What temperature should I set my air conditioning?

Short answer

For living spaces, 22 to 24°C balances comfort and running cost; every degree lower adds noticeably to consumption. For sleeping, 18 to 20°C suits most people, with sleep mode drifting the room gently warmer overnight. The classic mistake is setting 16°C to cool faster: it does not cool any faster, it just overshoots.

An air conditioner cools at the same maximum rate whatever number you choose; the setpoint is where it stops, not how hard it tries. Setting 16°C in a 30°C room delivers the same cooling per minute as setting 23°C, then keeps going past comfortable into cold and expensive. Choose the temperature you actually want and let the inverter do the pacing.

The comfort research and our customers agree on the ranges: 22 to 24°C for occupied living rooms in summer clothes, 18 to 20°C for sleep, where the body wants a cooler room than daytime intuition suggests. Humidity moderates everything: dry 25°C often feels better than muggy 23, which is why dry mode earns its place in London's clammy spells.

The gap between inside and outside matters more than the absolute number. On a 35°C day, a room at 24°C feels transformative, and chasing 19 instead trades meaningful money for marginal comfort while making the doorstep transition harsher. In sustained extreme heat, aiming 8 to 10 degrees below outside is the sweet spot.

In winter, heating mode inverts the logic: 20 to 21°C for living spaces, less for bedrooms, and the same principle holds. Set the temperature you want, not a number intended to hurry the machine.

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