How Much Does 3 Degrees Really Save You?

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Turning Down the Thermostat: How Much Do You Really Save?

Every fall, as the Colorado nights start cooling down, some homeowners start having the same debate: “Should I set the thermostat at 67°F instead of 70°F to save money?” It’s a fair question, especially with heating costs always creeping up.

But when you run the math, the actual dollars saved might surprise you. Spoiler: it’s not as much as you’d think.

The Math Behind Thermostat Savings

Energy use for heating is tied directly to what HVAC folks call Heating Degree Days (HDDs). Basically, the colder it is outside, the harder your furnace has to work to keep your home comfortable.

Here’s what we did:

  • We looked at Denver’s typical winter weather, broken down month by month.
  • We used the average household gas use for space heating in Colorado (about 529 therms per year).
  • Then we compared keeping the house at 70°F vs. 67°F using HDD math, which is a fancy way of saying we adjusted for how much harder the furnace has to work at each setpoint.

What the Numbers Show

  • Over the course of a Denver winter, lowering the thermostat 3°F saves about 57 therms per year.
  • At today’s natural gas prices (around $1.05 per therm), that’s roughly $60 per winter.
  • Most of those savings come in the coldest months (December through February), when the furnace runs the hardest.

That’s it. $60 per year.

Putting It in Perspective

$60 is nothing to sneeze at — but it’s also not the game-changer many expect. Spread out over 5–6 months of heating season, you’re talking about $10 a month. That’s the cost of a streaming subscription, or a couple of coffees.

Comfort vs. Cost

If you’re the type who’s perfectly comfortable in a sweater and don’t mind a cooler house, or if you don’t mind it set colder as you sleep, by all means — set the thermostat lower and enjoy the $60 in savings.

But if you’re constantly cold, wrapping up in blankets, feeling discouraged because your own house isn’t cozy — that comfort is easily worth the extra $10 a month. A furnace is there to keep you warm, not to make you feel like you’re camping indoors.

The Bottom Line

Yes, lowering your thermostat by 1°F can save you around 1% on heating costs. But in real dollars, for the average Denver home, that only adds up to $60 per winter at most.

Sometimes, the smartest move isn’t squeezing every penny out of efficiency — it’s making sure your home feels like home.

Premier Mechanical – www.claimyourcomfort.com – 720.207.6812

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