19 °C or 20 °C: The Best Temperature for Heating Your Home

For years, one almost magical figure has dictated how homes should be heated: 19 °C.

Yet the reality indoors is far less straightforward.

Amid official campaigns, rising energy bills and increasingly unpredictable winters, the well-known 19 °C recommendation is still repeated like a mantra. However, energy and thermal-comfort specialists are beginning to challenge this rule. A difference of just one degree can affect far more than expected - both how warm a home feels and the amount paid at the end of the month.

Where the 19 °C rule came from

The notion of keeping a home at 19 °C did not appear by chance. It emerged during the energy crisis of the 1970s, when European governments began encouraging major cuts in energy use to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

The 19 °C target became symbolic: low enough to save energy, yet high enough - in theory - to avoid feeling cold. The issue is that the figure was intended as an average benchmark, rather than a universal rule set in stone.

“A single ‘ideal’ temperature for everyone is more of a political shortcut than a physical truth about thermal comfort.”

Decades later, homes have changed, heating systems have advanced and the climate has shifted. Yet the official guidance has remained almost unchanged, often overlooking regional, building-related and lifestyle differences.

Why 19 °C does not suit every home

Thermal comfort is not simply the figure shown on the thermostat. It is what the body experiences, and that depends on several factors that 19 °C cannot account for.

• Thermal insulation: in older properties with single-glazed windows and draughts, cold air enters easily while heat escapes quickly. In practice, 19 °C on the thermometer can feel like 17 °C to the body.
• Air humidity: very dry air can make a room feel cold even at relatively high temperatures. Excess humidity, meanwhile, causes discomfort and mould.
• Activity level: someone working from home while sitting all day needs more warmth than someone who is moving about.
• Clothing: sitting on the sofa in a thin T-shirt is not the same as wearing a good sweatshirt and thick socks.

For that reason, two homes set to the same heating temperature can deliver completely different experiences for their occupants.

20 °C as a new comfort benchmark

In recent years, several domestic climate-control specialists have begun to identify 20 °C as a more realistic level for balancing comfort and consumption. The change may seem minor - only 1 °C - but its effect on everyday life is highly noticeable.

“For many families, 20 °C is the difference between ‘bearable with a coat on’ and ‘genuinely comfortable’.”

What changes between 19 °C and 20 °C

• More stable thermal comfort: at 20 °C, fewer people report chills while sitting still on the sofa or at a computer.
• Less conflict at home: people who feel the cold more no longer have to be constantly at odds with those determined to save money at all costs.
• A manageable impact on bills: with effective draught-proofing and well-regulated heating, the additional consumption may be lower than expected.

The good news is that technology can help. Smart thermostats, thermostatic radiator valves and occupancy sensors make it possible to keep rooms at 20 °C only where and when it genuinely makes sense.

The same temperature in every room? Not a chance

Another widespread myth is that the whole home should be heated to one identical temperature. This is usually comfortable for almost no one and costly for everyone.

Different spaces require different temperatures. A heating-zones strategy generally works better.

Room	Recommended range	Main purpose
Living rooms and home offices	19–20 °C	Lasting comfort during light activity
Bedrooms	16–18 °C	Good-quality sleep and savings
Bathroom (while in use)	21–22 °C	Avoiding a sudden temperature change after bathing
Hallways and seldom-used areas	15–17 °C	Protecting against damp without overspending

This zoned approach makes it possible to direct spending towards areas where it brings real benefit, rather than heating nearly empty square metres.

How to keep 20 °C without sending energy bills soaring

Increasing the reference temperature does not mean accepting uncontrolled electricity or gas bills. Managing warmth depends on daily habits and small structural improvements.

• Improve draught-proofing: checking windows, doors and frames with inexpensive sealing strips can already reduce draughts.
• Look after the building envelope: the roof, walls and floor account for a large share of heat loss. Even partial work, such as insulating only the loft, has a visible effect.
• Use a programmable thermostat: setting schedules to lower the temperature when everyone is out or asleep prevents needless heating.
• Make the most of sunlight: leaving curtains open during the day and closing them as soon as night falls works like a “coat” for windows.
• Keep the system clean: bled radiators, replaced filters and serviced boilers provide more heat while using less energy.

“In practice, a well-adjusted home can stay at 20 °C while using less energy than a poorly draught-proofed one stuck at 19 °C.”

When 19 °C may be too low

Not every body responds to cold in the same way. In some circumstances, 19 °C stops being guidance and becomes a risk.

Some groups are generally more vulnerable:

• Older people: they have greater difficulty regulating their own temperature and feel cold more intensely and for longer.
• Young children: they lose heat quickly and rely on adults to adjust both the environment and their clothing.
• People with chronic conditions: respiratory, cardiovascular and rheumatological problems tend to worsen in cold environments.

In homes occupied by these groups, maintaining 20 °C in areas used for extended periods is not a luxury. It is an additional layer of health protection.

Savings, comfort and health: finding the possible balance

Talking about raising the reference temperature often immediately prompts concern: “it will be expensive”. The point is that the bill does not depend solely on the thermostat setting, but on the whole picture: insulation, times of use, property size, heating-system type and even the habit of leaving windows slightly open in winter.

A quick scenario makes this easier to picture. Imagine two identical flats:

• In the first, the resident leaves the heating fixed at 19 °C all day, even when nobody is home. The windows are old, the curtains are thin and the radiators are full of air. There is little control and plenty of waste.
• In the second, the resident sets 20 °C only in the evening and during the early morning. They use a thermostat, close doors, improve window draught-proofing and keep the equipment properly maintained.

It is not hard to predict which one will cost less, even with an extra 1 °C at the most important times. How the temperature is managed through the day matters just as much as the chosen figure.

A few concepts worth understanding

Thermal comfort is not merely the absence of cold. It is the point at which the body does not need to “struggle” to maintain its internal temperature. Once that balance is reached, the body's energy expenditure falls, it relaxes and even sleep quality improves.

Thermal inertia, meanwhile, is a building's ability to store and gradually release heat. Solid walls, for example, warm up slowly but retain warmth for longer. In places with good thermal inertia, allowing the temperature to fluctuate too much during the day may be less worthwhile than keeping it at a slightly higher, steady level.

In practice, adjusting heating is almost an ongoing home experiment. It is worth trying nearby ranges, observing how the body responds, monitoring bills over a few months and making adjustments. The old 19 °C rule served as a starting point, but it no longer needs to determine by itself how you get through the winter.