Chilly or Cheap? The Surprising Reason Europeans Keep Their Homes Cooler Than Americans Would Ever Tolerate

And What It Reveals About Comfort, Culture, and the Politics of Warmth

Visit a European home in winter, and you’ll notice something curious.
You may be offered a blanket. You may see people wearing sweaters indoors. You may feel a slight chill in the hallway. And you will almost certainly ask yourself the same question:

Why is it so cold in here?

Or rather—why do they think this is normal?

In much of Europe, indoor temperatures are noticeably lower than what most Americans would consider comfortable. While many U.S. households set the thermostat to a consistent 70–72°F (21–22°C) or higher, European homes often hover around 18–20°C (64–68°F)—and sometimes even less.

To an American guest, it can feel frugal at best, and uncomfortable at worst. But to a European, it’s just how you live.

This isn’t about poor insulation or lack of resources. It’s about culture, comfort, and very different beliefs about what indoor life should feel like.

Here’s why Europeans keep their homes at a temperature Americans would find unbearable—and what it says about how each side of the Atlantic defines comfort, cost, and even character.

Want More Deep Dives into Other Cultures?
– Why Europeans Walk Everywhere (And Americans Should Too)
– How Europeans Actually Afford Living in Cities Without Six-Figure Salaries
– 9 ‘Luxury’ Items in America That Europeans Consider Basic Necessities

Quick Easy Tips

Pack warm layers—even indoors. Don’t rely on indoor heating; bring sweaters, socks, and slippers.

Understand the thermostat is sacred. Don’t adjust it without asking your host.

Get used to radiators. Many homes heat differently than U.S. forced air systems—slower and more localized.

Expect cooler bathrooms and hallways. Europeans often heat rooms selectively.

Invest in a hot water bottle. A cozy, eco-friendly way to stay warm in bed—loved across Europe.

To many Europeans, the American obsession with climate control feels excessive and wasteful. Heating an entire house to near-summer temperatures during the coldest months isn’t just a financial burden—it’s an environmental one. In countries where energy costs are much higher (and awareness of sustainability is stronger), keeping homes cooler is seen as common sense, not deprivation.

Yet for Americans, this often feels like a sacrifice of basic comfort. Many U.S. visitors interpret cold interiors as a lack of hospitality or frugality. In reality, it’s neither. Europeans are simply used to adapting to seasonal changes—wearing slippers inside, using blankets during the day, and not expecting every room to feel the same. It’s a fundamentally different relationship with energy and comfort.

What makes this topic particularly divisive is that both sides believe they’re doing the sensible thing. Americans equate warmth with care and cleanliness, while Europeans view restraint as responsible and mature. The disconnect reveals broader differences in values—consumerism versus conservation, convenience versus resilience, and comfort versus cost-awareness.

1. Warmth Is Layered, Not Engineered

In the U.S., indoor temperature is often treated as a baseline amenity—like water pressure or internet speed. You don’t think about it unless it’s broken.

But in Europe, warmth is considered something you build with clothing, materials, and daily habits—not just something you dial in.

You’ll often see:

• Wool socks on hardwood floors
• Throw blankets on every sofa
• Slippers by every door
• Sweaters worn casually indoors
• Hot tea offered before anyone adjusts a radiator

Comfort is layered, not centralized. And there’s no cultural shame in bundling up inside—it’s seen as sensible, even cozy.

2. Energy Is Expensive—And Always Has Been

One of the most practical reasons for this temperature difference is cost.
Europeans pay far more for residential energy than Americans do, often two to three times as much for electricity or natural gas.

But more importantly, they always have.

Long before recent energy crises, heating costs were treated as a serious budget category—something to monitor and reduce. Many families grew up with rules like:

• “Only heat the room you’re in.”
• “Never leave the radiator on when you leave the house.”
• “Put on another layer before touching the thermostat.”

Americans, by contrast, have long enjoyed cheaper energy and larger homes—and thus, higher expectations for climate control.

In the U.S., temperature is about preference.
In Europe, it’s about efficiency.

3. Houses Are Designed to Hold Heat Differently

European homes, especially older ones, are built with stone, brick, or concrete—not drywall and timber. These materials don’t fluctuate as quickly with external temperatures.

But they also don’t warm up fast.
Which means heating the entire home evenly is less efficient—and less expected.

Many homes are equipped with radiators, not forced-air systems, and it’s common to heat only the rooms that are in use. Bedrooms may be left cool on purpose. Hallways and bathrooms might never be fully heated.

To an American, this feels incomplete. To a European, it’s normal—and practical.

4. Cold Is Not Seen as the Enemy

In much of Europe, especially in Northern and Central regions, being slightly cold is not considered a problem. It’s considered part of winter.

There’s less fear of discomfort. Less obsession with optimization. And far less cultural pressure to keep every room at the same cozy temperature.

A cold nose in the morning? Normal.
Chilly fingers before your tea? Seasonal.
Wearing a scarf indoors? Sensible.

Whereas in the U.S., indoor chill is often treated as a sign of dysfunction—something that must be fixed, fast.

In Europe, the body adjusts. The tea warms. The blanket helps. There’s no panic.

5. Comfort Isn’t Measured in Degrees—It’s Measured in Atmosphere

The European idea of comfort includes:

• Low lighting
• Thick curtains
• Candles
• Wool textiles
• Slippers
• A sense of enclosure

It’s less about achieving a perfect room temperature and more about creating warmth with materials and rituals.

In Scandinavian countries, this is almost an art form: hygge in Denmark, mys in Sweden. But the logic runs across the continent.

You feel warm because your environment feels intentional—not because the thermostat says 72°F.

In the U.S., the heater runs. The lights are bright. The walls may be thin, but the HVAC is strong.
In Europe, coziness is created, not installed.

6. Thermostat Wars Don’t Happen Because There’s No Thermostat

Many American households are familiar with the silent (or not-so-silent) battle over thermostat settings.

In Europe, the fight rarely happens—because there’s often no central thermostat at all.

Instead, each room has its own radiator valve. Individuals control the heat where they are, and no one expects the kitchen to feel the same as the bedroom.

This decentralization means people take personal responsibility for their warmth:

• You shut the door.
• You warm just your space.
• You adapt your clothing to your room—not the other way around.

It’s a quiet kind of autonomy. And it means fewer battles—and fewer surprises on the energy bill.

7. Heat Is Treated as a Shared Resource

Especially in apartment buildings and older city blocks, heating may be shared across units—or even regulated by municipal systems.

This means your personal preferences don’t always dictate your environment. You can’t just blast the heat at will. And even when you control it, there’s often a social expectation to use it responsibly.

Leaving a window open while the radiator is on is considered wasteful, even rude. Running the heat in an empty room is irresponsible.

In American homes, heating is private and often unexamined. In Europe, it’s a community norm, whether the system is shared or not.

8. The Body Is Expected to Adapt

This is perhaps the biggest philosophical difference.

In the U.S., the house must adjust to your body.
In Europe, your body adjusts to the house.

Children grow up learning to:

• Wear layers indoors
• Warm their hands before writing
• Use hot water bottles in bed
• Embrace seasonal changes in comfort

There’s no cultural shame in saying, “It’s cold inside.” There’s also no immediate rush to “fix it.”

The cold is not a failure. It’s a condition—to be managed with behavior, not just machines.

9. Climate Consciousness Is Ingrained, Not Trendy

European environmentalism runs deep—often tied to long histories of scarcity, high energy costs, and smaller living spaces.

Keeping the house at 64°F in winter isn’t a new green initiative. It’s what people have always done. Turning down the heat isn’t a challenge. It’s standard.

Even before the energy crisis following the war in Ukraine, countries like Germany and the Netherlands ran national campaigns urging people to lower their thermostats by a few degrees—not out of crisis, but out of long-term climate habit.

In the U.S., similar campaigns tend to come and go with politics or fuel prices. In Europe, they’re part of civic life.

One Temperature, Two Interpretations

To an American, a chilly house may feel like deprivation.
To a European, it feels like a reasonable, responsible balance.

One culture uses central heat to create ease.
The other uses daily choices to create comfort.

One culture believes warmth should be consistent.
The other believes fluctuation is natural—and even healthy.

This is not just about climate or architecture. It’s about how each society teaches its people to relate to their environment—and to each other.

In one home, you turn up the heat.
In the other, you put on the sweater—and pass the tea.