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An explanation for householders

A room thermostat simply switches the heating system on 

and off based on room temperature. It works by sensing 

the air temperature, switching on the heating when the air 

temperature falls below the thermostat setting and switching 

it off once this set temperature has been reached.

Turning a room thermostat to a higher setting will not make 

the room heat up any faster. How quickly the room heats up 

depends on the design of the heating system, for example, 

the size of the boiler and radiators. Neither does the setting 

affect how quickly the room cools down. Turning a room 

thermostat to a lower setting will result in the room being 

controlled at a lower temperature, and saves energy. The 

heating system will not work if a time switch or programmer 

has switched it off. The house insulation quality is a key factor 

in heating control.

The way to set and use your room thermostat is to find the 

lowest temperature setting that you are comfortable with, 

and then leave it alone to do its job. The best way to do this is 

to set the room thermostat to a low temperature – say 18° C

and then turn it up until you are comfortable with the 

temperature (20°C is the usual preferred set point). You won’t 

have to adjust the thermostat further. Any adjustment above 

this setting will waste energy and cost you more money.

If your heating system is a boiler with radiators, there will be 

only one room thermostat to control the whole hosue (but 

building regulations Part L require houses above a certain 

What is a Digital Room 

Thermostat?

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