For years, it has been the number everyone repeats as soon as the heat comes back on: 68°F. Set the thermostat there and you’re supposed to be both comfortable and thrifty. But energy and comfort experts now say a single number for the whole house doesn’t make sense. Here’s the real temperature to aim for, room by room, and why 68°F can still feel cold.
Where the 68°F rule comes from
The figure is not a myth. For winter, the classic advice is to keep the thermostat around 68°F while you’re awake and to lower it while you’re asleep or away. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, as quoted by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, turning the thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees for eight hours a day can save as much as 10% a year on heating.
The problem is that 68°F was never meant for every room, every hour and every household. That’s why the “rule” is being replaced by a more precise approach.
The real temperature, room by room
- Living room and home office, when you’re there: around 68 to 70°F. It’s where you sit still the longest, so it’s the room where a degree is most noticeable.
- Bedroom: cooler. The Sleep Foundation recommends 65 to 68°F for sleep, with about 65°F as the sweet spot for most adults.
- Bathroom: warmer for a short time, when you shower. There’s no point heating it all day.
- Hallways, guest room, unused spaces: lower, but not too low. A room left very cold gets damp walls and condensation, especially in older homes.
- At night and when you’re out: this is where the savings are, with a programmable or smart thermostat doing the work for you.
Why 68°F can still feel cold
The thermostat measures the air, but your body also feels the surfaces around it. A cold window, an outside wall or a drafty floor pulls heat from your body, so the same 68°F feels warmer in a well-insulated room than next to old single-pane glass.
Humidity plays a role too. Very dry air feels colder and irritates the throat, while damp air encourages mold. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60%, ideally between 30 and 50%.
Feel warmer without touching the dial
- Close blinds and curtains at dusk, as experts advise with the 5 p.m. rule.
- Don’t block heating vents or radiators with furniture, curtains or a decorative cover: here’s why a radiator cover can make the living room cold.
- Seal drafts under doors and around windows.
- Wear a sweater and use a throw on the sofa: it’s the cheapest degree you’ll ever gain.
The limit
There is no single perfect number. Babies, older adults and people with some health conditions need warmer rooms, and the Sleep Foundation suggests up to 69°F for infants. Climate, insulation and the type of heating also change the right setting. Use these ranges as a starting point, then adjust to how your household actually feels.
Heating isn’t the only bill you can trim this winter: lighting is moving on too, as we explained with the new tech replacing LED bulbs.
The right temperature in the right room, at the right time. That’s the trick.
