What Temperature Should You Set Your Thermostat? UK 2026

Drop your thermostat by 1°C and save up to £130 a year. Here's the right setting for each room and time of day in 2026.

Updated: May 2026 — Power Guardian UK Editorial Team

The Energy Saving Trust says turning your thermostat down by just 1°C cuts heating bills by around 10% — roughly £100–£130 a year for a typical UK home in 2026.

The recommended UK thermostat setting

18–21°C is the sweet spot for most healthy adults. The World Health Organisation recommends a minimum of 18°C in living rooms during winter — below that, health risks rise (especially for over-65s, infants and anyone with respiratory issues).

| Setting | Comfort | Annual heating cost (typical home) | |---|---|---| | 17°C | Cool — only OK if active | £880 | | 18°C | WHO minimum, generally safe | £960 | | 19°C | Recommended sweet spot | £1,050 | | 20°C | Comfortable for most | £1,150 | | 21°C | Warm — common UK default | £1,260 | | 22°C+ | Toasty — costs add up fast | £1,380+ |

(Figures: gas combi boiler, semi-detached, average UK weather, 2026 prices.)

Room-by-room targets

- Living room / bedroom: 18–21°C - Hallways and unused rooms: 16–18°C — turn TRVs (radiator valves) down - Bathroom: 22°C briefly when in use - Children's nurseries / vulnerable adults: 20–22°C, never below 18°C

What actually saves money

1. Lower the thermostat by 1°C — biggest single win, £100/year 2. Use TRVs to set unused rooms cooler — saves another £50–£80/year 3. Programme heating for when you're home — not 24/7. Two windows (morning + evening) is usually enough 4. Don't crank up to 25°C to "heat the house faster" — boilers heat at the same rate regardless of target 5. Bleed radiators annually — cold spots mean the boiler runs longer

Smart thermostat: worth it?

Related energy-saving tips

Set heating timers and schedules — Heating an empty home wastes energy. A schedule makes the heating come on when you need it and go off when you don't.
Turn your thermostat down by 1°C — Lowering the room temperature by a single degree reduces how hard your heating works, and most people barely notice the difference.
Fit thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) — TRVs let you set each room's temperature separately, so you stop heating rooms nobody is using.