What temperature should I set my heating to in the UK?

Rooms you spend a lot of time in

GOV.UK’s keeping-warm guidance, updated 28 April 2026, says you should heat your home to a temperature that is comfortable for you. It then says: try to heat rooms you spend a lot of time in, such as the living room or bedroom, to at least 18°C. The page applies to England.

The Energy Saving Trust, in a guide dated 28 October 2026, says there isn’t one best temperature. Set the thermostat to the lowest comfortable temperature for your needs. For most people, that is between 18°C and 21°C. The Trust also says turning the thermostat up does not make the home heat any faster, and that you do not need to turn it up when it is colder outside: the house still aims for the temperature you set, but it can take longer.

The same Trust page says that if you can, turning the thermostat down from 22°C to 21°C can save £120 a year in Great Britain and £80 a year in Northern Ireland.

When you are away

British Gas, on its frozen-pipes page updated 23 October 2026, says to keep the thermostat set to at least 7°C — even if you are not at home — so it does not get cold enough indoors for the pipes to freeze. That 7°C line is about frost in the pipes, not about a comfortable living room.

The Independent, on 14 November 2026, reported that British Gas had advised households to drop the heating to no lower than 5 to 7°C when they are not at home, to limit damage without pushing bills up. That is a news report. British Gas’s own page, updated 23 October 2026, says at least 7°C. This guide does not pick a third number between those two.

At night

None of these sources publishes a separate night-time setpoint, so this page does not invent one.

The Energy Saving Trust says a programmer can turn the heating off when you are in bed. For a typical boiler system it suggests the heating turns on about half an hour before you get up and off about half an hour before you go to bed. It also says the right time depends on your circumstances, and that you should generally put the heating on when you start to feel cold. Check the clock on the programmer.

GOV.UK says keep bedroom windows closed at night, and to try to heat a bedroom to at least 18°C if it is a room you spend a lot of time in. That is the same “at least 18°C” line as for the living room, not a lower overnight figure.

Older people and higher-risk households

GOV.UK says low indoor temperatures can have a serious impact on your health, especially if you have medical conditions or are older. It says anyone can become unwell if they get too cold, and names people at higher risk. The list includes older people aged 65 and over, people with long-term conditions such as cardiovascular or respiratory disease or a mental health condition, pregnant women, young children (particularly those aged 5 and under), people with learning disabilities, people at risk of falls, people who live alone and may be unable to care for themselves, people who are housebound or have low mobility, and people living in deprived circumstances.

The temperature line on that page does not rise for those groups. It is still: try to heat rooms you spend a lot of time in to at least 18°C, and heat the home to a temperature that is comfortable for you. This page does not add a higher figure the sources do not give.

Programmer, thermostat and radiator valves

The Energy Saving Trust says that if you don’t already have them, installing a programmer, a thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) can save £100 a year in Great Britain and £110 a year in Northern Ireland. Adding TRVs to a system that already has a programmer and thermostat can save £30 a year in Great Britain and £40 in Northern Ireland. Those are the Trust’s figures, dated 28 October 2026, not a quote from a shop.

The Trust says TRVs usually run from 0 (off) to 6 (fully open), and that you should aim for the lowest setting that keeps the room comfortable. As examples, it says you might set 3 to 4 in rooms you use most and 2 to 3 in bedrooms and rooms you use less, and turn it up a little if the room is too cold. A room thermostat should not be blocked by curtains or furniture, or sat next to a radiator.

The Trust also separates the boiler flow temperature from the room thermostat. If the boiler has a separate hot-water cylinder, it says do not lower the boiler thermostat below 65°C, because lower temperatures can allow harmful bacteria to grow. That 65°C is the water leaving the boiler, not the temperature of the room.

Cold Weather Payment, 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027

GOV.UK says you get £25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027. A period counts when the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, 0°C or below over 7 consecutive days. If you are eligible, the payment is automatic. You do not apply. It does not affect your other benefits. You may get it if you get certain benefits or Support for Mortgage Interest. The eligibility rules are on the GOV.UK page.

Cold Weather Payments are not paid in Scotland. GOV.UK says you might get an annual Winter Heating Payment instead, and that you get that payment regardless of the weather. The postcode check on the GOV.UK page covers England and Wales. Cold Weather Payments are different from Winter Fuel Payments.