diff --git a/esphome/components/climate/__init__.py b/esphome/components/climate/__init__.py
index 7c9002d6dc3..a55c5b0f5a5 100644
--- a/esphome/components/climate/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/climate/__init__.py
@@ -526,10 +526,11 @@ async def climate_control_to_code(config, action_id, template_arg, args):
         else:
             body_lines.append(f"call.{setter}({cg.safe_exp(value)});")
 
-    # Match ControlAction::ApplyFn signature: const Ts &... for trigger args.
+    # Match ControlAction::ApplyFn signature: trigger args forwarded
+    # by-value as Ts...
     apply_args = [
         (ClimateCall.operator("ref"), "call"),
-        *((t.operator("const").operator("ref"), n) for t, n in args),
+        *args,
     ]
     apply_lambda = LambdaExpression(
         ["\n".join(body_lines)],
diff --git a/esphome/components/climate/automation.h b/esphome/components/climate/automation.h
index 71d23fd6b6d..c5562069269 100644
--- a/esphome/components/climate/automation.h
+++ b/esphome/components/climate/automation.h
@@ -10,9 +10,12 @@ namespace esphome::climate {
 // plus one parent pointer, regardless of how many fields the user set.
 // Trigger args are forwarded to the apply function so user lambdas
 // (e.g. `target_temperature: !lambda "return x;"`) keep working.
+//
+// Ts... must be forwarded by-value: `const T &` is ill-formed when T is
+// already a reference type (some triggers pass `std::string &`).
 template<typename... Ts> class ControlAction : public Action<Ts...> {
  public:
-  using ApplyFn = void (*)(ClimateCall &, const Ts &...);
+  using ApplyFn = void (*)(ClimateCall &, Ts...);
   ControlAction(Climate *climate, ApplyFn apply) : climate_(climate), apply_(apply) {}
 
   void play(const Ts &...x) override {
diff --git a/tests/components/climate/common.yaml b/tests/components/climate/common.yaml
index 2d35438afd2..c28fde8eeb4 100644
--- a/tests/components/climate/common.yaml
+++ b/tests/components/climate/common.yaml
@@ -85,3 +85,18 @@ button:
       - climate.control:
           id: climate_test_thermostat
           mode: "OFF"
+
+# Exercise climate.control inside a trigger with non-empty Ts (number on_value
+# passes float).
+number:
+  - platform: template
+    id: climate_target_temp_number
+    optimistic: true
+    min_value: 16
+    max_value: 28
+    step: 0.5
+    on_value:
+      then:
+        - climate.control:
+            id: climate_test_thermostat
+            target_temperature_high: !lambda "return x;"