The first cold night of autumn arrived quietly, slipping under doors and through letterboxes, curling around ankles in the hallway. You probably know that feeling: you walk into the living room, stretch your fingers toward the thermostat, pause, and hear that old phrase in your head – “Keep it at 19°C.” Sensible. Frugal. Responsible. Except, as a growing number of researchers and building experts now argue, it’s also outdated. Our homes have changed. Our bodies are changing. And the world outside our windows is changing faster than ever.
The Myth of the Magic Number
For decades, 19°C has hovered over our winters like a stern, invisible house guest. It came from public health advice aimed at reducing fuel use and preventing the worst effects of cold, damp homes. Back then, insulation was poor, windows rattled in their frames, and many households relied on a single heater to warm the space where everyone gathered. The idea of a one-size-fits-all “healthy temperature” made sense in a world of drafty brick and single glazing.
But step into a modern living room today. The windows might be triple-glazed. Thick insulation wraps the walls. The floor could be gently warmed by underfloor heating. The air is less likely to smell of coal or oil and more like freshly brewed coffee and laundry detergent. In that world, clinging to 19°C as a global truth starts to feel a bit like insisting everyone wear the same shoe size.
Recent guidance from health and building experts now suggests a more nuanced range, often settling around 20–22°C as a healthier “comfort band” for most people when they are awake and relatively inactive at home. The important detail: it’s not about chasing a higher number for luxury. It’s about matching temperature to real human needs, building performance, and a climate that’s no longer predictable.
What the New “Comfort Band” Really Feels Like
Imagine this: you come in from a damp, grey afternoon. Your glasses fog slightly as the warmer air inside wraps around you. At 21°C, the house doesn’t feel hot; it feels quietly supportive. You shrug off your coat, keep a light sweater on, and move through the rooms without that subtle shiver that makes you reach for the blanket.
At 19°C, many people are technically “fine,” but listen closely to your body. Your shoulders tighten. Hands hover near mugs of tea. You might find your productivity slipping as your brain quietly negotiates between keeping you warm and keeping you focused. For children playing on cold floors, or older adults whose circulation isn’t what it used to be, 19°C can tip from “frugal” to “mildly stressful.” Their bodies work harder just to maintain core temperature.
Thermal comfort scientists talk about more than just the number on the thermostat. They factor in humidity, clothing, air movement, activity levels, and even how evenly the room is heated. A still, dry room at 21°C can actually feel cooler than a slightly more humid room with gentle radiant heat from walls, floors, or a stove. That’s why modern recommendations are less about a single magic number and more about a range – a flexible band you can adjust within, depending on who you are and what you’re doing.
The Science: Why 19°C Doesn’t Fit Everyone Anymore
In recent years, several trends have converged to challenge the old rule. Our populations are aging, more of us work from home, and winters in some regions are becoming wilder and more erratic. A drafty 19°C living room in an older house can be worlds apart from a well-sealed 19°C in a low-energy building.
Public health bodies now commonly point to around 20–21°C as a safer lower limit for main living spaces, especially for people at risk: infants, older adults, and those with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions. There’s a growing body of evidence linking prolonged indoor cold – even “mild” cold – to increased risks of stroke, heart attacks, and respiratory infections. Our hearts and lungs quietly shoulder the cost of temperatures that are just a bit too low for too long.
At the same time, experts emphasize the need to prevent overheating and to cut emissions. Cranking the heating up to 24–25°C all winter just because it’s possible is no solution. Instead, the new guidance settles on a compromise: roughly 20–22°C in living areas when occupied, 18–19°C in bedrooms for sleep, and a focus on fixing cold floors, drafts, and poor insulation rather than just turning the dial ever higher.
How Different Temperatures Compare in Everyday Life
Here’s a simple overview of how common indoor temperatures tend to feel and what experts often associate with them for most people in moderately insulated homes:
| Room Temperature | How It Often Feels | Typical Expert View |
|---|---|---|
| 16–17°C | Noticeably cool, need warm clothing; cold floors | Too cool for long periods for many, especially vulnerable people |
| 18–19°C | Cool but tolerable with layers; fine when moving around | Lower limit for bedrooms or short periods for healthy adults |
| 20–21°C | Comfortable for most while resting with light clothing | Often recommended for main living spaces when occupied |
| 22–23°C | Warm, cozy, especially for sedentary work | Useful for very young, old, or unwell people; potentially higher energy use |
These are not strict rules so much as gentle signposts. The real answer depends on your body, your building, and your habits.
Beyond Numbers: Listening to Your Home and Your Body
Stand in the middle of your living room on a cold evening and try this small experiment. Close your eyes and notice not just the air temperature, but the character of the space around you. Is there a faint draft brushing your ankles? Do your feet feel colder than your shoulders? Is the air dry enough that your throat feels scratchy, or slightly humid and heavy?
Now move closer to the external wall. Hold your hand a few centimeters from it. Does it feel cool, almost radiating cold? That’s radiant temperature at work – and it has as much to do with how warm or cold you feel as the figure on the thermostat. A room set to 21°C with icy walls and windows can feel much less comfortable than a room at 20°C with warm surfaces and no drafts. This is where modern heating philosophy is headed: from chasing a single air temperature to shaping a stable, gentle envelope of comfort around your body.
Experts increasingly recommend a whole-home strategy: modest temperatures, but consistent; fewer cold corners, less wild fluctuation. Shift your thermostat to 20–21°C in living rooms when you’re home and awake. Let bedrooms rest at 18–19°C at night. Use good socks and a light jumper, yes, but don’t demand that your body wage war with the ambient air all evening. Comfort is not weakness; it’s a foundation for health and clear thinking.
Why the “New Normal” Still Asks for Moderation
There’s a tension at the heart of all this: we need to keep people warm enough to be healthy, but we also live on a heating planet. Every extra degree we dial up burns more energy somewhere, even as more efficient heat pumps and better insulation soften the blow. So how do we reconcile the push for warmer, healthier indoor spaces with the need to cut emissions?
Modern guidance tries to walk that narrow ridge. It encourages investments in insulation, airtightness, and smarter controls, so we can hold 20–21°C using far less energy. It discourages the old habit of turning the heat off for half the day and then blasting it in the evening – a pattern that can lead to dampness, mold, and higher bills. It suggests zoning: keeping little-used rooms slightly cooler while maintaining consistent comfort where life actually happens. In short, it asks us to warm our homes more intelligently, not relentlessly.
Practical Ways to Hit the New Recommended Range
Translating all this into daily life doesn’t require a degree in building physics. It starts with a different question when your fingers reach for the thermostat: not “What’s the lowest number I can endure?” but “What’s the lowest temperature at which everyone here stays comfortably warm and healthy?”
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Walk through your home on a cold day and notice where comfort breaks down. Is it the hallway by the front door? The spot near the big window? The corner where a child plays on the floor? Sometimes, small changes – a draft excluder, a heavy curtain, a rug on a concrete floor – allow you to keep the living room at 20–21°C instead of creeping toward 23°C just to conquer a single cold patch.
Think in layers, but not as a substitute for adequate heating. Yes, a warm sweater matters; yes, good slippers are a quiet winter revolution. But also experiment with timing: letting the house drift only slightly cooler at night, rather than plunging into chilliness. Use thermostatic radiator valves or smart controls to keep the living space in that 20–22°C band when in use. Over a few days, you’ll likely notice something subtle: your body relaxes. You stop thinking about the cold. You simply live.
Different People, Different Temperatures
One of the most compelling arguments against the old 19°C rule is this: we’re not all the same. The temperature that feels “perfectly fine” to a healthy, active 30-year-old might feel punishing to a frail 80-year-old sitting still for most of the day.
If your household includes children, older relatives, or anyone managing chronic illness, consider nudging the thermostat toward the upper part of the comfort band, around 21–22°C in the rooms they use most. For those working from home at a desk, a slightly warmer room often pays itself back in focus and comfort. Meanwhile, healthy adults who are up and moving may be perfectly content at 20°C, provided drafts are under control and floors aren’t icy.
Instead of arguing over a single setting, imagine your home as a small landscape of microclimates. The reading chair near the radiator might be warmer than the dining table by the window; the bedroom might stay cooler than the study. Within that landscape, the new recommended range offers a safe, flexible plateau: warm enough for health, modest enough for the planet.
Faq
What is the new recommended indoor temperature according to experts?
Many experts now recommend a comfort range of about 20–22°C for main living areas when they are occupied, with bedrooms typically kept cooler, around 18–19°C at night.
Is 19°C really too cold?
For healthy, active adults, 19°C can be tolerable, especially with warm clothing. But for children, older adults, or people with health conditions, it can be on the edge of what’s safe and comfortable for long periods, especially in drafty or poorly insulated homes.
Will increasing my thermostat to 21°C dramatically raise my energy bill?
Raising the temperature by 1–2°C can increase energy use, but the impact depends on your insulation, heating system, and how consistently you heat your home. Targeted improvements like sealing drafts and adding insulation can offset much of this increase.
Is it healthier to sleep in a cold bedroom?
Most people sleep best in slightly cooler rooms, around 18–19°C. The key is to avoid extremes: too cold can strain the body, while too warm can disrupt sleep.
How can I stay within the recommended range without wasting energy?
Focus on reducing drafts, improving insulation, zoning your heating so you only warm rooms you use, and using thermostats or smart controls to maintain stable temperatures rather than large swings. Combine moderate heating with sensible clothing and soft furnishings like rugs and curtains.
