Is 15 degrees an OK indoor temperature?

[nappyaddict]

I have got tshirt, cardigan and hoody on plus socks and slipper boots. I feel fine temperature wise. We have a real thermometer in the room that tells you the exact temperature as opposed to one of those colour changing ones so I know it really is 15 degrees and not any colder. Sister came round earlier and said it was freezing and that we were neglecting our poor DS in that temperature. We haven't had the heating on yet and trying to hold out until December cos of a big bill earlier in the year. Does anyone else wait until December if they can?

we dont have ours on overnight and in the winter it can get down to about 14 degrees but we dont feel it because we are cosy in bed. I would not find 15 degrees comfortable during the day indoors

Well I have a cattery with computer controlled thermostatic heating set at 19 degrees
In our house on the other hand we have not put the heating on yet so outside of the kitchen ( aga) and in the evenings a fire in the sitting room, it's getting chilly, much colder than the cat pens, as I tell them every morning:)
But perfectly liveable, once we put the heating on we go through oil like its water! Usually last till December

For a polar bear

Or my DMIL, not for normal humans

It really depends what you're used to; my flat is 16 degrees at the moment and that's fine as far as I'm concerned.

I don't have children so am not qualified to comment there, but for most of Western European history children have grown up in homes that are as cold or colder than this. However, if you haven't had the heating on at all this year your house is more liable to get damp, and that is definitely unhealthy. Maybe worth putting the heating on for a couple of hours here and there...?

We are also trying to hold out until December. It's cold. Temp is 15 in the living room, and 14 in the kitchen and bathroom. I have a hot water bottle nearly all the time! Also have a 3 year old DS who doesn't appear to mind the cold. He's happy with just a jumper on top of his normal clothes. I, on the other hand, am wearing three layers on top and two on the bottom! I do put the heating on when we have visitors.

15 is too cold for me but you can get used to it.

Too cold for me.

Hope your ds is well wrapped up with lots of layers.

At my work the office is kept at 21 degrees as that is the best temperature for working comfortably without having to wear loads of extra clothes - that's based on proper research (so we were told). Either way, 15 is freezing for inside a home.

It would be too cold for me definitely unless I were moving around constantly. Sitting watching telly in that temperature would have me shivering unless I had a duvet over and a hot water bottle to hug. 18 degrees would be better, OP. Pref 21 for young, old or ill people.

If bills are an issue can you at least have some form of heating going in the living room (or main living space that you all use?)

Is your house newish and well insulated or old and draughty? I've noticed that a low temperature feels ok in my sister's 10 year old house, but not in my 1880s draughty house.

That's cold. I like the house to be about 23 if we are up and about. It would be ok if we were in bed.

Too cold. Our baby monitor used to bleep if it dropped below 16 or above 24 in DD's room.

Our house without heating is usually 16 deg at the minute :( With heating it's about 18-19 which is noticeably warmer and more comfortable but we just can't have it on constantly.

People are obsessed with what the thermometer says.

Pre-DCs we had no central heating and made do with a gas fire in one room. We upgraded to adding electric radiators in the bedrooms when DD1 came along.

When DD2 arrived, it didn't make financial sense to be running more electrical radiators so we took a deep breath and fitted central heating.

Now I'm a wuss because I've got used to it. I've slept in caravans where the condensation from our breath froze in little droplets on the ceiling in the night - I wouldn't be able to do that now.

Each to their own too, DH doesn't feel the cold.

BUT..... if you are having to sit wearing 3 layers of clothes, then unless your DC is equally well dressed and is able to be active, then perhaps you need to add some heat.

I would be freezing. Our heating is set to 16 at night and 20 in the day. I just can't imagine how cold it must feel at 15 :(

You can acclimatise to a cooler house.

We lived for years in a draughty difficult to heat house.

Since the moving we've had our house at 16 max. We have blankets for sitting watching TV but that is the only time it can feel chilly. My dd's are 4 and 7. I put layers and slippers on them and they continually strip them off, to me a good sign of being warm enough. They both feel too hot at school, I've had to stop sending them in their vests and they rarely wear their cardigans at school.
I don't heat the house overnight but have the heating servo warm it up again before we get up.

If you and your son are comfortable then ignore your sister. That said even I have had the heating on this year.

Too cold and under the recommended temperature. Not nice for guests to freeze when visiting people either.

Our house is often at 15. The other morning it was down at 13! We have a 5 and 3 year old. They don't seem to notice the cold and often take off clothes when I put them on them. They are pretty active though, running around a lot, never staying still. They complain if I have the back door open so I know they are capable of telling me if it's too cold!
My 5 year old has been wearing shorts outside for the last few days, again, his choice. Personally I got him out thermals and jeans to wear, he turned them down.
I do wear two pairs of socks as I find my feet get cold. In previous years, I have also noticed, that once the heating goes on, then I do notice a lot when it drops to 15 so I think it's down to what you're used to. At the moment I'm used to it being 15. Once I've had the heating on a bit (normally set to 18) I'll be used to it being 18 and 15 will seem like freezing.

I try to only have it at 16 degrees during the day time when there's only me in the house. Have put it up to 17 this evening but does seem particularly cold today. Have got a throw wrapped round me as well though.

Heating goes off at 10:30 - I can't stand being hot at night. When I stay in someone else's house I am often much too warm.

My draughty old house has been 12-14 degrees in the daytime this week. Freezing.
The heating only takes it up to around 17 degrees.
I want to move!

When DS was a tiny, we lived in a very cold victorian flat conversion. Having heating on for hours only made marginate difference. It was often colder than 15 degrees. He had lots of layers on and was absolutely fine.

That is a good point about guests. I do mine the courtesy of turning the heating up (in advance if possible so they don't feel bad) to 18 and checking they are warm enough.

miranda me too - my heating goes off when the children go to bed, and if I get chilly I'll wrap a blanket around me in the sofa. If it's REALLY cold I'll light a fire.

I couldn't sleep with the heating on, but do set the timer so it comes on before I get up. My mum leaves hers on overnight at about 21 degrees - I can't sleep there, it's stifling!

I am a hot person and always turning the heating down at work. But 15 degrees is cold! It sounds like you need to wear a lot of clothes to stay warm. I would turn on the heating, just a bit, to keep it to 16-17.