Unless you live alone, there’s a excellent chance you’ve clashed with partners, roommates or other household members over just how warm your home should be in the winter.

It’s a debate as ancient as the HVAC structure itself: What is the ideal thermostat setting to equilibrium personal comfort and the financial institution?

And now that the cold months are upon us, battles over the thermostat are sure to commence.

Depending on what benevolent of HVAC structure you have and how well you handle the cold, you could save some money by understanding the best way for programming your thermostat.

So, before you leave instigating more thermostat wars with others in your household, consider these tips from experts about proper home temperatures for the winter.

What you should set your thermostat at in the winter

Turns out, there’s a magic number for what experts declare you should set your thermostat to in the winter.

That setting? 68 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Department of vigor.

If that’s too specific, anywhere around 70 degrees is a excellent target when it gets cold, Ram Narayanamurthy, deputy director of the U.S. Department of vigor’s Building Technologies Office, told USA TODAY.

“A home that’s at 70 degrees is quite comfortable,” Narayanamurthy said.

Turn the heat down when you’re away

But setting your thermostat to a specific temperature and never changing it won’t be excellent for your heating bills.

While around 70 degrees is ideal, it’s unwise to set your thermostat to one temperature and never transformation it. Lower temperatures may be more comfortable when sleeping at night and can assist keep your statement down when you’re away from your home, Narayanamurthy cautioned.

The vigor Department says that even turning thermostats back 7 to 10 degrees from their normal settings for 8 hours a day can save as much as 10% a year on homeowners’ heating and cooling costs. And contrary to one prevailing misconception, your heating structure doesn’t work any harder to warm your house back up after you lower the heat for a set period.

Narayanamurthy said he usually sets his at 64 degrees if he leaves his home for an extended period of period, though everyone’s comfort levels may be different.

“You don’t desire your heater turning on all the period when no one’s at home,” he said.

Don’t set your thermostat too low

Penny-pinchers may be tempted to set their thermostat at bracing levels and survive the winter by bundling up in layers or piling on blankets.

While you’d have to set your home at a pretty low temperature for it to become a health uncertainty, Narayanamurthy warns against going below 60 degrees.

“You have to keep it really low to really get into a health concern,” he said. “What you desire to do is keep it at a reasonable temperature that’s not chilly.”

The globe Health Organization recommends keeping indoor temperatures between 64 and 75 degrees for well people. But for those who are very youthful, elderly, or who have health problems, the minimum temperature shouldn’t dip below 68 degrees, the organization says.

Heating and cooling:Check out USA TODAY Homefront for more HVAC tips for your home

Space heaters can assist, but use with caution

Many homeowners may be tempted to depend on fireplaces, space heaters, electric blankets and wood-burning stoves to keep warm in the winter.

According to Direct vigor, these types of secondary heating sources can assist to slash costs since they propose heating to a more targeted area of your home at a fraction of the expense of cranking up the thermostat.

But many of these options arrive with their own safety risks and similarly require schedule maintenance, worry and even replacement.

Once a fire hazard, modern electric space heaters are much safer than they used to be with built-in safety features that turn the heaters off if they tip over, overheat, or have been left turned on for too long.

Ways to save on heating bills

Experts propose a variety of other tips that, altogether, could cut down on your bills and ensure your heating unit is working at maximum efficiency.

• Have your heating unit inspected annually: A heating structure that’s running efficiently saves money. That means the pricey expense of paying for a professional to arrive to your home and inspect your unit (anywhere from $150 to $500, buyer Reports estimates) can pay off in the long run.
• Consider investing in a “intelligent” thermostat: Because many can connect to smartphones via mobile apps, intelligent thermostats provide the alternative for homeowners to program their thermostats while they’re away from home or even set a schedule. For that rationale, the average vigor Star-certified intelligent thermostat can save about 8% of a homeowner’s annual heating and cooling bills, according to buyer Reports.
• Check for responsibility incentives and rebates: Available rebates and responsibility credits through the Department of vigor may assist pay for vigor-efficient products and replace heating systems that are 15 years ancient or older. capital is available for all kinds of other upgrades as well, from doors to windows, and to insulation. More information is available at energysaver.gov.

Editor’s note: A version of this narrative was last published in November 2023.

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending information for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]