What temperature should you set the thermostat?
The Department of Energy's efficiency targets: around 68 degrees Fahrenheit while awake at home in winter, and around 78 in summer, with bigger setbacks while asleep or away. Dropping the house 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day saves roughly 10 percent on heating and cooling annually, which is the cheapest energy win available to most households.
The myth to retire: cranking the thermostat to 85 or 60 does not heat or cool the house faster. Standard systems run at one speed; the extreme setting just overshoots the target and wastes the savings. Set the number you want and let it work.
Comfort is allowed to beat efficiency, and the actual fights are about sleep, where research favors a cool room in the mid-60s, and about who controls the hallway. On that, the government offers no guidance.
The efficiency answer: 68°F when home in winter, 78°F in summer, with setbacks when out or asleep worth about 10 percent off the bill. The marriage answer is negotiated separately.
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https://frequentlyaskedquestions.us/q/best-thermostat-temperature/Everybody Asks. (2026, July 28). What temperature should you set the thermostat? https://frequentlyaskedquestions.us/q/best-thermostat-temperature/“What temperature should you set the thermostat?” Everybody Asks, 28 July 2026, https://frequentlyaskedquestions.us/q/best-thermostat-temperature/.“What temperature should you set the thermostat?” Everybody Asks. Last modified July 28, 2026. https://frequentlyaskedquestions.us/q/best-thermostat-temperature/.This page summarizes the primary sources listed above. For academic or encyclopedic work, cite those primary sources directly wherever possible.