Keeping children and older people safe from cold and heat at home

Terms used

• Teleasistencia — Teleasistencia is a municipal or state-backed alarm service that lets someone living alone call for help at the press of a button.
• Bono social eléctrico — The bono social eléctrico is a discount on electricity bills for eligible vulnerable consumers.
• Bono social térmico — The bono social térmico is a yearly payment toward heating and cooling costs for eligible vulnerable consumers.
• Refugios climáticos — Refugios climáticos are climate shelters: cool public buildings open to people escaping extreme heat.

Key rules

• No legal limit: No law sets a minimum or maximum temperature for your home, so health guidance is your guide.
• Danger level: Indoor temperatures above about 32 °C are particularly risky for older people, babies and people with chronic illness.
• Emergency: Call 112 for signs of heat stroke.
• Local help: Shelters, telecare and electricity bonuses vary by town, so ask your town hall.

What to aim for

No law sets a minimum or maximum indoor temperature in a private home or rental. The landlord only has to provide a habitable home. So you set the targets yourself, using health guidance.

Winter

• Living room: 18–21 °C.
• Babies and older people: at least 20 °C where they spend the day.
• Bedrooms: 16–20 °C.
• Baby's room: 18–22 °C.

Summer

• Aim for 24–26 °C indoors.
• Older people and children should not spend long in rooms above the 32 °C danger level.

Heatwave care at home

Heat is the bigger risk in much of Spain. Babies, older people, pregnant women and people with chronic illness need extra attention.

• Close blinds and windows by day. Ventilate at night.
• Stay in the coolest room, and use a fan if you have one.
• Offer water often, even if nobody says they are thirsty.
• Avoid strenuous activity in the hot hours.
• If the home is too hot, spend a few hours somewhere air-conditioned.
• For signs of heat stroke, call 112.

The national heat plan runs roughly from 1 June to 30 September. It issues alerts by zone in four colours: green (no risk), yellow (low), orange (medium) and red (high). Check your zone's colour on the weather agency's forecast.

Local support

Help varies by town and region, so ask your town hall's social services what exists near you.

• Climate shelters (refugios climáticos): libraries, civic centres, pensioners' clubs and other air-conditioned public buildings. Many town halls publish a map.
• Teleasistencia: a alarm-button service for people living alone. Social services also run home help and phone calls or visits to isolated older people. Cruz Roja runs heat-related calling programmes.
• Bono social eléctrico and bono social térmico: electricity discounts and a yearly payment for eligible vulnerable households. Supply cannot be cut off for severely vulnerable consumers. Eligibility depends on your situation, so ask your electricity company or social services.

Stairs and mould

Cold, damp rooms invite mould, so keep vulnerable people out of them. Ventilate briefly every day and heat the rooms they use. If the only cool room is up or down stairs, plan that room around the person's mobility rather than leaving them in a hot one.

The warnings and FAQ below cover the common mistakes and quick answers.

What to watch out for

• Hot rooms are dangerous for vulnerable people: Indoor temperatures above about 32 °C are particularly risky for older people, babies and people with chronic illness. Heat stroke can follow. Move to the coolest room, drink water often and spend a few hours somewhere air-conditioned.

• Opening windows in the hot hours: Letting hot daytime air in makes the home hotter and harder to cool. Close blinds and windows by day and ventilate at night.

• Strenuous activity in the hottest hours: Exercise or heavy chores in the hot hours raise the risk of heat illness, especially for children and older people. Move activity to cooler hours and keep drinks within reach.

• A cold home in winter: Babies and older people need a warmer home than most adults. A living room below about 20 °C can harm them. Aim for at least about 20 °C in the living room and about 16-20 °C in the bedroom.

Frequently asked questions

What temperature should a baby's room be?

A baby's room is generally advised to stay at about 18-22 °C. For babies and older people, the living room should be at least about 20 °C in winter, with the bedroom at about 16-20 °C. These are health guidelines, not a legal duty for private homes.

Where can an older person go if the home gets too hot?

Many town halls and regions open climate shelters (refugios climáticos), such as libraries, civic centres and pensioners' clubs, and publish maps of them. Spending a few hours in an air-conditioned place is the standard advice when your home is hot. Ask your town hall which ones are near you.

What public help exists for older people living alone in a heatwave?

Municipal social services run telecare (teleasistencia), home help (SAD) and calls or visits to isolated older people. Eligible vulnerable consumers can also get the bono social eléctrico, an electricity discount, and a yearly bono social térmico payment.

What do the heat alert colours mean?

The alert colours are green for no risk, yellow for low, orange for medium and red for high risk, set by zone from weather-agency forecasts. They run each year from about 1 June to 30 September. Take extra care for older people, infants, pregnant women and people with chronic illness once your zone goes yellow.