The ‘best’ temperature to stick to at home explained by a professional
A price comparison specialist has settled the debate about what the ‘best’ temperature is to set your thermostat to at home to stay warm while saving money. If you’re worried about the cost of putting the heating on this winter, the professional says you don’t need to choose between being warm and saving money — but you do need to stop guessing with the thermostat.
With cold weather still lingering into February 2026, many UK households are searching for “cheap heating hacks” online. But some specialists claim much of the advice floating around is either misleading or too vague to be useful.Under Ofgem’s Energy Price Cap for January 1, to March 31, 2026, a typical dual-fuel household paying by Direct Debit is benchmarked at £1,758 a year. The capped average unit rates are around 27.69p per kWh for electricity, and 5.93p per kWh for gas, with daily standing charges added on top, which means the cost of “just sticking the heating on a bit longer” can creep up fast over a week.“February is exactly when people start turning the dial up because they’re fed up of feeling cold,” says Shay Ramani, home energy specialist at Free Price Compare and CEO and founder of Orbus Broadband. “But pushing the thermostat higher than you need is one of the quickest ways to spend more without actually feeling much better.”
‘Best’ temperature to set your heating
According to Shay, the best all-round, cost-effective setting for most homes in winter is 20°C when you’re at home and awake. He said: “Set your heating to 20°C when you’re in and active. It’s warm enough for most households, but it stops your system running for longer than necessary.
“If 20°C feels a bit chilly, it’s usually cheaper to add a layer — a jumper, thick socks, or a blanket — than to crank the heating up to 22°C or 23°C and leave it there.” He recommends treating 20°C as your ‘comfort setting’ and then adjusting in small steps depending on the time of day and what you’re doing, rather than blasting heat across the whole house.
“Think of your thermostat like a speed limiter,” Shay added. “If you set it too high, you’re telling the heating to keep working until it reaches that temperature — and that’s where the cost builds up.”
What has Martin Lewis and his MSE team said?
In general, the optimal temperature to set your main central heating thermostat to in winter is between 18°C and 21°C. If you lower your thermostat by just 1°C, you could save up to 10% on your heating bill, which is about £65 to £100 a year in the UK, the Energy Saving Trust says.
According to advice from Martin Lewis and the Money Saving Expert (MSE) team, the perfect thermostat setting for keeping warm while saving money is usually between 18°C and 21°C. Martin Lewis suggests that reducing your thermostat by just 1°C (for example, from 21°C to 20°C) can significantly reduce your heating bill.
What to do at night or when you’re ou
Rather than switching the heating off completely, Shay suggests dropping to a background temperature of around 18°C when you’re asleep or out of the house. He said: “If you switch the heating off entirely, your home can get really cold — and then you’re paying for a big reheat later.
“Keeping a steady background temperature can feel more comfortable and can be more cost-effective in many homes, especially if they cool down quickly.” There’s also a wellbeing reason for this approach. NHS advice says that, if you can, you should heat rooms you use regularly to at least 18°C, particularly for older people or those with health conditions.
Why ‘one more degree’ is where money disappears
Shay says the most common winter mistake is cranking the thermostat up because “it doesn’t feel warm fast enough”. But even small changes can make a big difference across weeks of winter.
The Energy Saving Trust estimates that turning your main thermostat down by 1°C could save around 10% on your energy bill. “That’s why we say 20°C,” Shay explained. “If you’re sitting at 22°C all evening, it doesn’t just feel slightly warmer — it can mean your heating runs longer, more often, and your bill reflects it.”
The simple ro
Shay recommends building a basic ‘winter routine”’ around your thermostat and timing:
- Morning warm-up: bring the home up to 20°C for the hours you’re getting ready and using the space
- Daytime control: if the house is empty, drop to 18°C rather than heating unused rooms
- Evening comfort: return to 20°C when you’re home and active
- Overnight: lower to 18°C so you’re not paying for full comfort heat while you’re under a duvet
He also suggests using thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) if you have them: “Your spare room doesn’t need to be as warm as the living room. Turning down radiators in rooms you’re not using can reduce wasted heat without making the whole house feel cold.”
Extra tips that stop heat from being wasted
Finally, Shay says the cheapest heat is the heat you don’t lose — and small fixes can help your home hold onto warmth for longer. “Draughts around doors, gaps by windows, and even loft hatches can let warm air escape,” he said. “If your home loses heat quickly, you’ll always feel like the heating ‘doesn’t work’ — when really, the warmth is just leaking out.”
His last piece of advice is to keep your system working efficiently. He said: “Make sure your boiler is serviced regularly, bleed radiators if they’re cold at the top, and use timers so you’re not heating the house when nobody’s there. It’s not about freezing — it’s about being precise.”
And the headline number to remember, he says, is simple: 20°C when you need it, 18°C when you don’t — especially during the coldest stretch of the year.
