A plethora of studies and proposals are being published by various organisations claiming that the ideal household temperature is 18 degrees Celsius. There is a proposal lying in desk drawers in Brussels that would maximise the internal temperature of buildings at 18 degrees.

An UK organisation called Energy Saving Trust says the ideal room temperature in winter is 18 °C. In an educational article, the organisation explains in detail how to use the thermostat to ensure that households can save as much energy as possible. The organisation says there is no point in turning up central heating just to warm up your home faster, you simply have to accept that it takes longer to heat up your rooms in winter.

Taking a shower is a critical issue when it comes to wasting energy, the organisation says, suggesting that people should keep their showering time to 4 minutes, as 5 minutes would be a waste of energy.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), an organisation promoting sustainable energy sources, recommends in an article that in houses, the temperature in hallways and bedrooms should be cooler, ideally between 15-18°C, and points out that water heating on immersion heaters should be set at a maximum of 65°C.

SEAI notes that electricity is at highest demand between 7 am and 9 am in the morning and between 5 pm and 7 pm at night, with electricity production peaking during these periods, because this is when people are at home. Consequently, people should try to use electric appliances outside these times, SEAI writes, adding that the oven is a big energy user, so it should be used sparingly.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) supports this new initiative to save energy and believes that 18 degrees is ideal and comfortable in homes, in the bedroom in particular. The French Environment and Energy Agency recommends an even lower temperature as ideal, saying that it is enough to heat bedrooms up to 17 degrees.

A blog looking at energy efficiency recommends that a feasible way to save energy is for people to run their heating for an hour less each day. Another tip suggests using smaller pots for cooking. „The smaller your pan, the less heat is wasted.”

Bureaucrats in Brussels have also recently come to believe that these temperatures are the most ideal for people, and have come up with plans accordingly. A source told V4NA that Brussels bureaucrats want to set the maximum internal temperature of buildings at 18 degrees Celsius. It is possible that Brussels is already preparing for the time when no more gas will arrive from Russia. The EU is still working to extend the sanctions against Russia to the energy sector.

An increasing number of politicians have remarked that everyone should save energy. According to German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, the best way to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin is to reduce people’s use of gas and electricity. European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans, who is leading the European Commission’s work on the European Green Deal, also called on people to decrease their gas usage as much as possible.

Irish Environment Minister Eamon Ryan has even instructed people to reduce their use of gas and electricity in the late afternoon and early evening – when people are at home during working days. Minister Ryan also proposed the practice of taking showers instead of bathing and keep it as short as possible. Back in March, he recommended that people should cut out one car journey a week to save fuel and drive at low speeds when using their cars.

‘Everyone knows that the speed of cars affects efficiency, and if you go above a certain speed the cost increases dramatically’. Minister @EamonRyan says, adding that the @SEAI_ie will be providing advice for consumers on reducing energy use in the home | https://t.co/W1UZZUgW2K pic.twitter.com/Bf6MXMHMCk

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) March 9, 2022

The government of Dutch PM Mark Rutte has also launched a campaign, calling on the people to turn down the heating and shower less frequently in order to decrease the Netherland’s dependency on fuel imports from Russia amidst the increasing energy prices. “Put on a warm jacket or jumper, socks, and slippers. If you are staying at home, perhaps the thermostat can be turned down one degree,” Rutte’s government advised the people.

Meanwhile, Italy decided not to wait for Brussels bureaucrats to publish their proposals. Air conditioning in Italy’s schools and other public buildings must not be set below 25 degrees Celsius from May. Ironically, PM Mario Draghi described air conditioning as an example of what Italians might have to sacrifice in exchange for peace in Ukraine. In addition, Italy’s public buildings should not be heated up to higher than 19 degrees in winter.