Best Thermostat Settings For Energy Savings In Winter And Summer
Last Updated on May 14, 2025 by Chad Peterson
Discover the best thermostat settings for winter and summer. Cut utility bills and stay comfortable year-round with these smart energy-saving tips.
Why The Best Thermostat Settings Matter In Any Season
I’ll bet you notice, like I did, the rising cost of electricity and gas over the last couple of years. I’m beginning retirement, and it’s just a little scary. No telling how this will all end up.
Discover the best thermostat settings for winter and summer. Cut utility bills and stay comfortable year-round with these smart energy-saving tips.
A recent customer of mine was having problems adjusting their thermostat. To add to their problem, they were setting the thermostat completely wrong. And the thermostat was programmed wrong. Their thermostat would switch temperatures inadvertently throughout the day.
Are you going nuts because of something like this? These modern digital thermostats have many background settings that make it possible for them to operate different types of equipment.
Plus, they have scheduling options that allow for either two setbacks or one depending on if you’re home all day or if you have a work schedule. My customer had that all backwards.
— and small changes to your set points can lead to significant savings.
Finding the best thermostat settings for the right balance between comfort and efficiency is key, especially during colder months when the temptation to crank up the heat is strong.
Recommended Temperatures For Energy Savings
Daytime Settings for Occupied Hours
The U.S. Department of Energy recommends keeping your thermostat at 68°F (20°C) when you’re home and awake. This provides comfort while still optimizing energy use. But 68°F (20°C)
You can save more by wearing layers or using zoned heating, especially if you spend most of your time in one part of the house.
Nighttime and Away-from-Home Settings
Lowering your thermostat by 7–10 degrees for 8 hours a day (like overnight or while you’re out) can save up to 10% a year on heating.
A setting of 60–62°F (15–17°C) while sleeping is generally comfortable with the right bedding.
Programmable And Smart Thermostats
Benefits of Scheduled Temperature Adjustments
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to around 68°F to 70°F while you’re awake and setting it lower while you’re asleep or away from home. In the summer, you can follow the same strategy with central air conditioning by keeping your house warmer than normal when you are away, and setting the thermostat to a setting as high as is comfortable for you when you are at home and need cooling, and to ensure humidity control if needed.”
I have found the newer digital thermostats easy to program, even by individual days of the week, to match even the most difficult schedules. We keep our Honeywell Wi-Fi thermostats in non-programmable mode because we are home more than not. I use the app to monitor when we are out of town
Programmable thermostats take the guesswork out of daily adjustments. By automating temperature to be your best thermostat settings for sleep, work, and home hours, you reduce heating costs without constantly fiddling with settings.
Smart Thermostats and Adaptive Features
Smart thermostats like Nest, Ecobee, or Honeywell Home can learn your patterns and adjust automatically. Many also track weather forecasts and occupancy — fine-tuning comfort while maximizing savings.
My Winter Thermostat Strategy
After many years of programming thermostats for other people, I’ve come to realize that no two people are alike. That includes the two people in the same house. It never fails that when I begin to ask questions about times for bed and wake-up time, I end up in the middle of an argument.
My strategy is to get through another day and try to be a peacemaker with my customers.
We don’t use the programmability of our digital thermostats. We manually set the upstairs where we sleep to 66°F at night, and if it feels too cold when I wake up and don’t want to get out of bed, I reach over and grab my phone, open the app, and turn up the heat.
Our daytime temperature setting for winter is 70°F for the 2nd floor and the same for the first floor, unless we feel a little chill, then we bump it up one degree.
My Summer Thermostat Strategy
I love the summertime. With our two-story home, it’s easy to control with a separate system for each floor.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
Constantly Adjusting the Thermostat
Changing your thermostat settings constantly makes your system work harder and can defeat the purpose of saving energy. Stick to a schedule, and resist the urge to keep bumping it up and down.
Overheating an Empty House
Heating an empty house is one of the most common energy wasters. Whether you’re gone for a workday or on vacation, use setback temperatures or set your smart thermostat to away mode.
Final Tips For Staying Warm And Saving Money
- Use draft stoppers, curtains, and ceiling fans in reverse to circulate warm air.
- The best thermostat settings cannot compensate for an inefficient system.
- Seal up leaky ducts to be sure conditioned air goes where it is supposed to go.
- Keep your furnace or heat pump maintained for peak efficiency.
- Seal leaks around windows and doors to prevent heat loss.
- Don’t forget the power of cozy clothing and warm drinks — sometimes comfort is more about mindset than temperature.
