What is The Ideal Room Temperature in The UK?

What is the ideal room temperature for your home?

Well, this is one of those questions that does not have a simple answer because there is no single ideal room temperature that is appropriate for all situations.

The truth is that the ideal temperature for a house varies depending on the time of day, personal preference, and even location.

Why is the ideal room temperature so important?

Room temperature is important for your comfort whilst maintaining low energy usage, but having said that, there will be a set ideal room temperature for you. This will fall between a range of 16 and 22 degrees, depending on the different rooms in the house.

The ideal room temperature for your home is discussed in this article. In addition, we also take into account things like the people living in the home and how each of them may have different needs and requirements.

We provide excellent advice, like how to use smart thermostats to adjust your heating. This is so that you can try to keep everyone happy, regardless of how warm or cold they prefer it to be!

If you’re wondering “what temperature should I set the thermostat to?” or “what temperature should a room be?” don’t worry! Continue reading to find out how.

What is the best temperature for a house?

The UK government used to recommend the best temperature for a house is 21 degrees for living rooms and 18 degrees for bedrooms. However, now they just recommend 18 degrees for the whole home.

The available evidence suggests that 18°C is the most appropriate threshold for UK homes, with no evidence to support the 21°C recommendation, especially for the fit and healthy.

It also made clear that the ageing process makes our bodies less able to regulate our temperature and detect cold. Therefore, a recommendation that simply relied on people adjusting the temperature to one that is ‘comfortable’ could endanger older people.

What should the ideal room temperature be?

Knowing your average room temperature in your home can help you determine whether your energy consumption is higher or lower than usual.

It’s also helpful to remember that the consistent home temperature you prefer will vary depending on which room you’re in. Because different people enjoy varying their room temperature, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Ideal living room temperature – 19 to 22 degrees

Overall, the ideal living room temperature in the UK should be between 19 and 22 degrees. The amount of time you spend sitting still in the room determines whether your ideal room temperature is at the top or bottom of the temperature range.

If you’re sitting still all evening watching television, the ideal ambient temperature will likely feel higher to you.

If you’ve just sat still for five minutes to enjoy a cup of tea, the ideal room temperature will be closer to 19° or even a few degrees lower.

Ideal bedroom temperature – 15 to 18 degrees

Generally, your home’s temperature shouldn’t be too hot for your bedroom. This is because it must vary from room to room. This is because most people dislike being hot at night for long periods. Especially when they are snuggled in a warm duvet or cosy sleepwear.

To fall asleep, your bedroom must not be heated above 20°. However, the best room temperature falls between 15 and 16 degrees.

According to the UK Sleep Council, sleeping in the recommended temperature range of 16 to 18 degrees will likely result in a good night’s sleep. This will also result in opportunities to conserve energy and save money. This might be a fantastic way to save energy and reduce heating bills thus reducing carbon emissions and leading to a reduced carbon footprint.

Small changes can have a big impact! Simply lowering the minimum temperature a few degrees and adding extra blankets to the bed will significantly reduce energy bills.

Ideal bathroom temperature – 22 degrees

You’re currently taking a warm shower or bath, but you’re dreading having to leave the luxurious warmth and enter the chilly bathroom!

This means that the bathroom should be kept at about 22 degrees, which is warmer than the living room. Keep in mind, however, that you may not need to turn the thermometer up to feel warmer temperatures.

Because running the shower or bath creates humidity, which maintains the warmth in the air, your heating system will not have to work as hard to maintain the preferred room temperature (also known as air humidity).

Ideal kitchen temperature – 18 to 20 degrees

Due to heat and humidity fluctuations, the ideal room temperature for a kitchen is between 18 and 20 degrees. When cooking, knowing the room’s temperature is extremely useful. If you know what the temperature is in your kitchen, you can compare it to the standard room temperature and adjust your cooking accordingly.

Has the Ideal Room Temperature Changed?

The ideal room temperature in UK homes has risen from an average of 12°C in 1970 to 17°C to 23°C today, driven by widespread central heating systems and enhanced insulation like double-glazing and underfloor heating. Sedentary lifestyles further increase preferred temperatures, impacting heating costs and energy efficiency.

What is a Healthy Room Temperature?

A healthy room temperature varies by individual needs and air humidity. Higher humidity allows for lower temperatures, while drier air requires warmer settings to maintain thermal comfort.

What is the Ideal Room Temperature for a Healthy Adult?

For healthy adults wearing warm clothing, the World Health Organisation and NHS recommend a minimum of 18°C to ensure health and comfort.

What is the Ideal Room Temperature for an Elderly Person?

For those over 65, especially in the UK’s cold climate, a room temperature above 18°C is advised, with extra care for individuals with medical conditions to avoid risks from temperatures below 12°C or above 24°C.

What is the Ideal Room Temperature for Babies and Children?

The UK Baby Centre recommends 16°C to 20°C for sleeping infants, as children struggle to regulate body temperature. Tools like thermostatic radiator valves or baby monitor thermometers help maintain safe conditions.

What is the Ideal Room Temperature for Pets?

Pet preferences vary by breed: short-coated breeds (e.g., Italian Greyhound) favour warmer temperatures, while long-coated breeds (e.g., Bearded Collie) tolerate cooler settings. Young or senior pets require warmer environments for comfort.

What Temperature is Too Cold for My Home?

Temperatures below 12°C create discomfort and health risks, including memory loss, reduced coordination, and mould growth due to poor water vapor transport, as per Penn State University research.

What is the Ambient Temperature?

Ambient temperature is the surrounding air temperature, influenced by central heating, electrical appliances (e.g., TVs, computers), and insulation quality. Digital thermostats enhance control for optimal comfort and energy savings.

What Temperature Should I Set for the Thermostat in the Winter?

Set your thermostat between 20°C and 21.1°C (68°F to 70°F) for a balance of comfort and cost savings. Adjust based on household needs, avoiding extremes below 12°C or above 30°C to maintain health and efficiency.

How to save energy costs in the winter and summer?

Turning down the thermostat by one degree

Did you know that the Energy Saving Trust estimates that turning down the thermostat by one degree can save you £80 per year?

The coolest part is that you probably won’t notice any difference in the temperature.

Keeping the heat in the room

You can also help to maintain this temperature and reduce heating costs by drawing curtains at dusk and keeping doors closed to avoid draughts.

Roof insulation will help to ensure that you are not using more energy than necessary. This will help to reduce carbon emissions as you try to maintain the ideal room temperature in your home.

Annual boiler servicing

Having the boiler serviced once a year will also ensure that it is operating as efficiently as possible, lowering your energy consumption and, as a result, your carbon footprint. Due to this being so useful, you should check the average boiler service cost beforehand to see how much you may end up paying and what for.

Replace old boilers

As a boiler gets older it will reduce inefficiency and that will increase your energy usage. There have also been huge advances in the technology used in their manufacture. This can mean that a boiler replacement could mean a reduction in energy bills and your heating bill.

That then means that a heating system can now provide greater control of room temperature, especially when combined with a smart thermostat, smart meters and thermostatic radiator valves. If you want to reduce gas consumption in the future, you can even get hydrogen-ready boilers.

Different duvets for different seasons

It can be tempting to have just one duvet for the entire year. When the outside temperature gets colder, you raise the thermostat to compensate.

However, if you purchase all-weather duvets, you will not need to use the heating controls to stay warm.

You could also buy bedding with a lower duvet tog rating and then clip thinner duvets together to give more warmth in the winter months.

Use a smart thermostat

Smart technology has made a significant difference in our ability to maintain the best temperature in our homes. This is because it ensures that we feel comfortable no matter what room we’re in.

A smart thermostat is essentially an extension of the smart devices that we’ve grown accustomed to having in our homes; several smart appliances, such as smart meters and smart thermostats, can assist you in better controlling the temperature in your home.

Manufacturers provide several smart solutions for their product lines, which include the best combi boiler as well as regular and system central heating solutions.

All, however, boast the ability to give you more control over achieving the ideal room temperature while using less energy.

Smart heating apps

Apps on mobile phones and internet-connected devices allow you to control the temperature of a room no matter where you are.

So, if you realise you’ll be home later than expected, you can adjust when the heating comes on to avoid heating an empty house.

Some apps can also detect when windows are left open in a room even though the heating is turned on and send you a notification.

When they detect that everyone has left, the temperature will be reduced to avoid wasting energy.

We’ve all heard that if something is simple, we’re more likely to do it!

So, being able to lower the room temperature by one or two degrees with a couple of swipes on our phones Via the smart thermostat. This means we’re more likely to act when it’s slightly warmer than we need.

Install thermostatic radiator valves (TRV)

We’ve already spoken about how we need different ideal temperatures in different rooms of the house. But a thermostatic radiator valve gives you more control around the house.

What a perfect temperature in the living room could be far below the recommended temperature in the bedroom. To prevent using more energy than necessary, we should set specific temperatures in each room.

Now a smart thermostat can handle this for you. You do need thermostatic radiator valves in place to create your ideal room temperature around the home.

These valves are self-regulating with a temperature sensor. During the day they can change the flow of hot water that enters the radiator.

When a change is needed to maintain the ideal room temperature. A capsule within the head of the valve begins to contract or expand. That then causes the movement of a pin in the valve causing it to close or open.

Increase the heating with a TRV

If it begins to get warmer than the ideal room temperature, then the pin will cause the valve to close. The hot water movement into the radiator is slowed down so the average room temperature falls.

Reduce the heating with a TRV

If temperatures drop below a comfortable level, the capsule will expand and the pin closes the valves. Now hot water can flow into the radiator. Which allows the area to become slightly warmer.

What temperature should you be?

Again this all varies from person to person, there is no “perfect temperature” nor is there an ideal temperature. However, you may have heard that the “normal” body temperature is 98.6°F (37°C). But this number is only an average. Your body temperature may be slightly higher or lower.

What is the ideal temperature for a boiler?

If you want to achieve an ideal boiler temperature with a suitable balance of warmth and efficiency, set your boiler to at least 65°C. It won’t hurt to raise the temperature a few degrees. However, it is critical not to set it any lower. This is done to prevent bacteria in the water from growing and causing diseases.

What temperature should the central heating thermostat be set at?

There’s no denying that the best temperature for central heating thermostat settings in the UK has risen significantly over the last few decades! In comparison to the 1970s average of around 12°C, the current average ranges from 17 to 23°C. According to one government study, the average temperature is 17.7°C, while a survey conducted by us found a higher average of 23°C.

Ensure you have control of your heating

Whether it’s through smart thermostats or taking steps in your home to reduce the loss of heating. There are many things that you can do to maintain the ideal temperature.

You can now use technology to heat a cold room or reduce a high-temperature room. This is because you can get the ideal room temperature for your needs.

If you can see that a new boiler could make a huge difference in ensuring that you can maintain the appropriate home temperature. Now is the time to get a compare and get a new boiler quote.