When temperatures start to drop, not every room in the home needs to be heated in the same way. Living rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms each have their own requirements depending on the time of day and how they're used.
L'ADEME recommends adjusting your heating to suit these different uses. What temperatures should you aim for in each room? How should you set your radiators at night or when you're away? Here are the main guidelines for adjusting your heating throughout the heating season without wasting energy.
What is the ideal temperature for each room in the home?
Here are the temperatures to aim for depending on how each room is used:
| Room | Recommended temperature | When? |
|---|---|---|
| Living room and dining room | 19°C | While occupied |
| Home office | 19°C | While in use |
| Adult's bedroom | 17°C | At night and when unoccupied |
| Child's bedroom | 19 °C / 17 °C | During the day / at night |
| Bathroom | 22 °C | While getting ready |
| Bathroom | 16 to 17 °C | The rest of the time |
| Kitchen | Around 19 °C | When occupied |
These temperatures are guidelines to adjust according to your home's insulation, the activity in each room and the occupants' needs. For the kitchen, 19 °C is the general recommendation for an occupied living space.
What temperature should a living room or dining room be?
In the living room and dining room, 19 °C is generally enough when you're home. This setting keeps you comfortable without overheating the rooms.
If you're away for an extended period, remember to turn down the thermostat rather than maintaining this temperature all day.
What temperature should a bedroom be for a good night's sleep?
For a good night's sleep, 17 °C is generally recommended in an adult's bedroom. A slightly cooler room helps you sleep.
In a child's bedroom, you can aim for 19 °C during the day when it's occupied and 17 °C at night. Adjust these temperatures to suit the child's age and needs.
What temperature should a bathroom be?
In the bathroom, you only need heat at certain times. Setting the temperature to 22 °C while you're getting ready helps prevent feeling cold when you get out of the shower. The rest of the time, 16 to 17 °C may be enough.
A programmable electric towel radiator lets you schedule heating periods according to your household's routines, without keeping the room at a high temperature all day.
What temperature should you set your heating to at night or when you're away?
At night or when you leave home, you can turn down the thermostat. There's no need to heat rooms as if they were occupied: a lower temperature is generally enough to maintain a comfortable level when you return.
| Situation | Recommended temperature |
|---|---|
| At home in living areas | 19°C |
| At night in bedrooms | 17°C |
| Away for a few hours | 16 to 18°C |
| Away for several days | Around 12°C |
Scheduling your radiators helps you plan for these changes: the temperature drops while you’re away, then rises before you return. This means you avoid heating unnecessarily while still coming home to a comfortable house.
To better plan for the heating season, also see our guide When should you turn on the heating?
Why should you avoid overheating your home?
Heating your home more doesn’t necessarily mean feeling warmer. Each additional degree increases energy consumption. According to ADEME, lowering the thermostat setting by 1°C saves an average of 7% on heating-related energy consumption.
So lowering the temperature from 20 to 19°C is a simple everyday step you can take to reduce your energy consumption.
However, two homes heated to 19°C can feel very different. L'insulation, humidity and drafts also play a role:
- L'insulation: cold walls or inefficient windows can make a room feel colder.
- L'humidity: a home that is too humid can feel less comfortable and encourage condensation.
- Drafts: cold air entering your home can make a room feel less warm.
- Heat distribution: a radiator blocked by furniture or curtains may distribute heat less effectively.
Before turning up the thermostat, it’s best to check these points. For more information, see our guide to electric radiator energy consumption and the factors that affect heating costs.
How can you maintain a comfortable temperature while saving energy?
In addition to adjusting the thermostat, a few simple steps can also help reduce costs:
- Schedule your radiators: adjust heating times to suit your routine and lower the temperature when you’re away or at night.
- Choose the right power rating: allow around 100 W/m² in a well-insulated home and 125 W/m² in a less well-insulated home. These figures are indicative and should be adjusted according to the room’s volume and heat loss. See our tips on calculating the required radiator output per m².
- Keep radiators clear: avoid placing furniture or objects in front of the units so they can distribute heat effectively.
- Close the shutters in the evening: this helps limit heat loss through the windows.
- Air out your home every day: open the windows for a few minutes to refresh the indoor air, and temporarily turn down the heating while airing out the room.
- Monitor the temperature: an indoor thermometer lets you check that the actual temperature matches your preferred setting.
Choosing the right radiator can also make these settings easier. Depending on the model, connected electric radiators let you schedule heating times and control the units remotely. Some also have a replaceable thermostat: if it breaks, the control unit can be replaced without having to replace the entire radiator. Browse our selection of radiators with replaceable thermostats.
Electric thermal inertia radiators have a heating core that stores heat and releases it gradually, even after the heating element has switched off.
What is the maximum permitted temperature in a home?
In France, Article R.241-26 of the Energy Code sets the upper average heating temperature limit for all the rooms in a home at 19 °C.
This rule concerns the average temperature throughout the home, not an individual limit that applies to every room. You can therefore temporarily heat a bathroom to 22 °C while using it, while keeping the bedrooms at a lower temperature.
FAQ: Heating temperature: your questions, our answers.
Is 19 °C warm enough at home?
Yes, 19 °C may be enough in a properly insulated home. If you still feel cold at this setting, check for drafts, damp, and poor insulation in the walls and windows.
Should you turn off the radiators at night?
No, it’s generally better to turn down the thermostat. This helps limit energy use without letting the home get excessively cold.
What temperature should you set when going on vacation?
For an absence lasting several days, a temperature of around 12 °C is commonly used as a guide to keep the home frost-free while limiting heating. However, the setting should take insulation and the risks of frost or damp into account.
Updated on 12/11/2026
