Heating expert identifies the optimal temperature for keeping your home warm

Breathing  cold air in can lead to chest infections, so it's important not to risk your health by keeping your home too cold. However, energy costs can be enormous, causing people to look for alternative ways to keep themselves warm.

People over 65 with existing health conditions are advised to keep bedroom temperatures above 18°C at night. But this is less important for younger, active people, Express.co.uk reports.

The general rule of thumb is to keep your home temperature at 18C, especially if you are more sensitive to cold. But if you're under 65 and active, you can lower this slightly if you're still comfortable.

Read also: How to get warm without heating and electricity: actionable lifehacks

Turning up the thermostat to heat up faster can cause the system to overheat the house, wasting energy and money.

Turning the heat on all the time isn't a good idea either. When you're not home, just lower the heating temperature and don't raise it too high when you are back.

If you turn the heat off completely when you leave the house, your home can become damp, moldy, and burst pipes. To prevent this issue , install a thermostat that will keep the heat off while you're away but protect your home.

We've put together some ways to keep you warm if your home doesn't have central heating.

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