Maintaining an ideal ambient and comfortable temperature is crucial for your health and your purse strings. It is vital to satisfy the needs of all your family members and manage your electricity bills at the same time. But working out the ideal room temperature is not an easy task.
Although it is a fairly common question, many myths surround what constitutes the ‘ideal house temperature UK’. This best-practice advice and tips will certainly help you find the right temperature for your home. Let’s get started.
Temperature Guideline
Earlier, the average room temperature the UK government recommended for its citizens was 21 C for the living rooms and 18 C for the bedrooms. But, right now, the recommended temperature is 18 C for the entire house.
While there is no consensus on what is accepted as the ideal temperature, scientific evidence suggests that 18C indoor temperature could provide immense health benefits and keep the budget under control. Both World Health Organisation and UK Government recommend the following temperatures:
A minimum temperature of 18 C should be considered as the normal room temperature UK – all through the year.
Optimum temperature range between 18 C and 21 C.
20 C – 21 C indoor temperature in case of vulnerable people such as the elderly, children and sick.
When the average temperature goes below 18 C and hits 24 C, and above, health risks are involved.
What if the House is too Cold?
The average room temperature the UK government recommended for its people is based on sound science. But if you choose to ignore and set a really low temperature on the thermostat, you might be finding it too difficult to sleep. Sleeping in a freezing room can lead to extreme body pain and tiredness since your body is constantly tensing up due to the cold.
When the indoor temperature goes below 18 C, a sedentary person without suitable clothes can suffer from strokes, elevated blood pressure, risk of blood clots and heart attacks and stroke.
What if the House is too Warm?
The environment in the house, particularly the temperature, directly impacts our well-being. If the house temperature is too high, you might find it stuffy, sweaty and extremely difficult to sleep. Children and the elderly also bear the brunt of being in a hot room. An unhealthy room temperature UK – home or apartment – can make the room too warm and trigger respiratory problems, breathing issues and other severe conditions like heart attack and stroke.
A hot room also heats your electricity room. It makes sense to bring the thermostat down a few notches if you want to keep the electricity bills under control.
A Couple of Degrees Make a Lot of Difference to your Electricity Bills
When you maintain an average temperature of 18 C, you are likely to have greater control over your electricity bills. With every degree that you increase, your monthly electric bill will increase. It is always a good idea to insulate your house to maintain the indoor temperature without constantly having to meddle with the thermostat.
A simple change from 21 C to 18 C can potentially save you hundreds of pounds each year. Nevertheless, it also depends on how big your house is, the type of air conditioning repair you have and the insulation present in your home.
What temperature should a House be in UK Winters and Summers?
The temperature in your house makes a lot of difference to your overall well-being. The ideal room temperature UK and Scotland homes should have during the winters is 18 C. Maintaining this temperature during the winters (throughout the day) poses the least risk to your health. This temperature can be maintained even during the nights for sedentary persons, wearing suitable insulated clothing.
Bringing the temperatures down to 18 C during the summer can be challenging. However, we suggest you leave the windows open and use thinner and light duvets for a comfortable sleep during summers.
To know precisely what Temperature To Set Thermostat In Winter UK, and other countries in Europe, it is always better to go with the government guidelines. However, we believe you can make minor adjustments to the thermostat according to your family’s specific needs.
What Temperature Should House Be At Night UK?
We are specifically mentioning the night temperature in the UK because there is always confusion regarding the ideal night temperature. We believe that the ideal night temperature should be between 18 C – 20 C, and if you can maintain a precise 18 C temperature, it is excellent.
Take this temperature as a guideline – a reference point – and avoid getting into heated (excuse the pun) arguments regarding the thermostat setting. If someone at home is feeling mildly cold, ask them to put on a few layers of warm clothing – a jumper or a fleece duvet. If someone is feeling hot, needless to say, shed a few layers to stay comfortable.
Tested Energy Saving Tips
If your electricity bills are too high for your taste, you might consider implementing these tips to maintain a comfortable room temperature UK house and keep your bills down.
Turning down a few degrees on your thermostat can make a lot of difference to your budget and comfort.
A well-insulated home helps you maintain the ideal temperature throughout the day.
Suppose the recommended room temperature UK seems a bit too cold or hot for your liking. In that case, we suggest you employ other means such as opening your windows, allowing for ventilation, turning off all standby electrical appliances and switching on/off the fan.
We also believe regular cooling solution repair and maintenance can also impact the room temperature.
Invest in smart and energy-efficient air conditioners to regulate temperature and energy usage.
Remember that the recommended room temperature is only a guideline, and you are free to experiment with the thermostat until you figure out the right one for your home. Make sure you consider the likes and thermal comfort of the elderly, children, pregnant women, the unwell and pets.
Although no guideline will help you control the weather or the seasons, you can certainly control the temperature and comfort of your home.
