Optimal room temperature at home: what is important to know?

It is very difficult to answer the question of what the ideal temperature for a particular room in the house is, particularly as it should vary from room to room. Secondly, people have different perceptions of comfort: for one person, 18 °C is a normal room temperature, for another, 25 °C is ideal.

So, in this article, we share information on how to maintain a comfortable and optimal indoor temperature, as well as topical home heating tips.

Sensible room temperature

First of all, you should be aware that the thermometer’s reading is not everything, as sensory temperature can also depend on:

• humidity;
• the clothing worn at the time;
• the level of activity at home, the level of physical activity;
• the person’s age and other circumstances.

Why should every room in your home have a different temperature?

To start with, room temperature balance is important – if it’s too warm in your home, you may find it hard to concentrate, have no energy, and become sleepy. Very hot rooms are a breeding ground for micro-organisms that cause disease.

Temperatures higher than the recommended temperature can be harmful for people with cardiovascular disease. Higher temperatures remove moisture from the body more quickly and put more strain on the heart.

We lose fluid in sweat, so it is essential to restore the body’s fluid and electrolyte balance. And if it’s too cold in the house, you’ll want to snuggle up in a blanket again, increasing the chances of catching a cold, and the likelihood of bad mould setting in.

What should be the temperature of the different rooms?

Thus, the average comfortable temperature for living spaces should normally be around 20-22 °C, but there are some exceptions:

• In the living room and study room, the temperature should be around 20-22 °C. We spend most of the day in these rooms, resting or working on the computer, and we move around less, so the warmth is more comfortable.
• In kitchens, where we are usually moving around more and turning pots and pans, the temperature can be kept slightly lower, around 18-19 °C. It also warms up the room a little from the oven and hob, but it is important to remember to turn on the cooker hood. Otherwise, other problems can arise, such as too much humidity in the house.
• In bathrooms – a temperature of 22-26 °C can be maintained. They are usually more humid, so if the temperature is lower, there is immediate discomfort. You also want to feel warm when you get out of the shower or bath. However, you should remember to ventilate your bathroom regularly, as the moisture build-up can eventually lead to mould growth, and it is more expensive to heat humid air than fresh, cool air after ventilation.
• Bedrooms can be cooler: 17-19 °C is perfectly adequate. The body temperature naturally drops when sleeping and the thermoregulatory function works better in a cooler room.
• Less frequently used rooms such as corridors, staircases, attics, laundry rooms, etc., can be cooler than elsewhere in the house, around 16-18 °C, to reduce heating costs.

What is the optimum room temperature for an elderly person?

It is particularly important that the homes of elderly people (i.e. those aged 65 and over) and people with health problems are sufficiently warm, at least 18 °C, during the colder months of the year.

To avoid draughts, it is advisable to draw the curtains when it starts to get dark and to close all internal doors to trap the heat from radiators or other heat sources more effectively.

Ideal indoor temperature for young children and babies

Children’s bedrooms can be heated slightly more intensively depending on their age, and the younger the child, the higher the temperature in their room should be.

Having a baby? Then the average optimum room temperature is 21-22 °C. It can be lower in the bedroom and slightly higher in the baby’s room.

Remember that overheating can increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. So, in summer, you should keep your baby’s room cool, close the curtains during the day to prevent overheating, and in winter, don’t overdo the heating.

How to heat your home more economically and what not to do?

Heating accounts for a significant part of households’ monthly expenditure. It goes without saying that we need to find ways to heat our homes more economically.

Many people try to do this by drastically turning down the thermostats on radiators or by switching off the heating in unused rooms. And while this helps to reduce costs, it ultimately leads to a number of problems:

• Firstly, if the house is too cold, we are unlikely to be able to cope with too high a humidity level. Moisture starts to condense on walls, windows and other surfaces, and can eventually lead to mould growth.
• Secondly, turning the heating down, or even off altogether, can make it very difficult to get the room warm again: you have to run the boiler at full capacity to reach the optimum temperature, which means more fuel is used.

So, while you may be able to make some savings by taking such measures, there are much better ways to heat your home more efficiently.

You can reduce your heating bills and make it easier to reach a comfortable temperature by insulating your home, replacing windows and doors, modernising and upgrading your heating or temperature control system, and other ways.