Best Thermostat Settings for Chicago Winters

Chicago's heating season is long, and heating is usually the largest part of a household's winter energy use. The thermostat is the one control you adjust every day, so small changes add up over months. At the same time, comfort, health and protecting your home from frozen pipes all matter more than squeezing out every dollar.

This guide covers practical thermostat settings for Chicago winters, how setbacks work, how settings should differ for furnaces, heat pumps and boilers, and the limits you should not go below.

A Simple Starting Point

The U.S. Department of Energy suggests setting your thermostat to around 68 degrees Fahrenheit while you are awake and at home, and lower while you sleep or are away. It estimates that turning your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day can save up to about 10 percent a year on heating and cooling.

A practical schedule for many Chicago homes might look like this:

• Morning, at home: about 68 degrees.
• Daytime, away at work or school: about 60 to 62 degrees.
• Evening, at home: about 68 degrees.
• Overnight, sleeping: about 62 to 65 degrees.

Adjust for your household. Infants, older adults and people with certain health conditions may need warmer settings. Comfort and health come first.

Why Setbacks Save Energy

Your home loses heat to the outdoors continuously, and the rate depends on the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures. When you lower the indoor temperature, the house loses heat more slowly. The furnace does have to work to bring the temperature back up, but the energy saved while the house is cooler generally outweighs the recovery for typical gas furnaces in typical homes.

Settings by Heating System

Gas Furnaces

Furnaces recover quickly, so setbacks work well. Programmable or smart thermostats can start warming the house before you wake up or come home, so you never feel the cooler setting.

Heat Pumps

Heat pumps recover more slowly than furnaces, and a large setback can trigger electric backup heat during recovery, which is expensive. Use smaller setbacks, a few degrees, or a smart thermostat designed for heat pumps with adaptive recovery that limits backup heat. Our guide on heat pumps in Chicago winters explains why.

Dual-Fuel Systems

Dual-fuel systems pair a heat pump with a furnace. Moderate setbacks work, and the furnace can handle recovery in cold weather. Make sure your thermostat is configured correctly so the switchover works as intended. See our guide on dual-fuel systems.

Boilers and Radiators

Hot water and steam systems heat more slowly because the water and cast iron radiators take time to warm up. Small to moderate setbacks still help, but schedule recovery earlier. In multi-unit buildings with one boiler, controls may respond to outdoor temperature rather than a single thermostat. Owners should set them to meet the Chicago heat ordinance minimums of 68 degrees during the day and 66 degrees at night in most residential buildings during heat season.

Radiant Floors

Radiant floor heat responds very slowly. Large setbacks are usually counterproductive. Most radiant systems run best at a fairly steady setting.

Do Not Go Too Low

• Frozen pipes. Pipes on exterior walls, in cabinets on outside walls and in unheated spaces can freeze in a Chicago cold snap if the house gets too cold. Many people keep the thermostat no lower than about 55 degrees when away. Homes with vulnerable plumbing may need more.
• Health. Very cool indoor temperatures can be risky for infants, older adults and people with certain health conditions.
• Condensation and mold. Cold rooms with high humidity can develop condensation on walls and windows.

Never turn the heat off completely in winter, even for a short trip.

When You Travel in Winter

• Set the thermostat to a safe minimum, often around 55 degrees or higher for older homes.
• Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls.
• Ask someone to check the house if you will be away for long, especially during a cold snap.
• Consider a smart thermostat or temperature sensor that alerts you if the house gets too cold.
• Know who to call if the heat fails while you are away.

Smart and Programmable Thermostats

A programmable thermostat automates your schedule so you do not have to remember to adjust it. Smart thermostats add features such as remote control from your phone, learning schedules, occupancy sensing, energy reports and alerts. To get real savings:

• Set a schedule that matches your routine.
• Use away modes when nobody is home.
• Configure the thermostat correctly for your system type, especially for heat pumps and dual-fuel.
• Avoid constantly overriding the schedule.

Some smart thermostats need a common wire for power. If yours loses power or behaves erratically, see our guide on furnace won't turn on.

Common Thermostat Myths

• Turning the thermostat way up heats the house faster. Most furnaces deliver heat at the same rate no matter how high you set the thermostat. Setting it to 80 just makes it overshoot.
• Keeping the house at one temperature is always cheaper. For most furnaces in typical homes, moderate setbacks save energy.
• Closing vents in unused rooms saves a lot. Closing too many vents can reduce airflow and harm the system. Close only a few, and keep doors open where possible.

Fan Setting: Auto or On?

With the fan on Auto, the blower runs only when heating. With the fan on On, it runs continuously, which can improve filtration and even out temperatures between floors, but it uses more electricity and can make the air feel cooler between heating cycles. Some thermostats offer a circulate mode that runs the fan part of each hour as a compromise.

Comfort Beyond the Thermostat

• Humidity. Dry winter air feels colder. Keeping indoor humidity in a healthy range can make a lower setting feel more comfortable. See our whole-home humidifier guide.
• Drafts. Sealing gaps around doors and windows reduces cold spots.
• Window coverings. Open blinds on sunny south-facing windows during the day and close curtains at night.
• Ceiling fans. In winter, run them on low in reverse to push warm air down from the ceiling.

Thermostat Location Matters

A thermostat in direct sunlight, near a lamp, above a radiator, near a drafty door or on an exterior wall may read incorrectly and cause uneven heating. If your thermostat seems to run the system oddly, its location may be the cause. A technician can relocate it or add remote sensors.

Settings for Multi-Unit Buildings

In Chicago two-flats and apartment buildings with central boilers, tenants often do not control the heat directly. Owners set the boiler controls, sometimes with an outdoor reset or heat timer, to meet the city's minimum temperatures. If a unit is too cold or too hot, tenants should contact the owner or manager rather than adjusting shared equipment. Owners can improve comfort with thermostatic radiator valves or vents that let each room or unit regulate itself, and by balancing the system so upper and lower units heat evenly.

Using Zoning Wisely

Homes with zoned heating, such as separate thermostats for each floor, can save energy by lowering temperatures in unused zones. Keep unused zones at a safe minimum rather than off, especially zones with plumbing. Avoid setting zones very differently from one another in homes with open stairways, because warm air will move between floors anyway.

Thermostats and Older Chicago Homes

Older Chicago homes often have one thermostat for a whole house with drafty upper floors or a cold addition. The single thermostat may satisfy one area while leaving others uncomfortable. Remote temperature sensors that average readings from several rooms can help. So can sealing drafts, insulating the attic and having the duct system balanced. For persistent cold rooms, a ductless heat pump can provide targeted heating. See our guide on ductless mini-splits.

Watch Your Bills and Adjust

After a month or two of your new schedule, compare gas usage with the same period last year, accounting for differences in weather. If usage dropped and comfort is fine, keep going. If the house feels cold at certain times, adjust the schedule's recovery timing rather than raising the setpoint all day. Small, well-timed adjustments usually beat big, constant changes.

Daylight and Solar Gain

Chicago winters are often cloudy, but sunny days can deliver free heat through south- and west-facing windows. Smart thermostats with weather awareness, or simple habits like opening blinds on sunny afternoons, let you take advantage of it. Close curtains at night to reduce heat loss through glass. Heavy curtains on older windows make a noticeable difference in how warm a room feels.

Thermostat Settings and Pets

If pets stay home while you are at work, keep the house at a temperature that is safe and comfortable for them. Most pets are fine with moderate setbacks, but very young, old or short-haired animals may need warmer settings. Make sure pets have a warm spot away from drafts.

When Settings Will Not Fix the Problem

If you set the thermostat correctly but the house still cannot stay warm, the issue is likely the heating system or the building. A furnace that short cycles, blows cool air or runs constantly needs service. Our guides on short cycling and furnace blowing cold air cover common causes.

A Sample Weekday Schedule

• 6:00 a.m.: warm to about 68 degrees before everyone gets up.
• 8:00 a.m.: set back to about 62 degrees once the house is empty.
• 4:30 p.m.: warm back to about 68 degrees before people return.
• 10:30 p.m.: set back to about 64 degrees for sleeping.

Weekends can hold a steadier temperature while people are home. With a heat pump, shrink the setbacks to a few degrees. In extreme cold, use smaller setbacks so the system can keep up.

Get Your System Tuned Up for Winter

Even the best thermostat schedule cannot make up for a struggling furnace. Our fall furnace checklist covers preparation, and a professional tune-up keeps the system efficient. Call (312) 638-0812 for service in neighborhoods including Lincoln Square, Humboldt Park and Edison Park.