With winter approaching, and multiple Code Purples already called for Buncombe County, the debate over the best temperature for your thermostat has started up again.
What you may not know, however, is the Department of Energy’s official answer to the question.
Here’s what to know about its recommendations, preserving your pipes, state average temperatures during the winter months and more.
What to set your thermostat to in winter
The Department of Energy’s recommendation is to set your thermometer to 68 degrees during the winter. However, Ram Narayanamurthy, deputy director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office, told USA TODAY that anywhere near 70 degrees is a safe bet.
68-70 is a good temperature for your thermostat during winter months, according to the Department of Energy.
How to avoid overheating your house in winter
No matter how cold it gets, it’s still important to balance heat and cold while warming your house, for the sake of your health and your energy bill.
The Department of Energy suggests dropping the temperature of your thermostat 7 to 10 degrees while you’re out of the house. As heating systems generally don’t work any harder to warm your home back up after you lower temperatures, it can’t hurt to drop it even by significant amounts.
Still, make sure you don’t drop your thermostat too low. Temperatures below 64 degrees could pose possible health risks for healthy people according to the World Health Organization recommends. If you have very young or older people in your home, the minimum temperature should be higher at 68 degrees.
How to save on your energy bills this winter
Keeping your home warm during winter is important, but keeping the bills down is also a priority.
Things like space heaters, fireplaces, electric blankets and wood-burning stoves are all ways that people cut costs spent on heating homes. These items require less energy than a heating system, but while they are safer than they were in the past, they may require routine maintenance or replacement.
Have your heating unit inspected annually to make sure it is running properly. If not, it could end up costing you more money in maintenance costs or overworking to produce heat costs.
Consider investing in a smart thermostat as you can control the temperature of your home throughout the day to save money. Many smart thermostats have scheduling options to set the temperature for certain times of the day.
How to keep pipes from freezing
In a Nov. 27 briefing, Asheville Water Resources representative Clay Chandler provided the following tips to prevent pipes from freezing during colder months:
-
During really cold weather, open the cold and hot water tap and let the water run at a trickle to keep the water in the pipes moving. If a faucet does not have separate hot and cold water handles, drip lukewarm water.
-
Disconnect and drain all garden hoses and install covers on outside faucets.
-
Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.
-
Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing.
-
Identify the location of the main water valve and the valve on your water heater – learning the location of these valves may come in handy during an emergency.
-
Wrap pipes nearest exterior walls and in crawl spaces with pipe insulation or heating tape. This will prevent freezing, especially for interior pipes that run along outside walls.
-
Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
-
Close all windows near water pipes; cover or close open-air vents. Freezing temperatures combined with wind drafts can cause pipes to freeze more frequently.
More: Restaurants open, accepting preorders for Thanksgiving Day in Asheville
Average winter temperature in North Carolina
N.C.’s weather varies widely. However, data shows average temperatures for each month in N.C. between 2019-2023:
The average minimum temperatures for the past five years were:
USA TODAY contributed to this report.
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: What to set your heat to during winter in North Carolina
