My problem in the summer is that the temperature when the AC is cooling seems much colder than the same temp in winter. I suspect this is some combination of being acclimatized to the outdoor warmth and the fact that the humidity is much higher, as the AC only partially dehumidifies, and we can get pretty humid summer days around here.
I keep my apartment at 72 year round. I’m the only person living here and I refuse to have to bundle up like an Arctic explorer in my own home.
I’m very thin so I get cold easily. 68 is barely tolerable–if I stayed with some of you who have it set to 55-60 at night, I’d be in a hotel. No thanks.
The heat goes to 65 during the day. I know this because I turned it up a couple of hours ago when my fingers got too cold.
The Big Crow goes to bed a lot later than I. He turns the heat down to 65. When I get up, I don’t usually notice it being chilly right away. When I do, I put on one of my vests, then turn up the temperature anywhere between 68 to 72, depending on how fast I want the heat. When I get warm, I turn it down because I’m stingy. Heh.
I don’t think the Big Crow messes with the thermostat much. His man cave is in the back of the house, which seems warm all the time. My computer table is in the front, near the drafty old windows and fireplace. In another five or so years this house will hit the century mark. It needs work. Expensive work, unfortunately.
I keep it at 75 when I am home and awake, and 70 otherwise. This is year-round in San Francisco, where there isn’t a substantial seasonal difference outside.
In the interest of saving money and the environment, I tried to keep it at 68 for a few years. But it made me miserable, and I got almost nothing done, because I spent all my time huddled under blankets. I finally decided that the savings were not worth it to me. I am naturally very cold, with hands that are freezing to the touch much of the time. I need heat to keep my body functioning.
During heating season it’s set for 68 when we’re home and active, 60 otherwise. I can’t really stand it when it’s much warmer than 70 in the house. That’s already shorts and t-shirt weather. When it’s below zero outside it’s definitely sweater time.
We don’t have central air, we have a window unit in our bedroom that gets turned on when it’s warm (above 80 at night). Otherwise we keep the A/C off in summer, using a combination of ceiling and standing fans, keeping the shades closed in the heat of the day, and getting outside. Except for sleeping, I’m not a huge fan of A/C.
We had the triple decker insulated this spring (who knew houses in Boston weren’t all insulated?) so we’re interested in seeing how much better things are this winter.
Sweater. My gas bill went up $20 over last month’s. I had it between 72° and 76°, but now I’m going to keep it around 68°.
I live in a tiny home, 465 SF with a ceiling height of 11 ft at the highest point. What kind of sense does it make to spend money constantly keeping over 5000 cu/ft at a high temperature when I could throw on a hoodie and some socks that had a one time cost of maybe $25 and can be reused for years? Especially since the 64F or so I allow it to get to in winter can feel either frigid if I’m not moving around much or unpleasantly tropical if I’ve been working outside in 30F? Plus, I sleep in a loft and it gets HOT up there so I turn the propane heater down to its lowest setting at night–this keeps the temperature at couch height about 58-60F and allows me to sleep with a single down comforter on the bed. No electric blankets or mattress toppers required.
In winter I find it comforting to wear my flannel jammie pants and cotton sweaters and wool socks–even if the ambient temp were cranked up higher there’d still be chill spots near windows and cold floors and the like that would make summer clothes uncomfortable.
Nobody has mentioned the fact that exposing the palms of tbe hands to radiant heat causes this heat to be transfered directly to the body core.
That’s one of the things I love about my little propane heater–it’s a ventless model, 30,000 BTU and it has actual flames when it’s on. The heat goes right through a grill at the top that’s just at butt level, so if you stand next to it while it’s on you can warm your hands and toast your butt or pull your shirt out and let the heat cascade right up the torso. Thirty seconds of that then turn it right back down and you feel super warm for a couple hours. Spot heating is the bomb.
I also love it because it requires zero electricity, so when everyone else is freezing to death because a storm took the power out I’m warm as toast.
It only does that because the “smart” thermostat thinks that no one is home. It’s not supposed to do that when we’re actually around. 
I keep the house at 62 day & night and have more than one sweater on, as we speak. well, two and a blanket.
I have a space heater and warm up the bathroom with it when I’m going to be in there and I have an electric blanket. 
I keep my house between 63 and 65 in the winter. I think. I haven’t touched the thermostat program in years! I’ll throw on slippers and a sweatshirt during the day when I’m working if I get cold. Every so often I’ll put it up to 68 or 70, off program.
I’m a large person who is often feeling hot so anything over 68 is pretty gross for me.
In the summer I do 72, and walk around in a tank top and shorts.
I was at a shared cabin with my family over thanksgiving and they had it at 74 degrees. I was sweaty and uncomfortable.
No central air, wood burner furnace and a propane furnace bought a decade ago that was supposed to be hooked up this year.
During the summer most of the house is whatever the outside temp is but we have window AC units in all 3 bedrooms and we have ours at 67-68F. I like the cool dry air to breathe when I am sleeping.
During the winter most of the house is 100F. Ok, I am hyperbolic but there are times we have to open the front door or run the window unit in our bedroom* so we can sleep. Because the fire burned a little too hot because someone (not me) decided it was a good idea to stoke the furnace at midnight.
When the temps in the house dip below 67F I wear a hat, robe, use blankets, wear socks and slippers and have a cat sleep on my lap. Because when it dips below 67F I end up with a migraine if my head is not covered. Which is what the propane furnace was supposed to stop. And we are down to 2 soon to be one fire-stokers aka our kids. I don’t stoke the fire anymore because I always end up with a least one scar on my arm because the door opens away from the wall vs toward the wall ie less room to chuck the wood in. Plus… I am supposed to have a propane furnace going.**
*Our bedroom windows don’t open. They were originally a bay window with cute windows on each side because our bedroom was the front living room. We built a new wall and sectioned it into living room and bedroom. Living room has windows that can be opened. Bedroom, well, himself broke out the window, installed the window AC and filled it in (somewhat, Iowa winters can be brutal). AC lives there year-round.
** Why, yes, this is a sore point. His aunt waited 50 years to go from wood burner to propane. I grew up in a city house. Being cold makes me ill. He is about 2 days from having it hooked… 3 months ago.
Definitely more, tighter clothes in the Winter. I like it at least 66 F when I’m awake, and am happy with anything above 32 when I go to bed. I wear a snug shirt and layer up as necessary. If I still get cold I either move around doing chores or snuggle in a blanket. Of course, it’s much warmer here than where I’m used to.
Summer time I like it under 74 but never as low as 68 unless I’m running around doing chores. I have trouble with the AC because if it’s cold enough to really dry the air, it’s too cold for me. Clothing is not only lighter, but looser, unless I’m at home, and then sometimes I wear a hat and thick socks. I hate this over ACed state.
I don’t understand heating or cooling the whole living space before dressing for the temperature. It’s wasteful and seems selfish to me.
that’s actually quite normal.
comfort is about temperature, but it’s also about humidity & temperature differentials. without knowing those you really can’t compare one persons ‘comfortable environment’ to your own.
I don’t really understand why you would wear shorts in the winter. Don’t you have to go outside ever? Generally speaking, your base clothing *will *be warmer in winter, so that it makes the transition to the outside easier.
Anyway … sweaters first, then heating, for me. I have no idea what the actual temperature is, because the thermostat is a little borked. But I won’t give myself energy-saving airs for that, it’s just that we all hate the hot. In summer we’re like “Colder! No…colder than that. Will your icecream melt after leaving it on the bench for half an hour? Well, then, it still needs to get colder!”
I don’t like wearing long sleeve shirts or sweaters in the house. I end up sweaty and then get chilled in the cool air.
We keep the heat on 75. AC in the summer is set on 77. We like a warm house year around.
It’s comfortable in a t-shirt and jeans.
The house does not have a heating or AC system. When it gets cold I close the windows and porch door.
In summer it gets up to about 84F inside. Coldest in winter is down to about 76F.