What temperature do you heat your house?

[10past5]

In the winter time, what temperature do you set your thermostat at? Is 72 degrees a reasonable temp to keep the house at in the winter?

[xxdeanerxx]

The DW keeps it at 66.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Lately we prefer 66 day and 58 night.

[kork13]

Our thermostat changes based on time of day. But for most of the winter, it's been set between 62 (while not at home) to 65 (when we're awake, at home, and active).

With that said, we had a cold snap recently, and we couldn't deal with the cold, and changed changed it to go between 63 and 67.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I just saw your question about AARP membership and thought that means you are probably close to my age.

Age can certainly affect what room air temperatures you are comfortable with. Changes in circulation, changes in activity level, changes in weight, and, I suppose, changes in hormone balances can affect how well you deal with air temperature. I've become hugely more sensitive to both cold and heat in the last few years. In winter I can still address that with more insulating clothes. But I would feel free to use electric warming throws and portable heaters to raise temps in just one part of the house to make it comfortable. Eventually I might heat the entire house to a higher temp, but then I'd have to address adding some humidity.

[10past5]

How can you not freeze at those temperatures? I thought I might be able to get it down to 70, but mid 60s I would have hypothermia. Do you wear a lot of extra clothes?

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Yes, I do wear layers of clothes. It is normal for me to wear an undershirt, a turtle neck T-shirt, and a wool sweater with one or two pairs of thin long underwear, jeans, wool leg warmers, wool socks, and house shoes. I might put a fleece throw on my lap when seated at my desk which is against our uninsulated masonry wall. When I'm active around the house, some of it has to come off.

When we were young we kept the house at 56-58 in winter, except those years when we had an infant. I don't think I'd be comfortable with that temp anymore unless I were zipped up in an arctic snow suit.

[SuperSavingTips]

We keep it at 67 during the day/evening and 65 at night, but sometimes we move it up a degree or two in the evening if we're chilly. As Joan mentioned, age and health can affect tolerance for the cold, and both my wife and I have some issues with that. Also our condo is not the best insulated so we are probably losing some of that heat. We keep throw blankets around to help keep warm.

[cooliemae]

We usually keep it around 66-68, though we've inched closer to 70 since my MIL has moved in.

[a1nipper]

I keep my house at 72 year round. I skimp and save but like a comfortable temperature.

[bjl584]

If I really get the fireplace going it will get up to over 90 in the house, but then I have to start opening windows to cool it down. The furnace never does come on though.

[HappySaver]

68 awake / 63 at work and overnight. When I feel cold, I sometimes bump it up to 69.

[disneysteve]

We keep ours at 70 most of the time. Occasionally we'll bump it up to 71 if it's really cold out. Unfortunately, the coldest room in the house is the family room where we spend the most time so we have a little space heater in there.

[disneysteve]

It is normal for me to wear an undershirt, a turtle neck T-shirt, and a wool sweater with one or two pairs of thin long underwear, jeans, wool leg warmers, wool socks, and house shoes. I might put a fleece throw on my lap when seated at my desk

There's no way I want to be bundled up like that in the comfort of my own home. Plus my wife would leave me. If I can't comfortably walk around in a t-shirt, pants, and socks, then the house isn't warm enough.

[MonkeyMama]

To the OP - Sure, 72 is reasonable. I'd work on dropping it down at night though (if you don't already).

We personally keep our house 60-68. (The husband and the kids are perfectly fine to walk around in their underwear at 60; at 68 I am in my fleece, Basically, they never turn on the heat but I will flip it on to 68).

Overnight we turn off the heat but our house is well insulated and rarely dips below 60. I have lived in less insulated houses and can sleep fine down to 50 degrees.

I think we could probably work on acclimating further and dropping down a degree per year or something, BUT our gas heat is so cheap that I just don't see the point.