Thermostat settings by state
Thermostat settings in New York
By Ismail Farooq · Updated 2026-10-30
How most homes heat: Natural gas boilers and furnaces, with oil in older homes and upstate; heat pumps are growing.
New York City apartments are often heated by a central building boiler, with no thermostat for residents; smart thermostats only make sense in houses and units with their own system. Outside the city, many older homes have boilers and radiators with two-wire thermostats.
Upstate winters are long, and Buffalo and the Tug Hill area get heavy lake-effect snow. NYSERDA and the utilities have offered heat pump incentives; if you add one to a house with a boiler or furnace, set it up as the main heat with the old system as backup.
Climate zones in New York
| Place | IECC zone |
|---|---|
| New York City | 4A |
| Albany | 5A |
| Buffalo | 5A |
| Rochester | 5A |
| Syracuse | 5A |
| Watertown | 6A |
Zones follow county lines on the 2021 IECC map, and some counties changed zone between code editions. DOE’s Building America climate zone map lists every county.
Starting settings
- Everyday setpoints: about 68 °F in winter and 78 °F in summer while you’re home, set back while you sleep or are out (DOE’s guidance).
- Gas, oil or propane furnace or boiler: setbacks of 7 to 10 °F are fine; use the thermostat’s early-start feature so the house is warm on time.
- Heat pump: keep winter setbacks small (2 to 4 °F) so a cold morning doesn’t bring on aux heat.
- Humid summers: use fan Auto, not On, and turn on the thermostat’s dehumidify or overcool setting if the house feels damp. Keep indoor humidity under about 60%.
- Freeze protection: keep the away or minimum temperature at about 55 °F or higher in winter, and make sure the thermostat keeps working without Wi-Fi.
- Cold, damp winters: if you have a humidifier, let the thermostat lower its target as it gets colder outside so windows don’t drip.
Heat pump lockouts for New York
If you have a heat pump, these are starting points for the outdoor temperatures that control backup heat. Your installer’s balance point is better if you have it.
| Zone | Aux heat lockout (electric strips) | Compressor lockout (dual fuel) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 30–35 °F | Around 25–35 °F |
| 5 | 25–35 °F for a standard heat pump; lower for a cold-climate model | Around 20–35 °F |
| 6–8 | From the heat pump’s rated output at low temperatures; cold-climate models often run well below 10 °F | Often 0–25 °F, from the installer’s balance point |
Rebates
Many utilities give rebates or bill credits for smart thermostats, sometimes in return for joining a peak-day program. Programs change often, so check your electric and gas utility’s website, or search by ZIP code in the ENERGY STAR rebate finder.