With energy prices still high, heating your home is proving difficult for many to afford. These elevated prices are leading many to search for alternative ways to save on energy bills during the winter. And the solution can be easier than you think. If you’ve ever wondered whether or not you should leave your heat on low all day or turn it off when you’re gone, keep reading.
On average, a typical household spends $6,888 annually on utility bills, shelling out $1,644 each year on electricity bills alone. But you can slash your bills by setting your thermostat to the proper temperature for the appropriate amount of time. To save money on heating, the Department of Energy recommends turning your thermostat down to 68°F to 70°F while you're awake, and even lower when you're sleeping or away from home. They claim you can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by turning your thermostat back 7°F to 10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting.
You may be wondering, however, if you’d be better off turning your heat off completely. In most cases, you’d be better off turning your heat down low as opposed to turning it off completely. According to Wired, it’s better to leave your heat running constantly, but just set back to a low temperature. They also report that keeping specific rooms in your home very cold can “reduce the overall efficiency of your heating, since those rooms will soak up warmth and make your boiler or heat pump work harder.”
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Plus, if you live somewhere cold, turning the heat off all day probably isn’t a suitable option as it can cause your pipes to freeze and burst. Or maybe you work from home. Whatever the case, dropping your thermostat, instead of turning it off completely, can help significantly reduce your heating costs — in some cases by 10%. You'll also maximize your savings by making sure your home is properly insulated and loses less heat.
Purchasing a smart thermostat is a great solution to keep your home at the appropriate temperature. With a smart thermostat, you’ll be able to control your home’s temperature conveniently from your phone, allowing you to schedule different temperatures for different times of the day or to shut your heat off/on whenever you want, even if you're not at home.
Other ways to save on energy costs
- Do an energy audit — by making improvements identified in a home energy audit, you can save between 5% and 30% on your monthly energy bill. Tax credits for energy-efficient home improvements include theEnergy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, which is equal to 30% of the costs for all eligible home improvements made during the year, and the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program, which offers $1,600 for insulation, air sealing, and ventilation.
- Make sure your home is well insulated so it loses less heat. If you don't already have it, insulation is a good investment as it reduces your future bills.
- Switch to LED lightbulbs — they use 75% less energy than incandescent/halogen lightbulbs.
- Consider whether solar panels could be an option for your property.
- Place your thermostat where it will give you the most accurate temperature — avoid drafty windows or direct sunlight.
- Wash your clothes in cold water — this can cut your energy usage in half when doing laundry.
- Bundle up — wear warm clothes and use blankets to avoid turning up the heat.
- Use your dishwasher — not only will washing your dishes in the dishwasher save you more time than handwashing them, it'll also use less water and save energy. Overall, you'll save money by using the dishwasher vs washing by hand.
- Wood Burning Stove vs Central Heating? Gas central heating is cheaper than burning wood.
Bottom line
Overall, keeping your heat set to 68°F to 70°F during the day, and 7°F to 10°F lower when you're not home, is the best way to save on heating costs. Purchasing a smart thermostat gives you the option of controlling the heat in your home conveniently from your phone, helping you to save money on utility bills during cold spells.
Related content
- Electric Heaters vs Radiators: Which Is Cheapest for Home Heating?
- 8 Ways to Lower Your Heating Costs
- Smart Ways to Cut Your Utility Bills
- Wood Burning Stove vs Central Heating: Which is Cheaper?
- Cheap Ways to Cool Your Home in the Summer
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FAQs
To save money on heating, the Department of Energy recommends turning your thermostat down to 68°F to 70°F while you're awake, and even lower when you're sleeping or away from home.
Is it cheaper to leave the heat on all day or turn it off? ›
So, depending on the layout of your house and the type of heating system you have, leaving your heat on all day can significantly increase your energy bills. Turning off your heater, even just for a few hours a day, can help you save between 5%-15% on energy costs over the year.
Is it cheaper to leave heating on or turn on and off? ›
No. Many people believe that they will save money on energy bills by keeping their boiler on constantly, rather than turning it off and on when needed. This is not the case. However, sensible management of timings and temperatures can have a big effect.
Does turning on and off heat cost more? ›
Does turning the heat on and off raise the bill each month? The answer is no. Adjusting your thermostat to lower settings when you're not home or when you're asleep can actually lead to significant heating bill savings.
Does turning off heat at night save money? ›
The average savings for homeowners who do this is 1% to 3% per degree that they lower the thermostat. For a homeowner who lowers the temperature 8 degrees for 8 hours per day, that savings translates to at least $180 per year.
Is it better to turn off heat or turn it down? ›
It's More Advisable to Turn the Heat Down, Not Off
If you really want to save money and avoid the problems associated with turning off the heat at night, what you should do instead is just turn it down.
What is the cheapest temperature to keep your house in winter? ›
You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to around 68°F to 70°F while you're awake and setting it lower while you're asleep or away from home.
Is it cheaper to leave a heater on or turn off and? ›
Bottom line. Overall, keeping your heat set to 68°F to 70°F during the day, and 7°F to 10°F lower when you're not home, is the best way to save on heating costs.
Is it cheaper to keep your house at a constant temperature? ›
Keeping your home at a constant temperature generally means that your HVAC system will run constantly to meet it. This means that your furnace or air conditioner may run when you're asleep, at work, or out of the house. This wastes more energy than the minimal amount that you might save by having it constantly run.
What is the best heating schedule to save money? ›
You should set the central heating programme to come on around half an hour before you get up, and go off around half an hour before you go to bed. And if the house is empty during the day, or you can manage without heating during the day, make sure you've set the programmer to go off for this period too.
There isn't a specific temperature that heating should be turned off. But once the outside temperature reaches more than 14°C it is generally warm enough to do so.
What temperature should I keep my house to save money? ›
What temperature should you keep your house at? Or better yet, “What is the most energy saving temperature to set my thermostat at?” According to ENERGYSTAR.gov, the ideal home temperature should be between 70 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
Is it cheaper to keep heat on auto or on? ›
The Advantages of “Auto”
Lower Utility Bills — Since the blower only runs when heat is needed when your heater is set to “AUTO,” it requires less energy than if it were set to “ON.” This can lead to lower utility bills if you can put up with slightly cooler temperatures.
Is it cheaper to leave the heating on all day? ›
Keeping heating on low all day is unlikely to save money in the long run. There's always heat loss when heating a home, and extending the time your heating is switched on will increase the amount of heat loss you end up paying for.
Does turning the heat on and off waste money? ›
Homeowners have debated the pros and cons of when to turn the heat on and off for many years. While many argued that keeping the heat down while they weren't home saved money, experts argue that it takes more energy to return the heating level to a comfortable one once you return home.
Is 65 degrees cold for a house? ›
The World Health Organization recommends keeping indoor temperatures between 64 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit for healthy people. The minimum temperature should be kept above 68 degrees Fahrenheit to protect the very young, the elderly, or people with health problems. Watch out for signs of hypothermia.
Is it cheaper to keep your house at constant temperature? ›
Keeping your home at a constant temperature generally means that your HVAC system will run constantly to meet it. This means that your furnace or air conditioner may run when you're asleep, at work, or out of the house. This wastes more energy than the minimal amount that you might save by having it constantly run.
Does it cost more to heat a house or keep it warm? ›
Anyone who's opened an eye-popping energy bill in the middle of winter or one for air conditioning in the summer has probably wondered which system costs more to operate. According to analyses, it's no comparison: heating your home requires four times more energy in the US than cooling your home.
