Here’s a winter money tip you’ll hear a lot this year: Turn down the heat.
It’s good advice — for some people. For an older adult, a house that feels merely chilly can be dangerous. According to the National Institute on Aging, a home kept between 60 and 65 degrees can be cool enough to bring on hypothermia in older people.
Not on a frozen sidewalk. In the living room.
And this year, the pressure to dial it down is real. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association, the group representing the state officials who run federal heating aid, forecast in September that the average household will spend about $1,030 to heat its home this winter, up 8.7%.
The NEADA’s executive director, Mark Wolfe, warned that steep increases, especially for families heating with oil, can push low-income and fixed-income households into “turning the thermostat down to unsafe levels.” That’s the system squeezing people into a choice nobody should have to make.
You don’t have to choose between a safe house and a paid bill. Here are six ways to stay warm without burning through your budget.
1. Know your number: 68 degrees
The National Institute on Aging says to keep the heat at 68 degrees or higher.
Notice the gap. The danger zone the NIA describes tops out at 65. That’s just 3 degrees below its recommended floor. So the “save money, set it to 62” advice you’ll see floating around this winter can put an older adult right in the zone the NIA warns about.
If you’re an older adult, or you’re looking out for a parent, treat 68 as the line. Then cut costs everywhere else, which is what the rest of this list is about.
2. Find out if your body is working against you
Some health problems make it harder to stay warm, and you may not connect the dots.
The NIA lists several common conditions that make staying warm harder. Diabetes can interfere with the blood flow that keeps you warm.
Thyroid problems can throw off the body’s ability to hold a normal temperature. Parkinson’s and arthritis can make something as simple as pulling on a sweater or a blanket a struggle.
Memory problems add another risk: A person may simply forget to take the steps that keep them safe in the cold.
Then there are medications. The NIA notes that some drugs can affect body heat. At your next appointment, ask your doctor directly whether anything you take does, and what to do about it. It’s a free question that could matter a lot.
3. Heat the person, not the whole house
This is where you save money without taking chances.
Dress for the cold even when you’re staying in. The NIA suggests loose layers, because the air trapped between them works as insulation. Add warm socks and slippers, and keep a throw blanket where you sit.
A hat, scarf and gloves cut the heat you lose through your head and hands. It may feel silly to wear them on the couch. Feeling silly costs less than a hospital visit.
One more: Go easy on alcohol. That warm glow is misleading. The NIA says drinking alcohol can cause your body to shed heat.
I’d rather see someone in a thick sweater at 68 degrees than in a T-shirt at 74. Same comfort, smaller bill.
Quick thought — most financial “gurus” got rich selling advice, not following it. I’d rather show you what actually works, because I’ve lived it. Sign up for the free Money Talks Newsletter for money advice from someone who takes his own. 10 seconds, no spam.
4. Stop paying to heat the outdoors
Every draft is money leaking out of your house. The fixes the NIA recommends cost next to nothing.
Roll up a towel and lay it along the bottom of drafty doors. Keep your blinds and curtains closed to hold heat in. And pick up a tube of caulk or a roll of weatherstripping at the hardware store to seal gaps around windows and doors.
If a salesman is telling you the real answer is all-new windows, slow down. Before you sign anything, read why a cheaper fix can beat new windows by a mile.
5. Get help with the bill before it gets ugly
If keeping the house at 68 means you can’t pay for food or medicine, there’s help. You just have to ask for it.
The federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, helps pay home energy bills. It can also step in during an energy crisis and help with weatherization and small energy-related repairs.
To find your state’s program, call the National Energy Assistance Referral hotline at 866-674-6327, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern. Or start at Energyhelp.us.
The money is flowing for now, but it isn’t guaranteed. The administration’s budget request for this fiscal year proposed eliminating LIHEAP.
Even so, the American Public Power Association reported in mid-October that the Department of Health and Human Services had released $3.6 billion, about 90% of the year’s funding under the stopgap budget. Apply early anyway.
If you’re not sure where to start, call the Eldercare Locator, a free public service of the federal Administration for Community Living, at 800-677-1116. You can call or text, and it’ll point you to your local Area Agency on Aging.
For a deeper rundown, including the shutoff protections utilities don’t advertise and free weatherization, see “Your Heating Bill Is Forecast at $1,030 This Winter. Millions Qualify for Help and Never Ask — 7 Moves to Make Now.”
6. Know the warning signs — and when to call 911
Hypothermia sneaks up on people, and the person in trouble may not realize it.
The NIA defines it as a core body temperature below 95 degrees. Early signs include:
- Cold hands and feet
- A puffy or swollen face
- Pale skin
- Shivering or shaking
- Speech that’s slow or slurred
- Feeling sleepy, angry or confused
If the cold keeps up, things get worse: stiff, jerky movements of the arms and legs, a slowed heartbeat or breathing, passing out and, eventually, death.
Hypothermia is a medical emergency. If you see the signs, call 911 right away. While you wait, get the person somewhere warmer, give them a warm drink and cover them with dry blankets, coats or towels.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gives the same urgent advice: A temperature under 95 plus confusion or slurred speech means a trip to the emergency room, now.
This isn’t rare. The CDC counted 1,024 deaths in 2023 that were attributed to excessive cold or hypothermia, across all ages. January had the largest share.
Bottom line
Cutting your heating bill is smart. Cutting it by turning your house into a health risk isn’t.
Keep the thermostat at 68 or above. Then save money the safe way: Dress warmer, seal the drafts and get every dollar of help you qualify for. And if your parents live alone, check in regularly and ask what the thermostat says.
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