Don't Touch That Dial: Turning Down the Heat to Save Money Could Cost Your Health

Krista Hopson, Univ of Michigan Health System

Lower in-home temperatures could have serious health implications for seniors, including hypothermia, along with other indoor health risks

With home heating costs expected to soar this winter, millions of Americans will be turning down their heat to save money. For most people, turning the heat down just means a slightly chilly home. But for seniors, it could bring serious health implications, including hypothermia, and could even lead to additional health risk for otherwise healthy people, says Lee A. Green, M.D., MPH, associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School.

“There’s both myth and truth to the idea that living in a colder house can cause health implications,” he says. “For most healthy adults and children, it’s not a problem. However, extreme temperatures can be harmful to babies, seniors and even middle-aged adults with chronic diseases.”

Health implications of turning down the heat

It only takes a slight drop in a home’s temperature to impact the health of an elderly adult. As the body ages, it produces less heat and it becomes more difficult to regulate the body’s temperature.

So even a relatively mild indoor temperature—just 60 degrees—can put seniors at risk for hypothermia, especially if they are not wearing warm clothing and not aware of the signs of hypothermia.

“People think of hypothermia as something that happens in the bitter cold and blizzards. It actually doesn’t have to be very cold for a person to get hypothermia,” says Green.

Hypothermia most often occurs when the body’s temperature gradually drops from 98.6 degrees to below 97.5 degrees due to increased exposure to cold. Unfortunately, the signs of hypothermia are subtle and slow, making it especially difficult for elderly adults to recognize.

Hypothermia can cause dehydration, confusion, an irregular heart beat and, if untreated, may result in a coma or even death. And people taking medication are at an increased risk for dehydration from hypothermia, notes Green.

To prevent hypothermia, Green advises that seniors—especially those with chronic diseases such as heart failure or emphysema and those taking medications—dress appropriately for the temperature of their home. To stay warm, wear layers of clothing, even if you don’t feel cold.

Alternative home heating

However, people who want to turn down the heat to save money should use caution when looking for alternative means to stay warm.

Woodstoves, fireplaces and kerosene heaters may seem like a quick and inexpensive way to keep a home warm in the winter, but the convenience comes with risks.

“Every winter, we see people who are injured by either a faulty woodstove or from running kerosene or catalytic heaters in a small, enclosed space without proper ventilation,” says Green. “All of these problems are very predictable and preventable.”

If you plan to use a space heater that uses any kind of fuel, Green suggests purchasing a carbon monoxide detector for the room in which the heater is being used to avoid injury.

For More Information

The guide “Extreme Cold: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health and Safety,” which includes information about preparing your home for winter, is available on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).