What Temperature Should You Set Your Heating To?
18–20°C in living rooms, 16–18°C in bedrooms — and each degree lower saves roughly 6% of heating energy.
Short answer: Set occupied living spaces to 18–20°C and bedrooms to 16–18°C. Every degree you lower the thermostat cuts heating energy by roughly 6%, so dropping from 22°C to 20°C is typically a 12% saving. Health authorities advise not going below 18°C in rooms used by older people, infants or anyone unwell.
Turning the thermostat far higher does not heat a room faster — a boiler or heat pump delivers heat at a fixed rate. Setting 25°C to 'warm up quickly' just overshoots and wastes fuel.
Room-by-room targets
| Room | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Living room | 19–20°C | Sitting still needs more warmth |
| Kitchen | 17–18°C | Cooking adds heat |
| Bedroom | 16–18°C | Cooler sleep is better sleep |
| Bathroom | 20–22°C | Short bursts only |
| Empty house | 12–15°C | Frost protection, not comfort |
Changes that beat thermostat fiddling
- Fit thermostatic valves and turn down radiators in rooms nobody uses.
- Set a schedule so heating drops an hour before bed and rises 30 minutes before you wake.
- Bleed radiators at the start of the season — cold tops mean trapped air.
- Draught-proof letterboxes, loft hatches and skirting gaps; it is cheap and immediate.
- Lower the boiler flow temperature to about 60°C on a condensing combi, which improves efficiency without losing comfort.
Want to go further? Read our guide on How to Fix One Cold Room in an Otherwise Warm House or browse everything in Home.
Frequently asked questions
- Is it cheaper to leave heating on low all day?
- For most homes, no. Heating only when needed uses less energy, though very well-insulated homes and heat pumps do better with steady low output.
- Does turning radiators off in unused rooms help?
- Yes, as long as those rooms stay above about 12°C to avoid damp.
- What is the ideal bedroom temperature for sleep?
- Around 16–18°C suits most people; the body needs to shed heat to fall asleep.
Sources & references
About the author
Elena Marsh
Senior Editor, Money & Consumer
Elena has covered personal finance and consumer rights for over a decade. She translates dense financial rules into steps readers can act on the same day.
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