Sarah hadn’t touched her thermostat in three years. Set to 19°C since she moved into her flat, it seemed like the responsible choice—everyone knew that was the “right” temperature for saving money. But last Tuesday, while working from home during a particularly grey London afternoon, she found herself shivering despite wearing two jumpers.
Her fingers were getting stiff as she typed, and she kept glancing at that little portable heater in the corner. “This is ridiculous,” she muttered, finally cranking the thermostat up to 21°C. The relief was instant, and surprisingly, her next energy bill wasn’t the disaster she’d expected.
Sarah’s experience mirrors what’s happening in homes across Europe right now. The sacred 19°C rule that dominated heating advice for half a century is quietly being abandoned by energy experts who say it’s time for a smarter approach.
Why That Famous 19°C Rule Never Made Sense for Modern Homes
The 19°C benchmark wasn’t born from careful scientific study about human comfort. Instead, it emerged from pure desperation during the oil crisis of the 1970s. Governments needed a simple, memorable number to help citizens slash their fuel consumption quickly.
“The 19°C guideline was essentially an emergency measure that somehow became gospel,” explains Dr. Emma Richardson, a building physics researcher at Imperial College London. “It worked for the crisis, but we’ve been stuck with it ever since.”
Back then, most homes were thermal disasters. Single-glazed windows, uninsulated walls, and basic boilers that were either fully on or completely off. People also lived differently—less time sitting at computers, more physical activity throughout the day, and far less awareness about indoor air quality.
Today’s homes tell a completely different story. Modern insulation, double or triple glazing, and sophisticated heating systems that can maintain precise temperatures have transformed how we experience indoor comfort. Yet many people still cling to that outdated 19°C target.
The New Heating Temperature Recommendations That Actually Work
Energy specialists now advocate for a room-by-room approach that acknowledges how we actually use our living spaces. The updated heating temperature recommendations focus on comfort zones rather than rigid numbers.
Here’s what the latest research suggests for optimal indoor temperatures:
| Room Type | Recommended Temperature | Why This Range |
|---|---|---|
| Living Room/Home Office | 20-21°C | Extended sitting periods require warmer air |
| Kitchen | 18-19°C | Cooking generates heat, movement keeps you warm |
| Bedroom | 16-18°C | Cooler air improves sleep quality |
| Bathroom | 20-22°C | Wet skin loses heat rapidly |
| Hallways | 15-17°C | Transit spaces, minimal time spent |
“We’re seeing a shift toward 20°C as the new baseline for main living areas,” says Mark Thompson, a heating engineer with 25 years of experience. “That single degree makes a huge difference to how comfortable people feel, especially when working from home.”
The key factors driving these updated recommendations include:
- Longer periods of sedentary activity indoors
- Better insulated homes that maintain stable temperatures
- Smart heating systems that can target specific rooms
- Greater understanding of thermal comfort science
- Remote work changing how we use our homes
What This Temperature Shift Means for Your Bills
The obvious worry is cost. Moving from 19°C to 20°C does increase energy consumption, but the impact might be smaller than you think, especially in well-insulated modern homes.
Energy efficiency experts estimate that each degree of temperature increase typically adds 6-10% to heating costs. However, this calculation assumes your heating system runs constantly at the higher temperature, which isn’t how most people actually heat their homes.
“The real savings come from being strategic about which rooms you heat and when,” explains Lisa Chen, an energy consultant who works with homeowners on heating optimization. “Heating your bedroom to 20°C all day makes no sense, but keeping your home office comfortable while you work there absolutely does.”
Smart heating controls now make this room-by-room approach much more practical. Programmable thermostats, smart radiator valves, and zoned heating systems let you maintain different temperatures in different areas based on when and how you use them.
Many homeowners discover that strategic heating actually reduces their overall bills, even with slightly higher target temperatures in key rooms. The old approach of heating the entire house to 19°C often wasted energy heating unused spaces.
How to Apply These New Guidelines in Your Home
Making the switch from the traditional 19°C rule doesn’t require expensive equipment or major renovations. Start by monitoring how different rooms in your home actually feel at various temperatures.
Most people find they can be comfortable in bedrooms at 17°C, which represents significant savings since bedrooms typically account for 30-40% of a home’s heated space. Meanwhile, bumping the living room up to 20°C creates a much more comfortable environment for the spaces where you spend most of your waking hours.
Consider your daily routine when setting heating temperature recommendations. If you work from home, program your office space to reach 20°C just before you start work, then let it drop back to 18°C in the evening. Kitchens often need minimal heating during cooking times but might benefit from a boost in the early morning.
“The beauty of modern heating systems is their flexibility,” notes heating engineer Thompson. “You can have different comfort zones for different activities, rather than accepting a compromise temperature that doesn’t really work anywhere.”
FAQs
Is 20°C really that much more expensive than 19°C?
In a well-insulated home, the difference typically adds 6-8% to heating costs, but strategic room-by-room heating often offsets this increase.
Should I heat my bedroom to 20°C too?
No, bedrooms are actually more comfortable for sleep at 16-18°C, and heating them less saves significant money.
What if my home is poorly insulated?
Focus on heating the rooms you use most and consider the 19°C rule for spaces with poor insulation until you can improve them.
Do these recommendations work with heat pumps?
Yes, heat pumps actually work more efficiently with consistent, moderate temperatures like 20°C rather than the old on/off heating patterns.
How can I tell if my heating temperature is right?
You shouldn’t feel chilly when sitting still for long periods, but you also shouldn’t need to remove layers when moving around normally.
Will this advice change again in the future?
Probably, as homes become even more efficient and our understanding of thermal comfort improves, but 20°C appears to be a stable baseline for modern living spaces.
