I bought a Nest Thermostat and Philips Hue lights. Are there benefits to syncing them?

Nick Odantzis replies: Keeping Nest and Philips Hue apart is like sitting Elton John and Tim Rice at the same piano but not allowing them to write together. Or something. The point is, yes there are benefits to making these gadgets talk to one another. As you’ll know from the product blurb, Philips Hue smart LED lights can be fully automated, enabling you to create a bespoke lighting routine. When teamed with the Nest Thermostat, Hue lighting can lower your electricity bills.

How? Nest is a learning thermostat, right? So when it recognises you’re away but the lights are still blazing, it’ll switch off the Hue lights for you, saving you electricity. When you’re on holiday, Nest and Hue can team up to switch the lights on and off at random times, making it seem like you’re home. You can also make it so that when Nest detects you’re coming home and starts heating up, your Hue lights come on in certain rooms.

As for the benefits of Nest Protect working with Philips Hue lights, when Protect senses carbon monoxide or smoke it will tell the lights to blink red, warning you that the air is dangerous. A potentially life-saving benefit.