90% of Homeowners Make This Fatal Mistake with Their Heating in February—Here's the Fix
February's bone-chilling temperatures have homeowners across the country scrambling to stay warm, but most are making a crucial thermostat mistake that's quietly inflating their energy bills by hundreds of dollars. The good news? This costly error has an incredibly simple fix that can slash your heating costs by up to 10% almost immediately.
The mistake isn't what you might expect—it's not cranking the thermostat up too high or forgetting to lower it at night. Instead, it's a misguided heating habit so common that homeowners perform this winter ritual without a second thought, believing they're helping their home heat faster.
The Fatal Thermostat Mistake Nearly Everyone Makes
When the house feels cold, most homeowners instinctively crank their thermostat to a high number hoping the house will heat more quickly. This feels logical—it's also completely wrong. A thermostat is not an accelerator pedal; it's a target-setter. Your boiler or heat pump heats at a fixed rate, meaning setting the thermostat to 25°C when you want 20°C does not speed up heating—it only risks overheating your home and inflating your bill.
Think of your heating system like a highway speed limit. Whether you set your cruise control to 65 mph or 85 mph, your car travels the same distance in the same time to reach the 65 mph zone. The result is often the same: the house overshoots, you start opening windows to cool down, and all that paid-for warmth leaks straight outside.
This misconception becomes even more expensive when combined with another common error: leaving the heat on full blast while no one is home so they can return to a warm humble abode. Not only does this increase your energy bill by running the heat at a high temperature all day, but it can also strain your system.
The Science Behind Smart Temperature Control
Understanding how your heating system Actually works reveals why patience pays off. A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. In fact, as soon as your house drops below its normal temperature, it will lose energy to the surrounding environment more slowly. During winter, the lower the interior temperature, the slower the heat loss. So the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save.
The magic number that energy experts consistently recommend is 68°F during the day when you're home. This isn't an arbitrary figure—it represents the sweet spot where comfort meets efficiency. Energy agencies across Europe point to a similar rule of thumb: dropping your average indoor temperature by just 1°C can reduce heating consumption by around 5–7%. That doesn't sound dramatic until you apply it to a full winter, where shaving 7% off can mean tens of pounds saved without major sacrifice.
For even greater savings, you can save up to 10% a year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting. This means setting your thermostat to somewhere between 60°F and 65°F when your family is out, and setting a lower temperature at night to help save energy and reduce your heating bill without compromising warmth.
Beyond Temperature: Location and Technology Fixes
Even perfect temperature settings won't help if your thermostat is in the wrong location. The device only "sees" the temperature of its immediate surroundings. If that spot is misleading, every room pays the price. Next to a radiator or heater: the thermostat feels warmer than the room, so it cuts the heating too soon. In direct sunlight: even weak winter sun can trick the sensor into thinking the room is toasty. In a draught or near an external door: the device senses cold air and keeps calling for heat, pushing up energy use.
Heating engineers generally recommend a central hallway or living area, at about chest height, away from direct sun and draughts. The exact spot depends on your layout, but the principle is the same: the thermostat should reflect the temperature where people actually spend time.
Smart thermostats amplify these savings even further. According to ENERGY STAR®, the average heating and cooling savings from installing and using a smart thermostat is 8%, or an average of $50 a year. Your savings could be substantially greater depending on your climate, your HVAC system, and your usage. These devices eliminate human error by allowing users to set different temperature schedules for various times of the day or week. For example, you can lower the temperature when you're away from home and increase it when you return. This level of control ensures that energy is not wasted when it's not needed, contributing to significant cost savings.
Simple Fixes That Multiply Your Savings
While correcting your thermostat habits forms the foundation of winter savings, combining this fix with other simple improvements multiplies the impact. Weatherstripping is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to prevent heat loss through doors and windows, a process critical to maintaining a warm home and lowering heating costs. By applying self-adhesive strips or foam along the edges of these entry points, homeowners can create a tight seal that blocks cold drafts.
Don't overlook the power of natural heating either. Open curtains on the south-facing windows during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat the home, and close them at night to reduce the chill from cold windows. This free solar heating can reduce the burden on your heating system significantly.
Regular maintenance pays dividends too. ENERGY STAR® notes that air‑flow problems such as dirty blower components can cut HVAC efficiency by up to 15%, making an annual tune‑up essential. A check-up can find problems early and save you the inconvenience, discomfort, and expense of a breakdown during a cold snap.
February's frigid temperatures don't have to mean astronomical heating bills. By abandoning the "crank it up" mentality and embracing smart, gradual temperature control, you're not just saving money—you're extending the life of your heating system and creating more consistent comfort throughout your home. The next time that thermostat calls to you during a cold snap, remember: patience and precision beat brute force every time.