What Temperature Should Your House Be?

Finding the right temperature for your home might sound like an easy task. All you need to do is to set up your thermostat to that right temperature to keep your family comfortable and happy but also without stretching your wallet. Unfortunately, getting the ideal home temperature isn’t as easy as it might sound and can take years of experimenting. How can indoor temperature be beneficial in our daily life? Having a safe and well-balanced indoor temperature heavily contributes to the comfort of all the house members. A house that is ‘too cold’ or even ‘too hot’ can seriously affect your sense of well-being. When your indoor temperature is high, there is a lack of humidity which can cause dry skin, lips and hair and respiratory illness. This lack of moisture in the air will make you and your family more susceptible to diseases and allergies. Adding to that, uncomfortable indoor temperatures can lead to poor concentration, disturbed sleep and ultimately fatigue. At the same time, a cold indoor temperature has adverse consequences for your health such as increased blood pressure, asthma symptoms and poor mental health. Elder people tend to be more sensible to both respiratory and cardiovascular disease. The above are only some examples of the damages caused by the poor temperature set in our homes and the government aware of the health impacts of cold or hot indoor temperature has given its guidance on the best indoor room temperature. What does the UK government say about indoor temperature? The Cold Weather Plan for England, which was launched in 2011 as a framework intended to protect the population from harm to health from cold weather, has previously recommended 18°C for bedrooms and 21°C for living rooms as the right temperature to set. Then in 2014, the indoor temperature was revised and 18°C was recommended for the entire property. What is the average room temperature in the UK? Studies in the UK have shown that the average room temperature can vary throughout the day, but is usually just above 18°C. However, many UK residents believe that the ideal room temperature should be 21°C. What temperature should I set my thermostat? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a temperature of 18°C is suitable for healthy people who are appropriately dressed and 16°C for those with respiratory problems. As per the disabled, very old, sick people and very young, 20°C is the right indoor temperature. What is the best way to heat your home? Underfloor heating (UFH) is becoming increasingly common, with research indicating that it is heading for between 4–6% growth over the next four years. The popularity of UFH is not just growing in standard housing, it’s also becoming a must-have feature within many house developments. Another advantage of UFH is the level of control that it provides. Solutions with built-in automatic balancing are available that continuously monitors the temperature inside your home and regulates the space accordingly. This means that the heating is able to constantly react to the weather as well as any structural changes, or changes in usage patterns without manual adjustments. Not only does this mean a more even temperature and faster system reaction times, but it’s up to 20% more energy efficient than alternative solutions. The ability to control and update the heating system through smart devices is particularly useful as it allows you not only to set your house at the desired temperature but it also allows you to control it from anywhere in the world. As you noticed, setting the right indoor temperature can be very challenging and depends on many factors. In his book ‘Sustainable Energy- Without the hot air’, Dr MacKay explains that “A human’s perception of whether they feel warm depends on what they are doing, and what they have been doing for the past hour or so”. Fortunately, today’s advance in technology is giving us the opportunity to better control our indoor temperature and once we have found that right amount of heat or cold then we will be in our comfortable zone. For more information about using UFH to keep your home at the right temperature, check out our underfloor heating and cooling systems.