To achieve optimal comfort, it is recommended for homeowners to set their thermostats between 68 to 72 degrees while there are people inside of the home.
The World Health Organization recommends a slightly wider range: the ideal winter weather indoor temperature is between 64 and 75 degrees for healthy people, the organization says. However, for those who are very young, elderly or have health problems, the temperature shouldn't dip below 68 degrees, WHO adds.
Location and severe climates can affect this range, but between 68 and 72 degrees is the general recommendation. 68 degrees is best because lower temperatures reduce the amount of energy needed to keep the house warm.
In the winter, experts recommend that you set your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit when you're home, and 60 to 65 degrees when you're asleep or away. You can set it higher, but that will reduce efficiency and lead to higher energy bills.
As you know, not all people feel comfortable at the same temperature and relative humidity, but to answer your question, most people feel comfortable with a set point temperature on the thermostat at 73--75 F during summer and 68--70 F during winter.
Quick answer: The ideal house temperature is room temperature, which ranges from 68 to 78 degrees F, though this may vary from season to season. In winter, the average room temperature is generally 62 to 68 degrees, whereas in the summer, the average temperature is 72 to 78 degrees.
“The consensus among most scientists is that anything higher than 75 or 80 is bad for sleep and potentially detrimental to health,” Baniassadi said. Heat affects sleep because the body signals the brain that it's time to fall asleep by lowering its core temperature.
Setting the thermostat below 72 degrees while using an air conditioner can cause the unit to work harder than necessary, leading to higher energy bills and potential damage to the appliance.
If you're cold even though your thermostat indicates you shouldn't be, your furnace likely isn't the problem. In most cases, it's working just fine. It's your home that needs attention. Lack of insulation, severe air leakage, and/or unbalanced ductwork are frequently to blame.
The ideal thermostat temperature in the winter is 68 degrees Fahrenheit when you're at home. Energy.gov suggests that 68 degrees is a good room temperature while you're awake at home but recommends lowering it while you're asleep or away.
Setting your air conditioning to 72°F is generally considered a comfortable indoor temperature for many people. It strikes a good balance between comfort and energy efficiency, making it a popular choice for residential settings.
Sleep experts believe the best temperature for great sleep is between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit. But in addition to making you uncomfortable and interfering with healthy sleep patterns, being too hot at any time of day or night can cause health risks like dehydration and heat stroke.
A good rule of thumb is to aim for a temperature range between 20-23 degrees Celsius (68-73 degrees Fahrenheit). This should keep you comfortable without using excessive heating or cooling.
Usually, your home's healthiest temperature is between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature range is fine for some people and can help prevent health problems like dehydration, heat exhaustion, and hypothermia.
If someone is at home in the daytime, 72° F (22° C) is a good start, but aim for 68° F (20° C). If everyone is away from home in the daytime or you're asleep at night, we feel 66° F (19° C) to 62° F (17° C) is best.
Best Home Thermostat Temperature Setting for Winter
For most people, a range around 66 to 72 degrees is perfect. 68 degrees F is a great number to target. It's warm enough so you won't be shivering, and it's low enough so you're not wasting money or straining your heater.
To achieve optimal comfort, it is recommended for homeowners to set their thermostats between 68 to 72 degrees while there are people inside of the home.
Why does 70 inside feel different in the winter compared to summer? There are multiple factors but the main reason is the dry air. Dry air causes evaporation of the moisture from our skin which in the process makes us feel cooler. Meanwhile humid air hinders evaporation doing the opposite.
Make sure your home is warm enough. Set your thermostat to at least 68 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (F). Even mildly cool homes with temperatures from 60 to 65 degrees F can lead to hypothermia in older adults. To stay warm at home, wear long underwear under your clothes, along with socks and slippers.
How Hot Is Too Hot? Different sources disagree on a maximum indoor temperature setting in winter. However, 72 degrees is the average recommendation. Setting the thermostat higher than the low 70s inevitably increases heat loss to the outdoors, raising heating bills substantially.
The National Sleep Foundation says 60-67 is a good temperature for sleep, but that might be too cold for you and increase your cooling bill. As a compromise, 70-plus degrees is a good setting.
Your AC might not cool properly due to thermostat issues, an undersized unit, or extremely high outdoor temps—so check those first. Keep an eye on airflow—replace clogged filters every 3 months, and make sure vents and ducts aren't blocked for efficient cooling.
If you can't keep your home at that exact temperature, or if 65 degrees is a little too chilly for your personal preferences, board-certified sleep medicine physician Funke Afolabi-Brown, MD, suggests aiming for something in the broader temperature range of 60 to 72 degrees for the best sleep environment possible.
Wearing socks to bed may help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, so it could become an important part of your sleep hygiene routine. Sleep hygiene refers to the habits, behaviors, and environmental factors present during our bedtime routine.
In general, the ideal room temperature and your home for both efficiency and comfort fall somewhere between 68° and 76°F.