Central heating question

[Hilltopmom]

We moved to a new house with central heat. (We've always just had a woodstove).

 

We live where it's cold (way upstate NY near Canadian border)

 

Cannot decide where to set the thermostat at so that we don't spend a fortune on heat (natural gas furnace). We only have one thermostat for the whole house, no separate zones. Bigger house than before - about 2,600 sq ft.

We had solar for our electric & wood for heat for 12 years, so I'm in sticker shock over gas & electric prices in town ( even though I knew it would cost more). But, no more long commute to town multiple times per day, woo hoo!

 

What do you keep yours set at? Thanks

 

(We're used to wearing sweatshirts indoors all winter & have down blankets, so I've been keeping it under 60 at night, under 65 during the day, but bumping it up to 67 in the evening when dh likes to sit & watch tv. The rest of the day I'm busy chasing littles & don't need it very high)

Edited March 17, 2017 by Hilltopmom

[regentrude]

We set it to 70 during the day and 65 at night. We have no separate zones, and the thermostat is on the main level. The kids' bedrooms upstairs and the family room in the basement are several degrees colder; if we set it lower, it will be uncomfortably cold in those areas.

[Hilltopmom]

Yeah, the teens rooms wind up a different temp than the rest of the house, even though they are next door to each other. Ds's room is an oven & dd's is freezing. They both spend most of their day in their rooms with the doors shut to keep the littles out of them (they're on the first floor off the main living room).

Trying to find a balance there.

[MEmama]

We keep ours (steam heat, natural gas, new boiler) at 63 during the day, 53 at night.

 

This has proven to be less expensive than heating with the pellet stove exclusively. We only use it now for supplemental heat or ambiance.

 

FWIW, our house is 1/2 the size of yours. Being in Maine, we have extraordinarily high energy costs so we have to be frugal.

Edited March 17, 2017 by MEmama

[MooCow]

Our downstairs is set to 67. Sometimes I'll up it to 68,69.

The upstairs is set to 66. Sometimes if the kids are busy upstairs or if hubby's office gets too cold, I'll up it to 67, 68. We have gas heating.

[Sherry in OH]

We set ours to 68 during the day and 63 at night.   On stormy days I sometimes bump the temperature up to 70 degrees.  In our previous home, we were able to set the temperatures lower.  In our current two-story living room, unless it is a very sunny day, 65 feels cold.

[school17777]

We set ours to 68 during the day and 63 at night. On stormy days I sometimes bump the temperature up to 70 degrees. In our previous home, we were able to set the temperatures lower. In our current two-story living room, unless it is a very sunny day, 65 feels cold.

We do the same here.

[SparklyUnicorn]

We do 68 during the day and 63 at night.

 

 

[regentrude]

Oh, and just for perspective: I am currently sitting in the 70 degrees living room (pretty near the thermostat) working on my computer, and I am wearing jeans, socks and a fleece sweater. So its not like we're in shorts and T-shirts at home.

[Calm37]

We keep ours at 66 during the day and 56 at night. Our basement living space is much colder, though, and my daughter runs a space heater at times in her bedroom down there. We also have high ceilings in our open-plan living area, so we keep a ceiling fan updrafting on medium speed all winter long. 

[gardenmom5]

a lot depends upon your average seasonal temps, as well as rates. efficiency of furnace .  .  and how well your house is insulated.

 

my dd sets her's around 65? (her basement is colder all year long)  dh insists our's is at 72. (i'd be happy having it lower.  I also turn it off earlier in the year than he does - and go longer without the a/c - and turn it on later)   our house is better insulated than hers.

[Rachel]

We have a heat pump which works a little differently. However, we keep our heat at 66 day and night. We have separate thermostats and units for upstairs and downstairs. Only the upstairs is programmable though. It could probably stand to go down a couple degrees during the day.

 

Our downstairs frequently gets turned down at night but our room is consistently 2 degrees cooler than the rest of the first floor and the thermostat isn't programmable, so I rarely mess with it.

 

We are walking around in regular clothes, if I bundled up we could probably bump it down a couple degrees too. My kids live in shorts year round though.

[xixstar]

58 night / 62 daytime

 

Sometimes we'll kick it up to 65 if we are just sitting around watching movies.

[Rachel]

Oh and insulation, windows, and efficiency of your heating unit all make a huge difference in cost of heating your house. Our old house was 1100 sq ft and cost double to heat what our current house at 2700 sq ft costs. The old house felt chilly at 66 degrees, this house doesn't.

[Hilltopmom]

We keep ours (steam heat, natural gas, new boiler) at 63 during the day, 53 at night.

 

This has proven to be less expensive than heating with the pellet stove exclusively. We only use it now for supplemental heat or ambiance.

 

FWIW, our house is 1/2 the size of yours. Being in Maine, we have extraordinarily high energy costs so we have to be frugal.

Our old house was 1100 sq ft, so yeah, part of the sticker shock is the size difference plus the method of heat.

We used to cut our own wood, move it, stack it, etc.. Cheap in dollars, pricey in time & physical labor.

I love being in town & having more space though!

[hellen]

64 during the day and 60 at night.

[cjzimmer1]

Our first furnace was sized incorrectly for our house (we only had the upstairs of the house finished when they put the furnace in and sized it for that space, they didn't consider the unfinished lower level that we eventually finished and was 18 years old when we replaced it), I kept it set at 66 in the winter.  It was very cold in the house but the bills where so high we just suffered through with blankets and lot of tea and hot chocolate.  We replaced it last summer.  Now I keep it at 67-69, it's still cool but not bad and our bill is only about 2/3 what the old one was. So warmer in the house for less money.

[Zuzu822]

We are in CNY, and when we've had houses with central heat we do 65/66 during the day and 62 at night. We had a Nest thermostat which helped control things and automatically lowered it when we were away.

 

Now we live in a 3300 sf house with electric heat (YIKES!!), and we keep everything at a baseline of 55-60 and control rooms by wireless thermostats when we want things warmer (e.g. schoolroom goes to 64 from 9-12 and bedrooms are at 64 from 7-8:30 pm). Occasionally we use our wood stove insert which helps warm the main living areas (raised ranch).

 

ETA: I freeze from November to May. :p The kids still manage to run around in bare feet and like it. Lol

Edited March 17, 2017 by Zuzu822

[Laura Corin]

14 degrees C (57F), although my mother has supplementary heat in her room, and we have a wood stove in the sitting room.  The heat is off at night (outside temperature is around freezing in winter at night). I wear lined jeans, wool socks, slippers, camisole, flannel shirt and wool sweater at home, sometimes with a down vest.

Edited March 17, 2017 by Laura Corin

[Arctic Bunny]

We have a programmable thermostat (a Nest, actually). The warmest we go is 19.5C (67F) When we're not home, or at night, it goes down to 17C (62.5F). I also have the Nest set to run the furnace fan for 15 minutes every hour. This helps circulate the air and the humidity, and helps prevent some room from being cold spots. I close off vents we don't need open (there are three in this kitchen!).

We rent the house from DH's employer, and they put in a new hi-eff furnace this summer. I auto-pay $35 every two weeks, which balances out over the year. I didn't change that when they put in the new furnace. At the moment, coming into spring, I am $250 ahead. I am sold on how much of a difference going from ancient (70s?) to hi-eff can make. My fuzzy brain math says about 27%.

[mamaraby]

68/69 during the day 65 at night. You also have to consider thermostat swing. Mine's set at 2 degrees so we're talking 66/67 during the day before the furnace kicks on and 63 at night. Even at these temps during the day, I'm wearing long sleeves with a fleece zip up jacket and jeans with a extra warm pair of socks. If I'm sitting for any length of time I have a fleece blanket plus a quilt on my lap.

 

We used to keep it much colder, but dh took that as a judgment on his ability to provide for his family and insisted that I turn it up. He thought if he was working all these hours I should at least be more comfortable at home. I tend to turn it down, he tends to turn it up because again, he thinks my many layers is silly.

[regentrude]

14 degrees C (57F), although my mother has supplementary heat in her room, and we have a wood stove in the sitting room.  The heat is off at night (outside temperature is around freezing in winter at night). I wear lined jeans, wool socks, slippers, camisole, flannel shirt and wool sweater at home, sometimes with a down vest.

 

wow. I would be beyond miserable. I can't type wearing mittens.

[SparklyUnicorn]

wow. I would be beyond miserable. I can't type wearing mittens.

 

same here

 

but now I'll remember this and be thankful for my 68

 

:laugh:

[Arctic Bunny]

We used to keep it much colder, but dh took that as a judgment on his ability to provide for his family and insisted that I turn it up. He thought if he was working all these hours I should at least be more comfortable at home. I tend to turn it down, he tends to turn it up because again, he thinks my many layers is silly.

Isn't that funny? My DH too! I don't think there's any point in heating up the whole house when it's just me. It seems wasteful, when I'm perfectly fine with my fuzzy sweater, fuzzy slippers and hot cup of tea!

[edelweiss]

We keep ours at 68 day and night. I do sometimes bump it up to 70 if I feel particularly chilly though.

[happi duck]

65-68

[Catwoman]

Wow. I would freeze in most of your houses! I have never kept my house in the 50's or 60's. That's way too cold for me!

[MEmama]

Our old house was 1100 sq ft, so yeah, part of the sticker shock is the size difference plus the method of heat.

We used to cut our own wood, move it, stack it, etc.. Cheap in dollars, pricey in time & physical labor.

I love being in town & having more space though!

Ideally, our house would be half the size it is and we'd heat with wood. Different girls can have different dreams! Lol. I'd stay in town though, definitely.

 

Our house is nearly 70 years old, which is actually pretty new around here. Our furnace was *orginal!* to the house and used oil, so when natural gas became available in our neighbourhood we replaced the furnace and switched heat sources. It was an expensive upgrade we'll never come out even on, but it is far more comfortable.

 

We like it cold at night. We even run the ceiling fan to cool our bedroom more in winter.

[regentrude]

I do like cold at night too, and sleep with the window open, even in winter. But we keep the bedroom door closed so it does not cool down the rest of the house.

[MEmama]

Wow. I would freeze in most of your houses! I have never kept my house in the 50's or 60's. That's way too cold for me!

That's how I feel except opposite! I'd whither in 70 degree houses.

 

My MIL keeps hers hot, in the mid 70s or so. We can hardly stand it.

 

Funny what we get used to.

[Annie G]

We keep it pretty cold- 63 during the day and a little lower at night. If I'm working I get hot and if I'm sitting I'm under a quilt.   I always start my day wearing a hoodie over my shirt but it's off and on all day while my activity level changes.  

 

It's not a badge of honor to be able to tolerate low temps- OP, I hope you find the balance between your body's comfort zone and your wallet's comfort zone. 

[EmilyGF]

Have you checked the caulk around all the windows? I felt like our house was really cold at 70. Then I recaulked all the windows - despite the house being fairly new, they all were leaking like crazy! - and now I can set the temperature lower and still feel comfortable.

 

Also, some parts of our house are much warmer than others. So we spend a lot of the day in the warmest room for school, which is why we have a school room, and only need a higher temp in the evenings when we aren't in there. 

 

Now our settings are 65-67 during school hours, 68-70 in the evening, and 65 or below at night since we have good comforters.

Emily

[Selkie]

We like keeping the house cool, so 60 at night and a couple degrees warmer during the day. If the temp in the house gets up to 68, I feel like I'm melting.  :blushing:

[MEmama]

Insulation is key, as are factors like solar radiation. The front of our house (living room) faces west and south. In the winter, I keep most of the (thermal) blinds closed so heat doesn't escape through the glass, but I open those to let the sunshine pour in. It adds many degrees to that room.

 

Our blinds still let light in, an do a great job of keeping heat loss to a minimum.

 

In summer, the huge trees leaf out so that part of the house is shaded and stays cool. We rarely have hot hot weather here though, and don't have A/C.

[J-rap]

It gets very cold here.  We have the thermostat downstairs in the main area.  We used to always keep it at 65 or so during the day and around 55 at night.  But I think I've gotten colder!  Now we automatically set it to 70 during the day, though we often temporarily turn it down when we feel we can.  (still, 55 at night)  Either way, we wear sweaters!  One corner bedroom upstairs is colder than most, and for that one we have one of those electric radiator heaters.

[ktgrok]

I'm in awe! I'd freeze!  But I'm a Florida girl. I've run the heat the last few days, and kept it at 71. But when we have the A/C on in the rest of the year I put it at 77, which would probably be too hot for the northern folks I guess?

 

Edited to add: we also tend not to have very many warm clothes here....so buying warm clothes for the few days we need the heat on, plus down comforters, etc probably would cost as much as just running the heat the few days we need it. 

Edited March 17, 2017 by ktgrok

[Paige]

I would freeze in most of your houses! We keep it at 68 during the day and maybe 65 at night if I don't bump it up. I'm sitting in my sunny room with fuzzy socks, fleece pants, a tank top, long sleeve shirt over that, sweater over that, and a fuzzy blanket wrapped around me. I'm comfortable, but wouldn't be without my blanket.

 

In the summer, though, we keep the AC on 78 which is fine for me. I'd probably be fine with it higher, but the rest of the family gets hot. 

[lailasmum]

Our heating is off now until next winter but it's mostly at 15°C ish in the daytime and off at night. Our house is so heavily insulated if I cook it can make the house really hot and the core of our heater (it's a night storage thing) leaks just enough heat because it's old to keep the house from being damp.

Edited March 17, 2017 by lailasmum

[Laura Corin]

wow. I would be beyond miserable. I can't type wearing mittens.

 

Hobbes has Raynauds and wears fingerless gloves in the house and lots of layers.  He seems okay.

 

[historically accurate]

Winter temp 66 degrees day and night 

Summer temp 79 degrees day and night

 

DH doesn't like it colder than that during the winter, so I gave up adjusting the thermostat. I'd do it during the day when he was gone and forget about it, and he would rant when he got home. He'd prefer colder in the summer - I just kept upping it and he finally caved. So I get my temp in summer; he gets his in winter.

[SebastianCat]

I'm in awe! I'd freeze!  But I'm a Florida girl. I've run the heat the last few days, and kept it at 71. But when we have the A/C on in the rest of the year I put it at 77, which would probably be too hot for the northern folks I guess?

 

Edited to add: we also tend not to have very many warm clothes here....so buying warm clothes for the few days we need the heat on, plus down comforters, etc probably would cost as much as just running the heat the few days we need it. 

Same here and we also live in Florida.   I think we've only turned our heat on once this winter, and that was then the thermostat said it was about 65 in the house.  We set the heat to 70 when it's on.   The past few days it's been about 68 in the house and DD told me she couldn't feel her fingers while she was practicing piano because she was so cold, but I'm not turning the heat on for 2 days, only to have to turn the A/C back on by Saturday.

 

Our A/C thermostat is set to 78 during the day and 76 at night, and it runs about 10-11 months per year.

 

Every piece of clothing we own to layer is made from cotton.   My DS has had track practice this week at 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning, and yesterday it was about 36 degrees, so he just wore a bunch of layers and still froze (even after running 40+ minutes).   But it seems like a bit of a waste to buy him cold weather running gear, when he's only had to run 2 times all winter when it's been below 45 degrees.

[Forget-Me-Not]

70-72 during the day, 65 at night.

 

The summers here are crazy hot (many 100+ days, and some 110+) and we keep the air at 75-76. I'd love to bump it to 77-78, but I can't hardly stand to have it that warm. The summers I was pregnant, I laid around under ceiling fans with the air at 75.

[wintermom]

In Canada here. We set ours at about 70 during the day and a little cooler at night. It all depends how cool you like it at night, and how much heat the house holds. Ours is pretty new, and doesn't lose a lot of heat. The upstairs takes a while to cool down at night.

 

You just have to experiment a little to see what you prefer.

[Pawz4me]

69 during the day, 65 at night.

 

I used to be extremely cold natured, but once I hit my late 40's I started staying hot all the time. I'd love to keep the house cooler, but DH and DS18 voted that suggestion down.

[solascriptura]

67 during the day and 60 at night

Edited March 17, 2017 by solascriptura

[raptor_dad]

63 during the day 57 at night.

[TravelingChris]

We do 72.  We only have one thermoset at it is in the bedroom hallway.  My bedroom is at the end of that hallway and is definitely not 72.  My great room generally ends up being in the mid 60s.  OUr family room downstairs is probably low 60s.  That is why we keep it at 72 because otherwise the other rooms would be way too cold. 

 

I keep air conditioning at 75.  I can't stand either too warm or too hot.  My body does not regulate temperature well- a problem related to my autoimmune diseases.  

[sassenach]

We keep ours at 68, but it's not especially cold here (NorCal). I would keep it lower, but dh has nerve damage and 68 is about his limit without causing him pain. 

 

If it was just me, I would probably keep it at 66.