In the bedroom, ADEME recommends 17 °C at night
On its page dedicated to actions for more economical heating, ADEME recommends 17 °C in the bedroom when it is unoccupied and during the night. It is therefore unnecessary to apply the same rule as in a living space that is occupied. For the living room or the home office, the agency suggests 19 °C when you are in the room, then 16 to 17 °C in their absence.
The usage pattern also matters in a bedroom that serves other activities. For a child’s bedroom used during the day, ADEME therefore indicates 19 °C, compared with 17 °C at night. These temperatures provide reference points for modulating heating throughout the day. The message is not to keep all rooms at the same temperature, but to heat according to needs.
Up to 15 % savings thanks to a programmable thermostat
The figure catches the eye, but it deserves clarification. In its guide A Winter of Comfort, ADEME mentions up to 15 % energy savings thanks to the programmable ambient thermostat. This gain concerns the management of heating: it does not mean that simply setting your bedroom to 17 °C will automatically reduce the bill by 15 %.
The value of the device lies in varying the setpoint according to the time of day and the week. You can plan a reduced temperature during the night or when you are away, then return to a comfortable temperature at useful times. The result depends notably on your departure habits and your home. Therefore, do not present these 15 % as a guaranteed economy, nor as a bonus that would automatically add to gains already achieved by lowering heating.
The right reflex: program the heating according to your daily life
For a system equipped with a thermostat, France Rénov’ advises defining time blocks that match your habits and anticipating the return to a comfortable temperature. A nighttime drop should not be considered useless on the pretext that the heating restarts in the morning: the public service indeed recommends reducing the setpoint at night and during absences to save energy.
This logic also applies to other rooms. In the bathroom, ADEME recommends 22 °C during use, then 16 to 17 °C the rest of the time. Therefore, it is unnecessary to keep it at its comfort temperature all night. In the bedroom, as elsewhere, the objective is to find the right hours and the right setpoints, rather than letting the heating run at the same level continuously.
