With the heating already on in much of Spain, the same debate as every winter is back: some people find a jumper too much, while others never take theirs off. If you're wondering what the ideal temperature at home is, the answer depends on the room. The living room doesn't need the same number of degrees as the bedroom or the bathroom, and getting them right shows in your comfort, in the damp on your walls and in your heating bill.
Ideal home temperature, room by room
These values are a good starting point for most people. If you spend many hours sitting down, for example working from home, you may need an extra degree.
- Living room: 20-21 °C. It's where we spend the most time, nearly always sitting down.
- Bedroom: 17-19 °C. With a good duvet, most people sleep better in a cooler room.
- Kitchen: 18-20 °C. The oven, the hob and the fridge already give off quite a lot of heat.
- Bathroom: 22-24 °C. It's welcome when you step out of the shower, and the warmth helps moisture dry faster.
- Children's room: 20-21 °C. At night you can turn it down by one or two degrees.
- Hallway and entrance: 16-18 °C. These are areas you just pass through, so they don't need as much heating.
As an official reference, the IDAE (Spain's Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy) considers 19 to 21 °C during the day to be enough for most people and, at night, 15-17 °C to be enough in bedrooms.
Keep the bedroom cool
The most common mistake is heating the bedroom as much as the living room. Turn the radiator down in the late afternoon and air the room for a few minutes before going to bed. If you're cold, reach for a thicker duvet or flannel sheets before touching the thermostat. An overheated bedroom also dries out the air; we explain how to avoid it in our guide to dry air in the house.
How to set a thermostatic radiator valve
The numbers on a thermostatic valve don't indicate power, but the temperature you want to reach in the room. On many models the scale is roughly as follows:
- ✱ (asterisk): about 6-8 °C, frost protection if you go away in winter.
- 1: about 12 °C.
- 2: about 16 °C.
- 3: about 20 °C.
- 4: about 24 °C.
- 5: about 28 °C.
The small marks between the numbers usually equal 1 °C each. In practice, 3 in the living room and between 2 and 3 in the bedroom are a good start. The exact values vary by manufacturer, so if in doubt, check the instructions. Turning it up to 5 doesn't heat the room any faster: the radiator will simply keep heating until the room gets warmer than you wanted. And don't cover the valve with curtains or furniture, because it would measure the heat trapped next to the radiator rather than the temperature of the room. If your boiler has a room thermostat, programme it with two time slots: one for the day and a lower one for the night.
How to save on heating without feeling cold
According to the IDAE, each extra degree means around 7% more energy use. A few habits make all the difference:
- Turn the temperature down at night and when nobody is at home, but don't switch the heating off completely in the middle of winter. Cold walls take a long time to warm up, and water vapour condenses on them, which encourages mould.
- Air rooms briefly but thoroughly. Open the window wide for 5 to 10 minutes, with the valve closed in the meantime. A window left ajar for hours cools the walls and barely refreshes the air.
- Don't cover the radiators with long curtains, furniture or clothes left to dry, and keep them clean: here we explain how to clean radiators.
- Bleed the radiators if they're cold at the top and hot at the bottom or if you can hear water gurgling; you'll find the steps in how to bleed radiators.
- Don't just go by how it feels. A thermometer with a hygrometer will tell you the real temperature and the humidity, which is best kept between 40 and 60%.
Home temperature, dogs and cats
Dogs and cats are usually comfortable at the same temperature the family finds pleasant. More than the number of degrees, what matters is where they sleep: place their bed away from draughts and the terrace door, but not right up against the radiator either, so the animal can move away if it gets too warm. Short-haired dogs, older dogs and small dogs appreciate a blanket, especially in cooler rooms. If you're looking for little things that make winter at home with your pet easier, take a look at our shop.
In short
The ideal home temperature is around 20-21 °C in the living room, 17-19 °C in the bedroom and 22-24 °C in the bathroom. Add to that turning the heating down a little at night, airing rooms quickly and keeping radiators clear, and you'll have a comfortable home and more reasonable energy use.