not exactly comfortable to keep the thermostat at 68 ° F or lower, remember that it’s winter and it’s time to break out the thick sweaters, sweatpants and blankets.