What is the Normal House Temperature for Babies, Pets, and Everyone Else in the Home?

By AlfredCamera

October 12, 2023

A recent study found that we’re bona fide homebodies compared to before the pandemic. With more time spent at home, keeping the house safe and comfortable is perhaps more important than ever.

What is the optimal temperature for the home, and how can you keep it that way? Let’s find out.

Table of Contents

What is the Average Room Temperature?

The average room temperature is between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. The normal house temperature in Celsius is 20 and 22 degrees.

Ideal room temperature reflects the degree of comfort people feel indoors. An ‘optimal temperature’ means occupants aren’t sweating or shivering wearing normal daily attire.

What is an Ideal Temperature for a House?

The ideal temperature for a house varies from house to house, room to room, based on who occupies it.

Families with young children might consider installing a thermostat in their nurseries to better regulate the ambient temperature, while pet owners might consider the comfort needs of their furry friends as well.

In this section, we’ll look at the different room temperature requirements for babies, pets, and the different seasons.

Ideal Room Temperature for Babies

Environment	Recommended Temperature
Nursery temperature in general	18°C or 64.4°F
Baby rooms during summertime	Around 21°C or 69.8°F
Rooms with young infants under six months old	At least 15°C or 59°F

Nursery thermostats should be set between 18 and 22 degrees Celsius, equivalent to 64.4 and 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

Although babies have dense fatty tissue to insulate them against the cold, their ability to regulate body temperature is still immature.

Hence, parents must ensure a comfortable room temperature for babies to promote healthy growth and development during sleep.

Welcoming a newcomer to the house? Any parent would agree that it’s… a lot. Fret not! Here’s all your first time parent concerns covered.

Turns out our app is also perfectly adept at giving parents the helping hand they need.

Ideal Room Temperature for Pets

Particular Breeds	Recommended Temperature
Short-haired dogs	25.5°C ~ 26.8°C 78°F ~ 80°F
Most dogs in the winter	20°C ~ 22.2°C 68°F ~ 72°F
Cats	21°C ~ 31°C 70°F ~ 88°F

The ideal room temperature for pets is generally the same as for humans—between 68 and 72 Fahrenheit or 20 and 22 Celsius.

Different breeds have different tolerance levels, and cats deal with heat better than dogs, hence their fondness for sunbathing.

Veterinarians recommend keeping the temperature between 75 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit or 23.8 and 25.5 degrees Celsius on hot days. Short-haired dogs must stay in a room with a temperature of 78 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (25.5 to 26.8 degrees Celsius).

Man’s best friend is also man’s neediest. Pet cams help you keep an eye on your furry friends and make looking after them easier.

As it turns out, AlfredCamera is a fabulous free pet cam. Download it to an old phone and you’ve got pet surveillance down pat. Find out how to use AlfredCamera to monitor lonely pooches and to keep them company when you’re away.

Ideal Room Temperature during Summer

The ideal room temperature during summer is no greater than 78 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the US Department of Energy

This might be too warm for some. Hence, other cooling measures are recommended to make the house more comfortable.

Ceiling fans push cool air down, while shutting shades, curtains, or blinds lowers ambient room temperature during summertime.

Weatherstripping windows and doors creates a cooling effect in the summer, as does limiting the use of heat-generating devices and appliances.

Ideal Room Temperature during Winter

The ideal room temperature in winter is 68 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius).

If that’s difficult to achieve, aim for a minimum indoor temperature of 64.4 degrees Fahrenheit, as suggested by the World Health Organization.

However, some households like to have their thermostat setting for winter between 73 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit (23 and 25 degrees Celsius) because 68 degrees Fahrenheit can still make for a rather chilly room.

Home Design Features That Influence Room Temperature

Temperature imbalances occur in poorly designed homes. Unsurprisingly, architects spend a lot of time and effort planning essential elements for a modern house.

In this section, we will examine the most important factors that impact ambient room temperature.

Ventilation is crucial because it contributes to efficient cooling in the hot summer.
Weatherstripping prevents unwanted heat loss in the winter.
Windows impact ambient room temperature, as does building geometry because of the shading effect.
Vaulted and high ceilings deliver a cooling effect in the summer, but are taxing on your home’s heating system in the winter.
Leaky or incorrectly sized HVAC (heating, ventilation, air condition) ducts or pipes also influence room temperature negatively.
Poorly insulated rooms have a negative influence on room temperature and heating bills. Insulating materials must be thick enough to retain cool air in the summer and retain heat in the winter.
Home orientation relative to the sun affects room temperature. Expect room temperature variations as the sun moves throughout the day.

Do Smart Thermostats Save Money?

Smart thermostats save you about 8% on your cooling and heating bills, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. But the cost of your bills depends primarily on home design features, like insulation and double-glazing.

The US Department of Energy recommends smart thermostats to ensure more effective residential cooling and heating systems management. Although it is great to have cost-saving measures, a smart thermostat’s most significant advantage is convenience, since you can automate home temperature from your phone.

Credit: Consumer Buddy

Should I turn off my thermostat when I’m away?

Generally speaking, do not turn off your thermostat when you are away, because mold and mildew may develop in a naturally cold and damp home. Instead, adjust the temperature so it is lower than usual. In summer, the US Department of Energy recommends turning off the thermostat when you are away.

Smart thermostats automatically adjust the home temperature when nobody is home to save energy.

FAQ

What temperature is too hot for a house?

Any temperature higher than 25.56 degrees Celsius or 78 degrees Fahrenheit is too hot for a house. Of course, people living in naturally hotter climates deal with elevated temperatures well. Near the equator, room temperatures as high as 88 degrees Fahrenheit, or 31 degrees, are not unusual.

Is 72 a good temperature for heat in the winter?

Though 72 degrees in a house isn’t ‘hot’, it is an optimum temperature for winter.

Why does my house feel cold at 70?

A house can feel cold at 70 degrees if it is inefficient. In other words, heat generated isn’t retained and is instead wasted. Adding insulation and improving other home design features helps prevent wasting energy (and reduces your bills in the long run).

What is the best temperature for heaters in winter?

The US Department of Energy recognizes 68 degrees as the best temperature for heaters in winter.The government agency adds that homeowners should start with 72 degrees Fahrenheit or 22 degrees Celsius and gradually adjust the thermostat to more comfortable levels during the daytime. It is okay to dial down the nighttime room temperature to 66 degrees Fahrenheit or 19 degrees Celsius.

What is considered room temperature?

Any indoor temperature between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit is ‘room temperature’, but some regions have indoor temperatures as warm as 88 degrees Fahrenheit that are considered ‘normal.’

What is a good temperature to set your thermostat in the summer?

78 degrees Fahrenheit is a good temperature to set your thermostat during the summer (equivalent to 25.5 degrees Celsius).

Conclusion

Although the normal house temperature is between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit, or 20 and 22.22 degrees Celsius, household members likely have different room temperature requirements.

Your home’s overall design, including insulation and orientation, greatly influence ambient room temperature.

Installing smart thermostats is a logical solution for convenient management, but structural fixes and alterations have a bigger impact on how warm or cold the home is.