HomeSmarter with Andrew

Know your system · Heating & cooling

What temperature should I set my thermostat to?

Short version: there is no one right number. It depends on what matters to you, what heats your home and who is home.

One thing to remember for every goal: each degree you keep your house away from the temperature outside takes more energy. The bigger the gap between inside and outside, the harder your system works and the more it costs to run.1

Settings by goal

Each goal below explains the reasons behind the numbers. Open the one that fits you.

Easier on an older system

If your system is getting up there in years and you are worried it might not have long left, go easy on it. Run it as little as you can, and try to keep it from turning on and off over and over.2 Google Nest notes that frequent cycling can use more energy and add wear on a system.3 Picking one setting and leaving it alone helps, because every change can start the system up again.

Try this: in summer, set it as high as you are comfortable with. In winter, set it as low as you are comfortable with. Then leave it there, keep the fan on AUTO and keep the filter clean (the air filters guide shows how to check it).

Lowest energy bill

With a furnace and air conditioner, the biggest savings come from turning it back while you sleep or are away. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) says turning it down 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day in fall and winter can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling, and to turn it up in spring and summer.1 That is what it can save, not a promise for every house.

FIELD STUDY / 09Want a lower bill? Set it back 8 hours
Want a lower bill? Set it back 8 hoursA line chart of a winter day. The set temperature drops 7 to 10 degrees for about 8 hours while away or asleep, then returns. This is the Department of Energy example, not a rule for every house or for heat pumps.HomeHomeAsleepor away7-10°About 8 hours
  • A winter day on a thermostat schedule.
  • The set temperature drops while you are away or asleep, about 8 hours.
  • The Department of Energy example: turn the thermostat down 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours. That can save as much as 10% a year. It is an example, not a rule for every house or for heat pumps.
Schematic field study. Not to scale or an installation plan.

In summer, DOE says to set it as high as is comfortable when you are home and awake, and raise it when you sleep or leave.1 For the hours you are away, Trane suggests 5 to 10 degrees warmer than your home setting, but not above 85. Higher than that, the AC might not run often enough to pull the humidity out.4 A ceiling fan lets you set it about 4 degrees higher without feeling warmer. Turn the fan off when you leave the room, since it cools people, not the house.1

If you are on OG&E's SmartHours plan, OG&E suggests cooling the house down before 2 p.m., then raising the setting 2 to 4 degrees at 2 p.m.5

Have a heat pump? Read the heat pump section first. Big setbacks can cost more with a heat pump, not less.6

Try this: with a furnace and AC, use a schedule that turns it back 7 to 10 degrees for about 8 hours while you sleep or are away in winter. In summer, raise it 5 to 10 degrees while you are away, up to 85. With a heat pump, keep changes small, 2 to 3 degrees, or skip them.

Less humidity

A house that feels sticky is usually a moisture problem, not a number problem. EPA says to keep indoor humidity below 60 percent, and ideally between 30 and 50 percent.7 A humidity gauge from a hardware store shows where yours sits.7

Keep the fan on AUTO in summer. When the fan runs nonstop, the water that collects on the cold coil can blow right back into the house.8 Many smart thermostats can run the AC a little longer to pull out more moisture: ecobee calls it AC Overcool9, the Honeywell T10 can cool up to 3 degrees below your setting10, and Google Nest has Cool to Dry.11

Try this: fan on AUTO, not ON. Turn on your thermostat's dehumidify or overcool setting if it has one. Aim for indoor humidity under 60 percent. Still sticky with the fan on AUTO? Have a pro take a look.

Set it and forget it

Not everyone wants a schedule. You can pick one temperature you are comfortable with and hold it there. For most homes, 68 to 70 degrees works well in winter12 and 75 to 78 degrees in summer.213 Many thermostats call this a permanent hold.14 With a furnace and AC, you give up the savings a schedule can bring. With a heat pump, a steady setting is what Carrier recommends.6

One catch: on some smart thermostats a permanent hold turns other features off. On ecobee it stops the early warm-up and cool-down before each schedule change15, and on Honeywell's T5 and T6 permanent hold and the phone-location feature cannot be on at the same time.14

Try this: pick one temperature and set it as a permanent hold, with the fan on AUTO. A good range in winter is 68 to 70 degrees, and in summer 75 to 78 degrees. Every degree closer to the outside temperature saves energy.

Sleeping comfortably

The National Sleep Foundation says a bedroom between 60 and 67 degrees helps most people sleep.16 That is a sleep group's suggestion, not a government rule, and everybody is different. A schedule can lower the temperature at bedtime, and most programmable and smart thermostats start warming the house early so it is comfortable by the time you get up. Honeywell calls this smart recovery14, ecobee calls it pre-heat and pre-cool15, and Nest calls it Early-On.17

Try this: with a furnace, a cooler sleep setting with the early warm-up feature turned on. With a heat pump, drop it only 2 to 3 degrees at night.

Someone at home needs extra care

Babies, older adults and anyone with a health condition may need a steadier setting. For babies, the American Academy of Pediatrics warns that overheating can raise the risk of SIDS and says to dress a baby in only one layer more than you are wearing.18 The National Institutes of Health has advised keeping the room at a temperature that is comfortable for an adult.19 For older adults in hot weather, the CDC says to stay in air conditioning as much as possible and not to rely on a fan as the main way to stay cool when it is really hot.20

If someone has specific medical needs, ask their doctor what temperature is right for them.

Try this: skip big setbacks while they are home. Keep it at a temperature that feels comfortable to an adult, and keep the AC running on hot days.

Pets home alone

There is no official thermostat number for pets. When you raise the temperature in summer to save energy, DOE simply says to be mindful of the comfort and safety of any pets in your home.1 Trane makes the same point: you may be able to set it a little higher when your pets travel with you, but maybe not when they stay behind.4 Animals handle heat differently, so your vet is the best one to ask.

Try this: if pets stay home alone on hot days, keep the AC on and skip a big away setting. Ask your vet what is safe for your animal.

Away for a few days

For a trip of a few days or more, use your thermostat's vacation or away setting so it is not running the full schedule for an empty house. For heat pumps, a setback usually saves energy when you are gone more than a day.21 In winter, do not let the house get so cold that pipes freeze. Google tells Nest owners to make sure their pipes will not freeze before using its Eco setting22, and Oklahoma Natural Gas suggests leaving cabinet doors open on outside walls to help keep pipes from freezing.12

Trane says 50 to 65 degrees is fine while you are away in winter, but not below 50, or pipes can freeze in extreme cold. In summer, it suggests the same setting you use while you are at work: 5 to 10 degrees warmer than your home setting, up to 85. Your trip setting can match your weekday away setting, and a programmable or smart thermostat can start warming the house about 12 hours before you get home.4

Try this: use vacation or away mode. In winter, set it between 50 and 65, never off, and open the cabinet doors on outside walls. In summer, set it 5 to 10 degrees warmer, up to 85, and keep it closer to normal if pets stay home.

If you have a heat pump

Heat pumps work best with a steady setting. When you turn the heat up more than 3 or 4 degrees at once, the backup electric heat (often shown as AUX heat) can kick on, and that heat costs more to run.2324 DOE says not to set a heat pump back by hand if that brings on the backup heat, and to use a thermostat made for heat pumps if you want a schedule.1 Carrier recommends small setbacks of 2 to 3 degrees, or just setting it and leaving it.6 When you do raise it, Trane says to go only a degree or two at a time.23

Use HEAT or COOL instead of AUTO mode. In AUTO, a heat pump can end up heating on a cool summer night or cooling on a sunny winter day.21 Keep the fan on AUTO too.21

Try this: pick a temperature and leave it, or drop it only 2 to 3 degrees at night. Raise it a degree or two at a time. Use HEAT or COOL mode, with the fan on AUTO.

Mistakes that waste energy

Where to go from here

If the house never seems to reach the temperature you set, the setting is probably not the problem. It could be a dirty filter (the air filters guide shows how to check it, and FilterPing can remind you), the system turning on and off every few minutes, or a problem inside the system. If it still is not keeping up, call a pro and tell them what you have already checked. That helps them find the problem faster.

Sources

All sources checked November 7, 2026.

  1. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Saver guide (2022 PDF). Turning it down 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day can save as much as 10% a year; summer settings, the ceiling fan and pets; the heat pump cautions (PDF pages 16, 20 and 21). A bigger gap between indoor and outdoor temperatures takes more energy (PDF page 11).
  2. Field experience. Andrew's own advice from working on home systems: run an older system as little as possible and avoid turning it on and off over and over; 75 degrees as the low end of the summer range.
  3. Google Nest, Learn about your thermostat's maintenance band. Turning on and off often can use more energy and add wear.
  4. Trane, What are the recommended thermostat settings for summer and winter vacation? (May 14, 2025). Away in summer: 5 to 10 degrees warmer than your home setting, not above 85, so the AC still dehumidifies. Away in winter: 50 to 65, not below 50, or pipes can freeze in extreme cold. A trip setting can match the workday away setting; warm the house up about 12 hours before you get home; pets that stay behind may change it.
  5. OG&E, How can I lower my bill?. SmartHours tips: cool the house before 2 p.m., then raise it 2 to 4 degrees.
  6. Carrier, Smart thermostats for heat pumps. Deep setbacks can waste money with a heat pump; set it and forget it, or set back only 2 to 3 degrees.
  7. EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home. Indoor humidity below 60 percent, ideally 30 to 50 percent, measured with an inexpensive humidity meter.
  8. ACCA blog, A technique supposed to improve IAQ may do the opposite. Running the fan nonstop raised indoor humidity.
  9. ecobee, Threshold settings. AC Overcool Max runs the AC past the cool setting to reduce humidity.
  10. Honeywell Home, T10 Pro indoor air quality. Cools up to 3 degrees below the cool setting until the humidity target is reached.
  11. Google Nest, Learn about Cool to Dry. Cools up to 3 degrees below your setting to lower humidity.
  12. Oklahoma Natural Gas, Get winter-ready. Set the thermostat to 68 to 70 degrees; leave cabinet doors open on outside walls so pipes do not freeze.
  13. ENERGY STAR, Room air conditioners. Set it as high as is comfortable, typically 78 degrees.
  14. Honeywell Home, T5, T5+ and T6 Pro features. Temporary and permanent holds, smart recovery, and permanent hold turned off while geofencing is on.
  15. ecobee, Pre-heat and pre-cool. Starts heating or cooling early so the house is ready on schedule; does not run during an indefinite hold.
  16. National Sleep Foundation, Sleep tips. A bedroom between 60 and 67 degrees helps promote sleep. A nonprofit, not a government agency.
  17. Google Nest, Learn about Early-On. Can start heating up to 5 hours before a scheduled temperature.
  18. American Academy of Pediatrics, A parent's guide to safe sleep. Overheating can raise the risk of SIDS; dress a baby in one layer more than you are wearing.
  19. NIH (NICHD), SIDS risk in winter. A room temperature that is comfortable for adults.
  20. CDC, Heat and older adults. Stay in air conditioning as much as possible; do not rely on a fan as the main cooling when it is really hot.
  21. CEE, hosted by DOE, You installed a heat pump. Now what? (PDF). Setbacks save energy when the absence lasts more than a day; use Heat or Cool mode, not Auto; start with the fan on Auto.
  22. Google Nest, Eco Temperatures. Make sure people, pets and plants are comfortable and pipes will not freeze.
  23. Trane, Heat pump auxiliary heat. Raising the heat more than 3 to 4 degrees can bring on aux heat; raise it only a degree or two at a time.
  24. Lennox, What does aux heat mean?. Raising the heat more than 3 or 4 degrees can bring on aux heat.
  25. Trane, Busting common thermostat myths. Setting it higher or lower does not heat or cool the house faster.
  26. ecobee, What is a Hold?. The schedule is ignored until the hold is dismissed or expires.
  27. Lennox, Thermostat location. An inside wall about 4 to 5 feet off the floor, away from windows, sun and vents.
When in doubt, call a pro. If you are not comfortable checking something, or you are not sure, please reach out to a pro. Some of these issues can be made worse, more expensive to fix later, or dangerous.