Which software will help me control my heating?

QI’m looking for thermostat software that lets me program a heating schedule months in advance, to suit shift work. The likes of Nest and Hive only let you set them seven days in advance. I’ve thought about using a service like IFTTT, but I’m not sure how to connect it to a thermostat. David Tinto

ASmart thermostats, like familiar programmable thermostats, let you set a schedule seven days in advance. But their clever built-in software frees you from the need to set a schedule at all, and makes them ideal for unpredictable work schedules.

To use this software you’ll need to get a device, and that will cost you from around £200 (plus installation). You won’t need a new boiler, though - smart thermostats work with your existing heating system. Their own web and mobile apps let you check and change your home’s temperature from anywhere via Wi-fi.

You were right to think of IFTTT, the free online tool for creating automatic links between services. Several smart thermostats integrate with IFTTT. Nest (from £179, www.snipca.com/22533) and Honeywell’s Evohome Connected Thermostat (from £204, www.snipca.com/22483) both come with pre-set IFTTT ‘recipes’ such as ‘Every day at [enter time] turn the hot water on’ ( https://ifttt.com/ honeywell_evohome) and ‘When you exit a specific area set your Nest Thermostat to [your choice] degrees’ ( https://ifttt. com/nest_thermostat). To create a shift schedule, start with one of these recipes and edit it until it suits you. Nest also has its own free Windows 10 app for controlling your heating from your PC or laptop ( www.snipca.com/22486).