Fierce Debate Breaks Out on Maine Twitter About Heat Settings

For whatever reason, there are usually two debates that break out every single year when it comes to Mainers and their thermostats.

The first happens as the fall weather slowly creeps into a winter chill and the great debate on how long Mainers wait to turn the heat on starts dominating social media feeds.

The second can happen anytime, but especially after an absolute arctic chill weekend like we just had throughout New England where for most of it, we were below freezing and dealing with an insane wind chill -- what temperature do you keep your heat set to?

There could actually be a third debate that happens too when the winter chill starts slowly morphing into a spring thaw, but my life as a Maine resident is still in its fetus stages, so I'll find that out in the next couple months I guess.

NEWS CENTER Maine's Keith Carson

Earlier last week, while we were all prepping for the type of arctic, subzero weather that could've easily brought on Frostbiteamania 2023 this past weekend with lows in the negative teens expected (along with wind chills making it feel like as low as -40), NEWS CENTER Maine's Keith Carson quizzed Mainers on his Twitter after a debate with a friend.

Obviously, since the poll already ended, you can see that of 3,250+ Mainers that responded to Keith's poll, well over a third of them keep their temperature set to between 65 and 68 degrees.

But the comments section was where people legit dove deep into the details of their heat settings and got down to the big debating.

66-68 during the day...unless I'm cold then fuzzy socks, a blanket, and manual override to 71. Set to in the 50s for sleeping. Can't remember what temp and not checking when I'm nestled under blankets. - Tiffany Bond

 

My heat is completely shut off right now, but it’s 74 in my apartment, presumably because the heat from my downstairs neighbors’ apartments is rising to my apartment on the top floor. I’m actually pretty uncomfortable and might have to open a window. - Murph E. Law

 

Depends on time of day and if I am home: 55 working hours, 65 if home daytime, 68 if home when gets dark, 70 for 8-10pm, back to 55 for sleep hours. - bobo

 

I set it at 60 while away and 65 when I get home. Then back to 60 when I go to sleep. - Mary Lee Taylor

 

No thermostat this year as we've just been using the wood stove. It's 90 in the kitchen, 75 in the living room, and 60 up in the bedrooms. May have to supplement this weekend though. - FernRunner

 

58 in most rooms. - Sarah Bigney McCabe

 

We are at 55 winter, 75 summer. Both essentially off. This week we might reconsider. - Janet Jonas

For what it's worth, I keep mine at 62 pretty much as often as possible, even when I'm at work (more for the dog than anything), and if there's a little chill in the air, I'll boost it up to 64. But back down to 62 overnight because I hate feeling hot when I sleep.

There has to be a morgue joke somewhere for all the Mainers that said they keep their homes in the 50s, but it's not coming to me.