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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →No. Spain’s widely reported 81°F air-conditioning rule was a temporary measure adopted in 2022, and its temperature limits expired on 1 November 2023. The legal threshold was 27°C (about 80.6°F, often rounded to 81°F) and applied to specified conditioned premises—not every public place. The standing RITE framework cited here sets a 26°C cooling minimum for covered premises, subject to qualifications.
What Spain’s 81°F rule actually required
Spain’s Royal Decree-Law 14/2022, published and brought into force on 2 August 2022, temporarily set the minimum cooling temperature at 27°C in specified conditioned premises. That is about 80.6°F; 81°F is a rounded conversion, not the temperature written into the law. The same measure capped heating at 19°C. The government presented the measures as energy-saving steps amid energy-supply concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. [Royal Decree-Law 14/2022; Council of Ministers summary, 1 August 2022]
At the announcement, then minister Teresa Ribera said, “We cannot afford to lose a single kilowatt-hour.” That statement describes the government’s rationale; it is not evidence of a measured energy-saving result.
When the temporary limits ended—and what applies now
The decree expressly set an end date of 1 November 2023 for its temperature limits. The government’s contemporaneous announcement gave the same end date. The temporary 27°C cooling minimum and 19°C heating maximum therefore should not be described as Spain’s current blanket rule. [Royal Decree-Law 14/2022; MITECO announcement]
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The consolidated text of Spain’s standing RITE framework lists a minimum cooling temperature of 26°C and a maximum heating temperature of 21°C for covered conditioned premises. These are distinct from the temporary 2022 settings. [RITE, Real Decreto 1027/2007]
| Rule | Temporary 2022 measure | Standing RITE framework |
|---|---|---|
| Cooling | Minimum 27°C (about 80.6°F) | Minimum 26°C |
| Heating | Maximum 19°C | Maximum 21°C |
| Status | Temperature limits ended 1 November 2023 | Baseline shown in the cited consolidated text |
| Coverage | Specified conditioned premises identified by RITE | Uses listed by RITE, including administrative, commercial, cultural, entertainment, restaurant and passenger-transport premises |
Which premises were covered?
The measure referred to conditioned spaces within categories specified by RITE; it did not say that every place open to the public had to maintain the same temperature. The listed uses include:
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- Administrative buildings.
- Shops, supermarkets, department stores and shopping centres.
- Cultural venues such as theatres, cinemas, auditoriums, congress centres and exhibition halls.
- Public entertainment and recreation venues.
- Bars, restaurants and cafeterias.
- Passenger transport stations and airports.
The relevant legal scope is the defined use and conditioned-premises framework, not simply whether the public can enter a building. [RITE, Real Decreto 1027/2007]
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Exceptions and workplace requirements
The 2022 decree allowed an exception where a space justified special environmental conditions or was subject to specific regulations requiring different conditions. Such a space had to be physically separated from neighboring spaces subject to the temporary limits. The decree also required the temperature limits to be adjusted as necessary to comply with workplace safety rules. [Royal Decree-Law 14/2022]
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Spain’s workplace regulation sets a 17–27°C range for sedentary office-like work and 14–25°C for light work in enclosed workplaces, while requiring that environmental conditions not put workers’ safety or health at risk. Those workplace requirements are relevant context; they do not turn the expired 27°C public-premises measure into a current universal rule. [Real Decreto 486/1997]
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- Smart AC with Voice Control: This smart air conditioner allows Wi-Fi connectivity and can be controlled using our mobile app available on iOS and Google Play stores, and voice controlled by Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant
- Follow Me Remote: Our portable AC unit comes with a full function remote control that features a FOLLOW ME function, which allows the remote to act as a thermostat for precise temperature control
- Installation Kit: When it comes to fans that blow cold air, this indoor ac unit includes an easy-to-install window kit. A large, vented airflow outlet ushers in cool air
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