What Should You Set Your Thermostat to in Winter to Save Energy?

As soon as the weather turns colder, the thermostat tends to get a lot more attention. You turn up the heat in the morning, wonder whether you should dial it back before bed, and maybe question whether a few small adjustments could actually make a difference on your energy bill.

So, what temperature should you set your thermostat to in winter? For many households, around 68°F (20°C) is a good starting point during the day. But your home doesn’t need to stay at the same setting from morning to night.

A more useful approach is to think about how your heating needs change along with your routine.

Once you’ve found a comfortable daytime setting, your routine can help guide what happens next.

The U.S. Department of Energy recommends lowering the temperature for part of the day when less heating is needed. It estimates that a 7–10°F reduction for eight hours a day can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling.

A smart thermostat can make those changes easier to manage. With ecobee, you can set up Home, Away and Sleep Comfort Settings in your daily schedule, so your thermostat can adjust automatically as your day changes.

And when your routine doesn’t go according to plan, Smart Home & Away can use occupancy sensing to adjust the temperature when you leave and restore your Comfort Settings when you return. That means your heating can follow your household instead of relying on someone to remember to make every adjustment manually.

There’s no single nighttime setting that works for every home. Bedrooms and nurseries can also run warmer or cooler than the area where your thermostat is installed, so the number on the wall may not reflect how those spaces actually feel.

An ecobee SmartSensor can help by measuring the temperature in other parts of your home. You can check those readings in the ecobee app and use them to help your thermostat manage comfort where it matters most.

That added visibility can make it easier to fine-tune your overnight settings without having to guess.

Winter comfort also depends on having a thermostat that works with your heating system and the way you use your home.

If you’re considering an upgrade, look for features that solve the problems you actually have:

• HVAC compatibility. Make sure the thermostat works with your system, especially if you have a heat pump, multi-stage equipment or HVAC accessories. You can use ecobee’s Thermostat Compatibility Checker to see what works with your setup.

• Flexible scheduling. Automated changes can help your heating follow your day without constant adjustments.

• Room-by-room awareness. Remote sensors can help balance things out when certain areas of your home tend to run warmer or cooler than others.

• Remote control. App access makes it easier to check or change settings when plans shift or you’re away.

Ready to find the right fit? Compare ecobee smart thermostats for your home. The right thermostat won’t change the weather outside, but it can make managing comfort throughout the winter a lot simpler.