The following sections provide information on heating schedules and setpoints for occupants guidance on thermal comfort levels. It also details the operation of the Prefect heating control system which is used in some halls of residence.
Please note that in all circumstances, if your room is already up to temperature the heating will not come on. Additional heat will only be delivered if the room is colder than the set point.
Space heating is only on during the heating season. The heating season starts after 1 October and ends during April. The exact heating start and end dates will vary depending upon the prevailing weather.
Employees with a medical condition, illness or other impairment that are experiencing continuous difficulty with their thermal comfort, despite best efforts to keep warm, should contact their line manager in the first instance for advice. Students in Halls of Residence should contact their Hall Manager.
Unauthorised portable heaters should not be brought into the University as these can pose a significant health and safety risk.
All of Oxford Brookes buildings have hot water enabled 24/7.
Academic and office spaces on campus
The typical heating schedule and associated set points for Gipsy Lane, Headington Hill and Marston Road are as follows:
Academic and office spaces (without 24/7 access)
Indoor temperature set point of 19oC between the hours of 08:00 to 19:00 Mon to Fri to account for core teaching hours. Outside of occupied hours, if the average internal space temperature falls below 10°C our heating systems will provide heat until all the internal space temperatures are above 12°C (for fabric/frost protection).
Academic and office spaces (with 24/7 access)
Indoor temperature set point of 19oC 24/7 for all buildings other than Clerici where heating delivery is reduced to 16degC for the hours of 17:00 to 21:00 on weekdays and also 0700 - 1800 on weekends.
If there is a special event, or activity, which requires a temporary extension of the heating schedule this can be requested by raising an ECS work order and providing details of the duration of the event.
Academic and office spaces on campus (with heat extension facility)
From December 2024 onwards the following buildings will have a push button, or touchscreen display, at a main entrance which allows you to enable heating out of core hours for two hours. This facility will only work during the heating season. By installing these facilities, the University will save on energy consumption, cut carbon emissions, and reduce unnecessary heating of empty buildings, leading to significant cost savings.
Headington
Drama Studio: Push button located to the rear of the studio by the fire doors. Core hours are 8.00am to 5.00pm on Tuesdays, 8.00am to 1.00pm on Wednesdays, 8.00am to 6.00pm on Thursdays and 8.00am to 1.00pm on Fridays.
Enterprise Centre: Push button located to left of entrance. Core hours of heating are 7.00am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday.
John Payne: Touchscreen located at the bottom of the staircase. Core hours of heating are 6.00am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday.
Lloyd: Push button located near lift on ground floor. Core hours of heating are 7.30am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday.
Richard Hamilton: Touchscreen located on the wall to the left of the main entrance. Core hours of heating are 7.00am to 7.00pm, Monday to Friday.
Clive Booth Student Village
During the heating season, 19oC is delivered between the hours of 07:00 and 23:00 7 days a week.
The Postgraduate lounge is heated between 8am till 6pm, every day. A push button is located to the right by the reception desk to request 2 hours of additional heating outside of these hours.
Tips for managing comfort
- How you control heating is very similar to a typical domestic house - you control the amount of heat to be delivered by adjusting the thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) on your radiator. This useful guidance from the energy saving trust provides an overview of their use.
- If you have lots of electrical equipment in your room (laptop/PC), have recently used a hair dryer or had a hot shower, or have been present in the room for some time often the heat gains from these activities and your presence is enough to bring the indoor temperature over 19degC. In these cases the radiator will not give out heat, even if the TRV is set to maximum, because the room is already at temperature.
- Please actively manage heat by adjusting the TRV, for example setting the TRV at maximum before you go to bed will ensure that the maximum amount of heat is delivered at 7am the next morning (subject to indoor temperature).
Crescent and Warneford
The wall mounted Prefect heating controller is used to operate the electric panel heater in your room. By selecting one of the settings below you can better manage your thermal comfort:
Idle - If you select this option the electric heater in your room will only come on during very cold weather conditions. It is recommended that you choose this option if you are leaving your room for an extended duration (e.g. away for the weekend) to save energy, or if you prefer your room cooler.
Eco - If you are comfortable enough to do so, the Eco option will reduce the delivered temperature by one degree centigrade which could reduce the amount of energy you use by upto 10%, helping to reduce global warming. The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests 18 degrees as the ideal bedroom temperature for healthy people.
Standard - selecting this option will deliver 19 degrees centigrade which is the normal profile for bedrooms.
Heating is delivered between 7am and 11pm 7-days a week, and if the temperature in your room falls beneath the heating controllers setting then heat will be provided. Please note that heat will not be delivered if the room is already at the temperature you have selected.
The Prefect heating system is monitoring remotely in real time, so any faults or problems should be picked up automatically. If there are any issues please contact your hall office in the first instance and they will be able to advise you of the current temperature in your room.
Harcourt Hill accommodation (Westminster Halls and Scott House)
19oC is provided between the hours of 07:00 and 23:00 7 days a week during the heating season.
Occupants in Scott House can adjust the level of heating by using the radiator thermostatic valve provided in each room. This useful guidance from the energy saving trust provides an overview of their use.
- If you have lots of electrical equipment in your room (laptop/PC), have recently used a hair dryer or had a hot shower, or have been present in the room for some time often the heat gains from these activities and your presence is enough to bring the indoor temperature over 19degC. In these cases the radiator will not give out heat, even if the TRV is set to maximum, because the room is already at temperature.
- Please actively manage heat by adjusting the TRV, for example setting the TRV at maximum before you go to bed will ensure that the maximum amount of heat is delivered at 7am the next morning (subject to indoor temperature).
Occupants in Westminster Halls heating is controlled via presence detection and will only come on if the room is colder than 19oC and if presence is detected.
Paul Kent and Harcourt Hill N-Block
Paul Kent and Harcourt Hill N-Block use radiators to provide heat and the heat output is controlled by a wall mounted Prefect heating controller. By selecting one of the settings below you can better manage your thermal comfort:
Idle - If you select this option the radiator in your room will only come on during very cold weather conditions. It is recommended that you choose this option if you are leaving your room for an extended duration (e.g. away for the weekend) to save energy, or if you prefer your room cooler.
Eco - If you are comfortable enough to do so, the Eco option will reduce the delivered temperature by one degree centigrade which could reduce the amount of energy you use by upto 10%, helping to reduce global warming. The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests 18 degrees as the ideal bedroom temperature for healthy people.
Standard - selecting this option will deliver 19 degrees centigrade which is the normal profile for bedrooms.
Heating is delivered between 7am and 11pm 7-days a week, and if the temperature in your room falls beneath the heating controllers setting then heat will be provided. Please note that heat will not be delivered if the room is already at the temperature you have selected.
The Prefect heating system is monitoring remotely in real time, so any faults or problems should be picked up automatically. If there are any issues please contact your hall office in the first instance and they will be able to advise you of the current temperature in your room.
Do not attempt to adjust temperature on radiators using the radiator valve. It is fixed and cannot be adjusted. This valve can only be controlled remotely using the room heating controller.
Twisting the radiator valve is likely to cause damage.
Outside of the heating season the boilers are typically turned off, so heat will not be delivered even if you request higher temperatures via the local controller.
Sports Facilities
With the exception of gym spaces which have mechanical cooling and temperature control, 19oC is typically delivered between 05:00 to 22:00 7 days per week.
Swindon
During the heating season:
19oC is delivered between 07:00 to 21:00 Monday to Friday, and between 08:00 to 13:30 on Saturday.
Something not working?
Get assistance by raising an ECS work order
Most of the heating systems at Oxford Brookes now compensate for external weather conditions. When it is warm outside (>16degC) heating may not turn on because indoor temperatures are likely to be sufficient in these conditions. Heating also turns off when the space is up to temperature.
This is not a fault, but if you are concerned that this behaviour is not occurring, or that temperatures in your space are under the delivery standards set out on this page, then a member of the Halls Team or Estates & Campus Services can visit your space to verify with a temperature logger (please raise a ticket).