In most households, someone wants the house warmer and someone else wants it cooler. Both are just trying to stay comfortable without opening a scary gas bill in January.
Here’s the thing: the best setting isn’t one number. It depends on who’s home, how well your house holds heat, and how cold it is outside.
Start at 20°C, then adjust by feel
20°C is a good starting point when you’re home and awake. From there, move it one degree at a time until it feels right.
Each degree matters more than you’d think. You save about 2% of your annual heating bill for every 1°C you lower the thermostat overnight. So a 3°C dip at night works out to roughly 6% of energy savings.
Why 20°C can still feel cold
If you’re at 20°C and still reaching for a blanket, the temperature usually isn’t the problem. Check these first:
- Dry air: Dry air makes the same temperature feel cooler on your skin.
- Cold surfaces: Windows and exterior walls pull warmth off your body, even when the air is warm.
- Drafts: Moving air feels colder than still air, and a small gap around a window or door makes you feel colder.
- Thermostat location: A thermostat in a hallway or near a vent can read differently than the room you’re actually sitting in.
Fixing one of these is usually cheaper than turning up the heat.
Humidity changes how warm you feel
Winter air in Alberta is dry, so a humidifier can make a home feel more comfortable. But too much moisture causes fogged windows and can lead to mould.
We recommend aiming for 30-35% of humidity in winter. If your windows are fogging up, bring the numbers down.
Other thermostat settings for winter in Alberta
- You’re away for a few days: Set it to 17°C. Avoid going lower because moisture can build up in your exterior walls.
- In a deep cold snap: Keep it at a constant 21°C-22°C. Avoid turning the temperature down at night, as your furnace will struggle to recover in the morning.
Furnace fan: Auto or on?
Most thermostats have a fan setting. The auto setting only runs the fan while the furnace is heating, while setting to “on” runs it all the time.
Auto is the usual choice since it uses less electricity. If one room is always colder than the rest, try turning the furnace fan on for a week and see if it helps.
When the thermostat isn’t the problem
Sometimes the thermostat setting is fine and your home still can’t keep up. Rooms that never warm up, a furnace that runs nonstop, or an energy bill that keeps climbing. A furnace tune-up checks the parts you can't see, like the burner and the ductwork.
And if your thermostat is the old manual kind, or a programmable one nobody ever programmed, switching to a smart thermostat means the adjustments happen on their own.
Frequently asked questions about thermostat settings
What’s the best thermostat setting for winter?
20°C when you're home and awake is a good starting point. Adjust one degree at a time until it feels right.
What's the lowest I should set my thermostat?
Natural Resources Canada generally advises staying at or above 17°C. Colder than that can lead to moisture building up in exterior walls.
How much does lowering the thermostat save?
About 2% of your heating bill for every 1°C you lower it overnight.
Is it cheaper to leave the heat on or turn it down when I'm out?
Turning it down is worth it if you’ll be gone for more than three or four hours.
Why does my house feel cold when the thermostat says 21°C?
Usually it’s dry air, drafts, cold windows, or a thermostat that sits somewhere that doesn’t match the room you're in.
What humidity level should I aim for in winter?
30-35% for most Alberta homes. If your windows fog up, go lower.
