Thermostat: 68 or 72?
One of you wants it warmer. The other wants a lower bill. What the Department of Energy says about savings, a fair compromise, and who buys the blanket. Below: both sides as they'd actually put it, then the ruling The Judge gives when two people bring this one into a Settle It room.
Both sides
68 is a normal indoor temperature. Every degree you turn it up costs real money. Put on a sweater like an adult.
72. I refuse to live in a walk-in refrigerator to save eleven dollars a month. A home should not require outerwear.
The Judge's ruling
Ruling: The Department of Energy says turning your thermostat down 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day in fall and winter can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling. That backs Sam's case for a lower setting, though it can't tell you what your own savings would be. Riley is arguing about comfort, not money. Try 70 during the day, which gives Riley two of her four degrees, and 67 overnight. A programmable thermostat makes the change on its own, so nobody touches the dial. If either of you is still uncomfortable, revisit it.
Sentence: Sam buys Riley a very good blanket. Riley stops adjusting the thermostat after 10 p.m. The schedule goes in the thermostat, not in the group chat.
Share the card, or better, send the loser the link. Sample ruling: in a real room The Judge asks each side follow-up questions first, then rules on what you actually said.
Sources
More famous debates
Read next: How to stop having the same argument with your partner
← Settle It