If you’re a fan of Peep Show (if not – get your act together!) you’ll know that the latest and last season was aired in 2015. In the opening episode, Jeremy exploits what he perceives to be a decisive issue between Mark and his new flatmate Jerry – the temperature of their flat. Hilariously, Jeremy manages to sow the seeds of doubt in Mark’s mind by stating that their compromise of 22°C (Mark is used to 21°C whilst Jerry prefers 23°C) means they are “both uncomfortable by 1°C.”
This seemingly innocuous observation eventually culminates in Jeremy ousting Jerry as Mark’s flatmate – as the natural order is restored once again. Given Mark’s obvious attachment to his favourite temperature, it made me wonder whether other Brits share his passion for a particular temperature within the home, and whether they agree on the sanctity of 21°C.
The average temperature of a British home
According to a study conducted by OVO Energy in 2012, the go-to thermostat setting for Brits is 20°C. But what accounts for its popularity? The World Health Organisation considers 18-21°C the most ‘comfortable temperature’ while anything below 16° is a respiratory risk and anything above 24°C is a cardiovascular risk, so it makes sense that so many Brits are naturally predisposed to such a temperature. There are significant spikes at 15°C, 20°C, 25°C and 30°C in an otherwise consistent bell curve, leading us to believe that we just like a round number, which certainly accounts for 20°C towering above the rest. As far as Mark’s yearning to be a “normal functioning member of the human race” goes, his preference for 21°C stands him in good stead.
How long and at which times does the average person heat their home for?
Committing to a specific temperature is only part of the puzzle where heating your home is concerned. The hours and cycles in which you choose to heat your home is almost, if not more important, than the temperature of the thermostat itself. Most frequently, the people of Britain heat their homes for an average of 8 hours a day. Despite this, there is a split when it comes to how best to use the hours. Whilst the minority (30%) use them all up in one go, the majority opt for two cycles, allowing them to slip out of bed and into a glowing heat, and return home from school and work to a toasty home. For this reason, the peak times for switched-on heating are between 6 and 9 in the morning, and 4 and 10 at night.
How to make the most of your central heating
We couldn’t help but check if there was any semblance of truth in Jeremy’s theory on central heating – that by giving the boiler something to aim for, it actually heats up quicker: “I don’t actually want it to be 29°C, but you’ve got to give it something to aim for. It’ll get hotter quicker.” As much as we’d like to verify Jeremy’s claim, we’re going to have to side with the more level-headed Mark on this one – “You set it, it achieves the correct temperature, it switches off.” Whatever temperature you task your thermostat with, it is going to work at the same constant speed. All you need to worry about is getting a quality central heating pump – it saves you having to think of ways to outsmart the boiler.