- One in three couples admit they regularly row over temperature in the house
- This is down to difference in the speed of men and women’s metabolism
- Study shows men set thermostat too low, leading to four in ten women stealthily turning it up behind their partner’s back
As the cold weather draws in, one consolation is the chance to spend cosy nights snuggled up on the sofa with a loved one.
But all too often this can lead to a row over the heating – with a third of couples arguing over the ideal home temperature, research has found.
The study suggests men are setting the thermostat too low, leading to four in ten women stealthily turning it up behind their partner’s back.
As the cold weather draws in, one consolation is the chance to spend cosy nights snuggled up on the sofa with a loved one (stock image)
The gender heating split is leading to one in three couples admitting they regularly row over the temperature in the household ‘battle for the thermostat’.
The difficulties emerge because the difference in the speed of men and women’s metabolism mean that men like to be in a colder environment than women.
The average house has the heating set to 20C, according to research for Corgi HomePlan, which is 4.5C cooler than the optimum temperature suggested for women sitting at a laptop in tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt.
It mirrors research from 2015 that revealed women were also too cold at work as office air conditioning systems were set up for male metabolisms.
The gender heating split is leading to one in three couples admitting they regularly row over the temperature in the household ‘battle for the thermostat’ (stock image)
They are designed around the comfort of an 11stone, 40-year-old man, who on average has a metabolism which is 20 to 30 per cent faster than women.
This leads many women to don cardigans, scarves and even coats indoors.
Couples even fall out over the right time to switch the heating on.
The research also revealed that 37 per cent of British households leave the heating on between four and six hours a day – compared to 5 per cent who leave it on constantly. And while only one in 25 Londoners use the heating in August, this rises to one in four in Scotland.
Peter Southcott, chief executive of Corgi HomePlan, said: ‘It’s a delicate domestic negotiation setting the perfect temperature and any changes planned should be carried out with a “degree” of caution.’