4 ms·

They may be saving energy, but 17.2°C average temperature indoors is freezing.

by sgt 5y ago

cameronh90 5y ago
Average UK indoor temperature is about 17.5c-18c apparently so hardly freezing. A bit chillier than I like in my office. Personally in winter I heat my house to 14c as a minimum, 20c in the living room and office. Reason being I only need warmth if I'm sat down and not moving, so any higher and I start to get too hot.
- iso1631 5y ago
  For the last 20 years "helpful" people have been saying "reduce your thermostat by 1 degree to save on your energy bills" My temperature is now approaching absolute zero.
  - sgt 5y ago
    You must be living in interstellar space.
jb1991 5y ago
No it’s not. That’s a very normal temperature for our bedroom in the winter time. It probably depends where you’re from, in colder climates people are used to it.
- sgt 5y ago
  Yeah but this was the entire flat, right? A cold bedroom is nice, but not trying to type on a keyboard in 17C.
  - balfirevic 5y ago
    Some people seem to like cold bedrooms, but it's far from universal. I try to keep mine around 27C in the winter (at the bed level, as measured by a small digital thermometer), and I still have to cover myself with a blanket (although a relatively thin one). Now I'm wondering how the comfort varies with the temperature of the walls (due to infrared radiation), which are obviously much colder in the winter than in the summer.
- pw6hv 5y ago
  Actually my experience is the opposite. In colder climates such as Russia, Finland I have seen room temperatures to be quite mild, above 20C for sure. However, in Italy in winter it is quite cold inside. Needless to say that thermal insulation is awful in IT.
  - sgt 5y ago
    Agreed, not sure what jb1991 refers to as colder climates. Countries with colder climates normally have decent indoor temperatures during winter. In Norway for example, you would be considered crazy to have anything less than 21-22C indoors.
    - koide 5y ago
      Where's your source? I bet there's people who keep it at 22 others at 25 and yet others at 16 in Norway.
      - nemetroid 5y ago
        Not Norway, but if you’re renting in Sweden, your landlord is required to provide an indoor temperature of 20 C. https://lawline.se/answers/hur-kallt-far-det-vara-i-hyreslagenhet https://lawline.se/answers/hur-kallt-far-det-vara-i-hyreslag...
  - cameronh90 5y ago
    Could it be that the outdoors being so cold increases radiation losses so you need a higher air temperature to compensate? Personally I find if it's especially cold outside, I need to put the thermostat up to compensate.
    - jve 5y ago
      Ofcourse, it chills faster if you don't apply heating when its cold outside. However that doesn't dictate inside temperature. Well, maybe if you heat with firewood - you will get high/low temperature rises/drops. But people just like 20+ inside. 22-23C for me is comfort. Currently 24C at office - higher is out of comfort, but happens. Someone like lower temperatures. Someone wants to save some money and keeps temperature lower than comfort. And yeah, warmer climate results in colder inside temperature, because houses are not very well insulated and may not have advanced heating systems. But that's just experience from few data points I know of (and some HN comments confirms that).
- nemetroid 5y ago
  > in colder climates people are used to it It's the other way around. Indoor temperature varying with the outdoor temperature is one of those weird things you experience when going abroad from your colder climate, at least in Europe.
- avgcorrection 5y ago
  That could be the temperature of my bedroom. Which I only sleep in. I also bring a warm water bottle to bed every night. I don’t know if I live in a cold climate but people will start to complain if the temperature goes below 21C indoors.
- balfirevic 5y ago
  I only found out that you don't have to be freezing your ass of for the entire winter (and a big part of fall and spring) when I went to a university and moved from my coastal home town to the colder continental city. It's cold enough there that they can't pretend that "it's not cold" with a straight face.
blunte 5y ago
I work in temps as low as 5 C and as high as 34 C in this old Dutch house attic. It's not at all pleasant, but there's no upgrading this rented place. It's not worth it for the owner as they will never recover their costs by increased rent. So I wear 3-4 layers, including fingerless gloves and a hat. It looks ridiculous, but nobody sees me. And in summer, well... I don't wear much or anything. I at least put on a shirt for video calls :P. Frankly, it sucks; and this is my last year here before I go nomad full-time.
- eitland 5y ago
  I feel you. Back in 2012 to 2015 I worked most of the time I think in the radio lab at the company I worked for at the time. Temperature was often above 30 degrees in the summer. I didn't think much of it back then, went into office, started working and forgot everything but after a while I realized I was drinking 1.5l water during the work day without needing to visit the restroom and I would be exhausted when I came home. It was noisy and warm but almost no interruptions and still very nice compared to insulating an attic in in the summer (I've done that too so I know.) (This winter I tried working from the garage in December but at below 0C it gets impractical even with really warm clothing.)
  - lobocinza 5y ago
    > Temperature was often above 30 degrees in the summer. I didn't think much of it back then, went into office, started working and forgot everything but after a while I realized I was drinking 1.5l water during the work day without needing to visit the restroom and I would be exhausted when I came home. These conditions are improper for extended work hours and intellectual work. I don't know how it is on your country but generally there are regulations regarding that. For offices the ideal climate is ~25 degree C, 40-60% humidity and <1m/s wind.
    - eitland 5y ago
      > These conditions are improper for extended work hours and intellectual work. Have my upvote, I agree. But let me share why I sat there if you want (warning, somewhat violent towards the end): I wasn't supposed to be there but the alternative was working in an open floor plan office where everyone from project engineers to service managers had access, and that was purpose-built to be cool so that it could be shown to customers. > I don't know how it is on your country but generally there are regulations regarding that. Norway is good at this but sadly we don't have effective regulations against managers who come into the room "joking" about impaling some people from another culture on our coat rack :-/ In my case I found it better to stay in the radio lab instead of risking that conversation or another one like that going in the background while I was one the phone with an important customers.
dorte 5y ago
I sit all day in front of the computer in something like that. Just use 60 s to put on two sweaters and woolen underwear and you will save money/the world. It's really weird to heat the whole house just to heat yourself.
- avh02 5y ago
  While I agree in the theoretical principle, I don't feel warm when everything I touch is cold... Floor, kitchen counters, desk, toilet, bed, it just never truly feels warm
Proven 5y ago
Kosirich 5y ago
The thing is 17.2 C is ok with good insulation and really cold with bad one. (so is 20 C for that matter)
- balfirevic 5y ago
  In this context, do you mean 17.2C on the thermostat or as measured room air temperature?
  - Kosirich 5y ago
    Preferably the measured room air temperature.

They may be saving energy, but 17.2°C average temperature indoors is freezing.

by sgt 5y ago

They may be saving energy, but 17.2°C average temperature indoors is freezing.

Average UK indoor temperature is about 17.5c-18c apparently so hardly freezing. A bit chillier than I like in my office. Personally in winter I heat my house to 14c as a minimum, 20c in the living room and office. Reason being I only need warmth if I'm sat down and not moving, so any higher and I start to get too hot.

iso1631 5y ago
For the last 20 years "helpful" people have been saying "reduce your thermostat by 1 degree to save on your energy bills" My temperature is now approaching absolute zero.
- sgt 5y ago
  You must be living in interstellar space.

jb1991 5y ago

No it’s not. That’s a very normal temperature for our bedroom in the winter time. It probably depends where you’re from, in colder climates people are used to it.

sgt 5y ago
Yeah but this was the entire flat, right? A cold bedroom is nice, but not trying to type on a keyboard in 17C.
- balfirevic 5y ago
  Some people seem to like cold bedrooms, but it's far from universal. I try to keep mine around 27C in the winter (at the bed level, as measured by a small digital thermometer), and I still have to cover myself with a blanket (although a relatively thin one). Now I'm wondering how the comfort varies with the temperature of the walls (due to infrared radiation), which are obviously much colder in the winter than in the summer.
pw6hv 5y ago
Actually my experience is the opposite. In colder climates such as Russia, Finland I have seen room temperatures to be quite mild, above 20C for sure. However, in Italy in winter it is quite cold inside. Needless to say that thermal insulation is awful in IT.
- sgt 5y ago
  Agreed, not sure what jb1991 refers to as colder climates. Countries with colder climates normally have decent indoor temperatures during winter. In Norway for example, you would be considered crazy to have anything less than 21-22C indoors.
  - koide 5y ago
    Where's your source? I bet there's people who keep it at 22 others at 25 and yet others at 16 in Norway.
    - nemetroid 5y ago
      Not Norway, but if you’re renting in Sweden, your landlord is required to provide an indoor temperature of 20 C. https://lawline.se/answers/hur-kallt-far-det-vara-i-hyreslagenhet https://lawline.se/answers/hur-kallt-far-det-vara-i-hyreslag...
- cameronh90 5y ago
  Could it be that the outdoors being so cold increases radiation losses so you need a higher air temperature to compensate? Personally I find if it's especially cold outside, I need to put the thermostat up to compensate.
  - jve 5y ago
    Ofcourse, it chills faster if you don't apply heating when its cold outside. However that doesn't dictate inside temperature. Well, maybe if you heat with firewood - you will get high/low temperature rises/drops. But people just like 20+ inside. 22-23C for me is comfort. Currently 24C at office - higher is out of comfort, but happens. Someone like lower temperatures. Someone wants to save some money and keeps temperature lower than comfort. And yeah, warmer climate results in colder inside temperature, because houses are not very well insulated and may not have advanced heating systems. But that's just experience from few data points I know of (and some HN comments confirms that).
nemetroid 5y ago
> in colder climates people are used to it It's the other way around. Indoor temperature varying with the outdoor temperature is one of those weird things you experience when going abroad from your colder climate, at least in Europe.
avgcorrection 5y ago
That could be the temperature of my bedroom. Which I only sleep in. I also bring a warm water bottle to bed every night. I don’t know if I live in a cold climate but people will start to complain if the temperature goes below 21C indoors.
balfirevic 5y ago
I only found out that you don't have to be freezing your ass of for the entire winter (and a big part of fall and spring) when I went to a university and moved from my coastal home town to the colder continental city. It's cold enough there that they can't pretend that "it's not cold" with a straight face.

blunte 5y ago

I work in temps as low as 5 C and as high as 34 C in this old Dutch house attic. It's not at all pleasant, but there's no upgrading this rented place. It's not worth it for the owner as they will never recover their costs by increased rent. So I wear 3-4 layers, including fingerless gloves and a hat. It looks ridiculous, but nobody sees me. And in summer, well... I don't wear much or anything. I at least put on a shirt for video calls :P. Frankly, it sucks; and this is my last year here before I go nomad full-time.

eitland 5y ago
I feel you. Back in 2012 to 2015 I worked most of the time I think in the radio lab at the company I worked for at the time. Temperature was often above 30 degrees in the summer. I didn't think much of it back then, went into office, started working and forgot everything but after a while I realized I was drinking 1.5l water during the work day without needing to visit the restroom and I would be exhausted when I came home. It was noisy and warm but almost no interruptions and still very nice compared to insulating an attic in in the summer (I've done that too so I know.) (This winter I tried working from the garage in December but at below 0C it gets impractical even with really warm clothing.)
- lobocinza 5y ago
  > Temperature was often above 30 degrees in the summer. I didn't think much of it back then, went into office, started working and forgot everything but after a while I realized I was drinking 1.5l water during the work day without needing to visit the restroom and I would be exhausted when I came home. These conditions are improper for extended work hours and intellectual work. I don't know how it is on your country but generally there are regulations regarding that. For offices the ideal climate is ~25 degree C, 40-60% humidity and <1m/s wind.
  - eitland 5y ago
    > These conditions are improper for extended work hours and intellectual work. Have my upvote, I agree. But let me share why I sat there if you want (warning, somewhat violent towards the end): I wasn't supposed to be there but the alternative was working in an open floor plan office where everyone from project engineers to service managers had access, and that was purpose-built to be cool so that it could be shown to customers. > I don't know how it is on your country but generally there are regulations regarding that. Norway is good at this but sadly we don't have effective regulations against managers who come into the room "joking" about impaling some people from another culture on our coat rack :-/ In my case I found it better to stay in the radio lab instead of risking that conversation or another one like that going in the background while I was one the phone with an important customers.

dorte 5y ago

I sit all day in front of the computer in something like that. Just use 60 s to put on two sweaters and woolen underwear and you will save money/the world. It's really weird to heat the whole house just to heat yourself.

avh02 5y ago
While I agree in the theoretical principle, I don't feel warm when everything I touch is cold... Floor, kitchen counters, desk, toilet, bed, it just never truly feels warm

Proven 5y ago

Kosirich 5y ago

The thing is 17.2 C is ok with good insulation and really cold with bad one. (so is 20 C for that matter)

balfirevic 5y ago
In this context, do you mean 17.2C on the thermostat or as measured room air temperature?
- Kosirich 5y ago
  Preferably the measured room air temperature.