Is 68°F the Right Thermostat Setting This Winter? Here’s What Real Homeowners Say
Every winter, the same quiet battle breaks out in homes across America. One person nudges the thermostat up, someone else sneaks it back down, and before long the whole family is arguing over a single number. For decades, that number has been 68°F, repeated by utility companies, parents, and grandparents as the “right” winter setting.
But is 68 really the magic figure, or just a habit nobody has questioned in years? To find out, we read through well over a hundred comments left by homeowners under popular thermostat videos on YouTube. The answers were honest, often funny, and far more varied than you might expect.
Some people keep their homes as cool as 60 degrees and swear by sweaters. Others refuse to go below 73 and say they earned that comfort. Here is what real people say, what the experts recommend, and why the “right” setting may depend more on your house, your age, and your budget than on any single rule.
Where the 68-Degree Rule Came From
The famous number did not come from a comfort study. It goes back to the 1973 energy crisis, when President Richard Nixon went on television and asked Americans to turn their thermostats down by at least six degrees. In that address to the nation, he set a goal of a national daytime average of 68 degrees to save fuel during the oil shortage.
Nixon even joked that his doctor said people were healthier at 66 to 68 degrees than at 75 to 78. The advice stuck long after the gas lines disappeared. Generations of Americans grew up hearing that 68 was the responsible setting, and many still treat it as the standard today.
Ray Dutton, who says he spent 25 years fixing HVAC systems and runs the popular YouTube channel Ray Dutton’s Garage, made the same point in his October 2026 thermostat video. He said 68 was picked to save oil, not to keep anyone comfortable, and that on winter service calls he often found families huddled on the couch in sweaters with the dial at 68. The video has been viewed more than 340,000 times, and its comment section turned into a lively debate.
Team “68 Is Plenty”
Plenty of homeowners still stand firmly behind the old rule, mostly because of what it does for their bills. One commenter said they keep a 3,000-square-foot house at 68 during the day and 65 at night. After years of paying close attention to their heating costs, they said that combination saved them the most money.
Another viewer wrote that they have kept the house at 68 during the day and 65 at night ever since leaving home 47 years ago. A third said they keep it at 68 with the fan running and a humidifier on, and the house feels perfectly comfortable. For these households, 68 is not a sacrifice. It is simply what normal feels like.
Team “68 Is Freezing”
On the other side are the people who find 68 downright miserable. “Temp at 68 I would be freezing,” one viewer wrote simply. Another said 68 “would freeze my bones” and keeps the dial at 72.
One of the most liked comments came from a person who keeps the house at 72 or 73. They grew up in an old, poorly heated farmhouse and vowed they would never be cold in their own home as an adult. Others replied that their parents felt the same way after childhoods spent in drafty houses.
A retiree said they keep the home at 73 to 74 and discovered something surprising. With heat vents in the ceiling, the floor runs about six degrees colder than the thermostat reading. Another viewer, under a Columbus, Ohio, TV news segment on the same question, said 68 was far too cold in New York and set theirs at 78.
The “Just Put on a Sweater” Crowd
Then there are the homeowners who think even 68 is too warm. A viewer in Maine said their house sits at about 62 unless it is truly frigid and windy outside, helped by passive solar heat and a wood stove. “We’re old and we are fine,” they wrote, crediting sweaters, warm socks, and blankets.
Another couple said they keep the house at 62 and simply add layers when they feel chilly. A 71-year-old in northern Wisconsin said 65 feels just right in cold weather and that they even leave a bedroom window open. Another viewer said they keep it at 64 and wear long johns and a beanie around the house.
For some, the low setting is about money rather than preference. One person said they keep it at 65 during the day and 60 at night because they simply cannot afford to be warm in winter. Another wrote that their heat would not come back on until they could afford it, a reminder of how hard winter bills hit many families.
What Homeowners Say About Their Bills
Heating costs came up in nearly every thread, and the numbers varied wildly by state and fuel type. One of the top comments came from Connecticut, where a homeowner wrote that they wished their bill was only $1,000 for the whole winter. Replies poured in from people paying for oil, propane, and electric heat, with some describing winter bills of several hundred dollars a month.
A viewer who kept their home at 68 said their bill still came to $185 for the month. They added that people on fixed incomes earning less than $21,000 a year simply cannot afford bills like that. Another person in Kentucky said they keep it at 67 with propane and spend around $1,400 over the winter.
Commenters also shared practical tricks. Several said they open the curtains on sunny winter days and close the shades at night to hold in warmth. A viewer in Duluth, Minnesota, called sunshine through the windows their biggest asset because it is free heat. Others recommended humidifiers, saying moist air feels warmer than dry air at the same temperature. Many of those ideas line up with common advice on how to winterize your home.
What the Experts Actually Recommend
Experts generally agree that turning the heat down while you sleep or are away saves energy. ENERGY STAR, the federal efficiency program, says certified smart thermostats save about 8% on heating and cooling bills on average, mainly by adjusting temperatures automatically when no one needs the heat.
Health experts set a floor rather than a perfect number. The World Health Organization’s housing guidelines say 18°C, about 64°F, is a safe minimum indoor temperature for the general population during cold seasons. The same guidelines note that a higher minimum may be needed for vulnerable groups, including older adults and young children.
For seniors, the advice is more specific. The National Institute on Aging advises older adults to set the heat to at least 68°F. It warns that even mildly cool homes of 60 to 65°F can lead to hypothermia in older people, which makes 68 a sensible minimum rather than a maximum for many retirees.
So What Is the Right Setting?
The honest answer is that no single number works for every home. Younger, healthy adults in well-insulated houses may be perfectly comfortable in the low to mid-60s, especially with warm clothes and good blankets. Older adults, babies, and anyone with health conditions that affect body temperature should be careful about letting the house get too cool.
One commenter in their late 70s with heart failure said they sleep best at 68 and keep the house at 69 to 70 during the day. Another viewer with a nerve condition said they still feel cold at 74 because their body does not regulate temperature well. Those comments show why a one-size-fits-all rule does not hold up.
Many homeowners settled on a middle path: a comfortable daytime setting, a few degrees cooler at night, and layers or a small blanket instead of cranking up the furnace. If you use a space heater to warm one room, follow the usual safety rules, and avoid common heating mistakes that can raise both your bill and your risk.
The Debate Isn’t Going Anywhere
Reading through these comments makes one thing clear. The thermostat argument is about more than temperature. It touches on money, health, childhood memories, and the people we share our homes with. One viewer even said they keep theirs at 73, still feel cold, and will not be showing their husband the video.
Whether you are firmly on Team 68, happily bundled up at 62, or proudly toasty at 74, you are in good company. So where do you keep your thermostat this winter, and does everyone in your house agree?
