Winter Weather Advice: What is the ideal room temperature?

During the colder months, it can be very tempting to turn the thermostat up high to help you heat your house. However, this isn’t always the best idea as your boiler will have to work harder to reach the high temperature. This requires more energy and ultimately, increasing your heating bills.

Every household has different heating requirements, so trying to find a comfortable temperature for all can be a difficult topic. In this guide, we’re going to share some tips to help you heat your home to the right temperature whilst also helping to keep your energy bills down.

What is the recommended room temperature?

The NHS recommends the ideal room temperature should be between 18-21°. However, this can depend on a person's individual needs such as age, physical and mental health and budget.

Especially during the cold weather, it’s important that the ideal temperature is reached for physical comfort. Having a room too cold can affect a person's health, especially for people aged 65 or over.

The room temperature can also be affected by factors such as humidity, what clothing a person is wearing and levels of physical activity. All of these factors may modify a person's preferred room temperature by affecting their thermal comfort.

The temperature of your home can also vary from room to room. Normally, the bathroom tends to be warmer compared to a kitchen. As we spend a majority of our time in the living room, bedroom or if you work from home, an office, these should be warmer to help us feel more comfortable.

Bedrooms are relatively cooler as our body temperature decreases when we fall asleep and having a colder room helps to maintain our internal temperature.

Room	Typical ideal temperature
Living room	20°C - 22°C
Bedroom	16°C - 19°C
Office	20°C - 22°C
Children’s bedroom	16°C- 20°C
Corridor	15°C - 18°C
Bathroom	20°C - 22°C
Kitchen	18°C - 20°C
Porch	15°C - 18°C

How can I heat my home whilst trying to keep my energy bills down

Installing the right thermostat is the most effective approach to get your home's temperature just right to suit you and your needs whilst also not wasting energy.

Thermostats allow homeowners to regulate the temperature of their home as they can schedule a time of when they want their heating to come on to suit their lifestyle.

There are different heating controls available with some being more advanced than others. Here is the brief overview of the controls we offer at Glow-worm:

Traditional thermostats

Traditional wall mounted thermostats are the easiest to use. The thermostat is manually set to the desired temperature which in turn switches the boiler on or off to achieve the right level of heat. As they can only provide you with limited control people tend to only adjust them a few times a year.

Room thermostats

Room thermostats are similar but have the availability to manage the temperature within individual rooms .when paired with thermostatic radiator valves (TRV's). Every radiator that needs to be controlled independently will have its own TRV. These can all be set to different desired room temperatures to control the amount of heat output from the radiator.

Programmable thermostats

Another type of heating control is a programmable thermostat which uses a timer to determine when your heating comes on. This ensures your home is warm when it needs to be without having to change the settings each time making them a good option for those who have a recurring schedule. Similarly to manual heating controls, they are often changed a few times a year to suit the seasons.

Smart thermostats

Smart thermostats are rising in popularity due to the convenience and flexibility of controlling your heating from an app on your smartphone or via voice command. By using smart technology, you can programme your thermostat to come on before you get home.

Some smart home heating controls have weather compensation features meaning they have the ability to learn and adapt to your heating requirements. They have the ability to modulate the boiler depending on the external temperature. If it is minus temperature outside, the boiler will work harder to reach your ideal temperature.

If you’re worried about your increasing energy bills, you can find helpful resources on the Citizens Advice website. We also recommend seeking support through the NHS website or heating and housing benefits on GOV.UK.

If you want to know what type of heating control is best suited to your home, check out our blog for more information here.

Ideal room temperature for the elderly

Older people are more sensitive to temperature changes for both hot and cold weather. The NHS recommends heating your home to at least 18° if you are aged over 65, not very mobile or have a health condition.

They also recommend on very cold nights, adding extra layers and keeping your windows and curtains closed for an added layer of insulation. It’s also important to maintain a healthy heating system by having your boiler serviced every year by a qualified installer.

Ideal room temperature for a baby

It's crucial that you prevent your baby from being too hot or cold. According to the NHS, the ideal house temperature for infant comfort should be between 16 and 20°.

As it can be difficult to gauge, the Lullaby Trust recommends purchasing a room thermostat to gauge the temperature of the room where the baby sleeps.

Ideal room temperature for sleeping

Having a good night's sleep is essential so it’s important that our bedrooms have a comfortable temperature. As your body temperature decreases whilst we’re asleep, having a cooler room helps to maintain our internal temperature.

The Sleep Charity recommended the ideal bedroom temperature is around 16-18°. If the room is too hot or too cold we are more likely to be restless meaning we can have a very disruptive sleeping pattern. A good way of making sure your home is not freezing cold when you wake up is by programming your thermostat to come on just before you get up.

Ideal room for pregnancy

Ideal room temperature summer vs winter

Regardless of what season it is, the temperature of your home should still be around 18-21°. Depending on what type of heating system you have, you may be tempted to switch off your boiler.

If you have a combi boiler, it’s important you don’t switch it off as you will still need it for hot water and occasional heating depending on your circumstances. Therefore, make use of your heating control so you’re only using your heating when it's essential. For more tips, read our blog ‘Should I turn my boiler off in the summer’ where we cover boiler servicing and how to be efficient with your thermostat.

Due to ever-changing temperatures in winter, it can be more difficult to maintain a constant temperature in your home. Again, use your control to make sure you can regulate the temperature to ensure it’s a comfortable temperature, as well as keeping your heating bills down.

Read our ‘Winter Weather Advice’ series to help keep your home nice and warm during the cold weather where we cover a range of types from home insulation to looking after your boiler.

Learn more about Glow-worm controls