What temperature your heating should be, 3 common mistakes to avoid, from Saga Magazine, received 2026 01 15

[Colin Howard]

Greetings,

My thermostat is in my kitchen, at about my head height, nothing around it,
has free flow of air. Seems to work reasonably well, the back door is
directly infront of it some ten feet away.

Are you making these heating mistakes? Experts explain how to make sure you
and your home are warm this winter.
By Benjie Goodhart | Published - 14 Jan 2026

Finding the correct temperature for your home can be a balancing act. You
need to take into account the (sometimes different) comfort levels of the
people who live there, but also other factors including cost, environmental
impact and, most importantly, health.

According to geriatrician Dr Duncan Gerry, prolonged exposure to
temperatures either too high or too low can have serious implications.

"It is very well documented, after either a cold or hot snap, disease and
death goes up. Too long a period exposed to hot or cold temperatures leads
to a greater risk of heart attack or stroke. Temperature extremes put stress
on the body, which affects our defences and other homeostatic functions."

What temperature should I set my heating at?

According to John Lawless, content manager at Best Heating, "the average
thermostat setting in the UK is 20.8°C (69.4°F)."

Although previous guidelines had recommended a minimum of 21°C in living
rooms, there wasn't necessarily clear evidence to support this. So most
health bodies, including the World Health Organization and the UK Health
Security Agency, now recommend a minimum temperature of 18°C for the general
population.

The World Health Organization adds: "A higher minimum indoor temperature
than 18°C may be necessary for vulnerable groups including older people,
children and those with chronic illnesses, particularly cardiorespiratory
disease."

It goes without saying, the higher your heating, the higher your bills.
According to Joanna O'Loan, Knowledge Manager at the Energy Saving Trust,
"If you're feeling warm enough, lowering your thermostat from 22°C to 21°C
can save you £90 annually."

Make your boiler work for you

The experts at Saga Insurance have got the the best advice for boiler
maintenance and safety checks, so you can avoid unexpected repair costs.

The best temperature for a good night's sleep

How much sleep we get and how well we sleep, can be influenced by the
temperature of our bedroom, which might mean turning your thermostat down at
night.

The Sleep Foundation says: "A higher core body temperature has been
associated with a decrease in restorative slow-wave sleep and subjective
sleep quality." They recommend a room temperature of around 18°C is optimum.

If your heating is set at 20°C, you could either turn down the radiators in
your bedroom a little, or turn down the thermostat when you go to bed. If it's
not too cold outside, you could even switch off your heating at night, but
be sure to programme it to come on an hour before you get up, to avoid
morning chills. It may take a little experimentation to find what works for
you and your home.

You can turn down the boiler to save money

Confusingly, there is another temperature gauge which could help you to save
the pennies without getting chilly. Many boilers are set at a temperature
10-20°C higher than they need to be.

Age UK advises, "a temperature of 60°C (140°F) is fine for most people, but
make sure it doesn't drop below this as it can cause bacteria to grow in the
tank." Running a boiler at 60°C should be ample for heating your home and
could result in savings of up to £100 a year.

Turning down the boiler's temperature doesn't just save on heating bills, it
prolongs your boiler's lifespan too.
Running your boiler at a high temperature, suggests heating company Baxi,
could start to stress out your boiler.

"An overworked boiler will likely have a reduced lifespan, decreased
efficiency and be more prone to breakdowns and repairs."

3 common heating mistakes to avoid

1. Having a misplaced thermostat

In order to ensure the heating inside your home remains at the required
temperature, it's important not just to set your thermostat, but to have it
in the right place.

"Room thermostats need a free flow of air to sense the temperature,"
cautions Joanna O'Loan.

"They should not be blocked by curtains or furniture, or placed in direct
sunlight or near heat sources which could give them false readings. It's
usually best to fit the thermostat in a room that is heated most of the
time, such as a living room, or in a central space like a hallway as this
gives a good indication of the temperature of the whole home."

2. Turning the thermostat up when it's cold outside

How many of us have said, in our time, "It's going to get cold tomorrow, I
might crank up the heating"?

Yet we don't need to, such an action fundamentally misinterprets what a
thermostat is for, as none other than money-saving guru Martin Lewis points
out: "A thermostat says: 'we will keep it at a set temperature'. Why are
you turning it up in winter? If you want it to be 20 degrees it will stay at
20 degrees which is the right temperature for you."

All you're doing is ensuring your home is warmer than it needs to be, and
your home won't heat any quicker with the thermostat dial turned up.

3. Keeping curtains closed

Another common mistake is keeping the curtains closed. While this is a
helpful insulator at night, by day the sun's rays help heat the home, so it
pays to keep them open. If they're closed at night, make sure they aren't
closed over the radiator itself, as this will limit your heating's
efficiency.

It makes sense to only heat the rooms in your home you're actually using.
But that means you need to keep the doors closed between the rooms you're
heating and the rooms you're not.

How to help your radiators work efficiently

Turning down the heating needn't necessarily leave you feeling colder. The
Energy Saving Trust has some excellent tips on maximising your heating's
efficiency, meaning you get more heat using less power.

Firstly, bleeding your radiators twice every year will help to maximise
their heat output by ensuring the hot water can circulate freely. You don't
need a plumber's qualifications to do this, it's really straightforward, as
the British Gas instructions on radiator-bleeding illustrate.

Secondly, to get the most out of your newly-bled radiators, make sure there's
no furniture directly in front of them, stopping the heat from radiating
into the room. Also, give them a clean, it might sound ridiculous, but a
clean radiator is more efficient.

If you want to maximise their effectiveness, you could install radiator
reflectors, which sit behind the radiator and stop heat from disappearing
into your walls, instead bouncing it back into your room.

And you can't beat a good draught excluder, which will stop cold air coming
in and heat escaping, through the gap at the bottom of your door. If you're
feeling creative, you could even make one yourself.

Should you leave the heating on while you're out?

While there's little point in heating the rooms you don't use, there's even
less point in heating your home while you're not there. Many people believe
it's cheaper to leave the heating on low while you're out, so you're
starting from a higher base temperature when the heating comes back on.

The Energy Saving Trust suggests otherwise: "Keeping your heating on all the
time will use more energy and cost you more money.

"It's more energy efficient and better for your bills, to have your boiler
come on when you need it."

The exception to this rule is if you use a heat pump, in which case it's
more efficient to leave it running at a low output.

If your routine is likely to vary from day to day, it might be worth
investing in smart heating controls, which allow you to control the heating
via your smartphone while you're out and about.

"This way, you can switch the heating off when you go out and programme it
to come on 30-60 minutes before you arrive home."

Written by: Benjie Goodhart

Benjie Goodhart divides his time between working as a freelance journalist
and in the TV industry. He has written regularly for The Guardian, GQ and
Saga Magazine and worked for Channel 4 in programme publicity. He lives in
Brighton with his wife, two children and three tellies. He loves the tellies
most of all.


Colin Howard, living in Southern England.