What does it take for couples to get all hot and steamy? Heat apparently

As usual for this time of the year, last week saw a rise in the Diary’s
temperature with the arrival of all those Valentine’s Day cards (thank
you). If only npower was on hand with a thermometer to determine which
card stimulated that magic number – no…

As usual for this time of the year, last week saw a rise in the Diary’s temperature with the arrival of all those Valentine’s Day cards (thank you). If only npower was on hand with a thermometer to determine which card stimulated that magic number – no not 69 – 73.

According to research carried out by the energy provider, the perfect temperature for a perfect relationship is 73°F. The study was the first of its kind to try to determine the optimum temperature to keep both men and women happy.

As a result, the Diary has been persistently playing with the thermostat to achieve some of the key temperatures identified by npower. The ideal temperature for couples to co-exist at is 21°C (20.7°C/69.4°F); 23°C (73°F) is the prime position for couples wanting to get frisky, while turning the dial down to 18°C leaves passion cold.

However, the reaction in the office to all this thermostat action proved another finding of the study correct. Over half of the couples surveyed blamed the thermostat as the number one cause of arguments, with men preferring to keep it cool – getting more hostile as the temperature heats up – and women wanting to pump up the heat, being frostiest at 18°C and friendliest at 23°C.