Netatmo
Can this Starck-designed Wi-Fi thermostat beat the competition?
£130 Manufacturer Netatmo, netatmo.com
Connectivity Wi-Fi Display e-ink Compatible with gas, oil and wood boilers
Netatmo joins the growing band of learning thermostats from the likes of British Gas (with Hive), Honeywell and Googleowned Nest. All play nicely with iOS devices and enable you to remotely change your home temperature as well as set up heating programmes and tell it when you’re away or want frost protection on. You can also view graphs of your home temperature over time so that you can see when you should be trying to cut down on energy use – perhaps your home is unnecessarily warm during the day, for example.
As with similar devices, there are several parts to the Netatmo package – a relay that goes next to and attaches to your boiler (this can be boiler or mains powered) and a wall-mountable, batterypowered thermostat box that can be placed anywhere in your home that you choose.
Pairing via the iPhone app was no problem – it found the relay right away (via Bluetooth) and updated its firmware directly after that. It then automatically extracts your Wi-Fi details from your phone and joins the network.
Aside from the easy day-to-day usability, one of the main things in the Netatmo’s favour is the price, which compares favourably with the £199 (£159 for British Gas customers) price of Hive, although you do get installation included in that, and even more so when compared to the £249 Nest. Netatmo custom installers are available, but you’ll have to pay.
Installation alongside your boiler isn’t the easiest for the Netatmo, but you can systematically work through it (you might be wise to enlist some help if you’re not a DIYer). We’d advise you check compatibility with your boiler before buying, too. Dan Grabham
Providing you’re happy to fit the Netatmo yourself, this is a good value alternative to the other options out there.