Smart-tech heating

Modern thermostats save you money, energy and give you complete control

Think of your old thermostat like a TV without a remote control and you’ll soon appreciate how much of an improvement the latest thermostats are. Instead of having on/off or temperature up/down switches, they allow you to manage every aspect of your home’s temperature from anywhere you like in the world, all through a simple smartphone app.

Smart heating systems have really come into their own in recent years, with a wealth of solutions available to let you control your heating using your tablet, smartphone, or desktop. And with more and more energy companies cottoning on to smart technology, there’s a wealth of options for you to choose from.

Lots to learn

Smart thermostats can tell whether you’re at home or not. They can turn off automatically when you leave the house, while some can activate when they receive a message automatically sent from your phone, telling it that you’re on your way home. You don’t even need to have the app open – the information is sent based on your phone’s location. Smart thermostats shouldn’t be confused

with smart meters, which digitally send meter readings to your energy supplier.

Save energy

Gas prices in the UK have tripled since 1990, which can make it a challenge to economically heat your home. But a smart heating system can help with keeping your energy costs down. The combination of automatic temperature control and easy-to-use scheduling apps means you can control every aspect of your heating, whichever gas supplier you may be with. Most manufacturers claim that a smart heating system could save customers between 20-40 per cent compared to not using a home thermostat.

Getting started

All major brands now offer free installation for their smart thermostats – all you need is a compatible boiler and a reliable Wi-fi network. A wireless transmitter plugged into your boiler links to the thermostat and your smartphone or computer via Wi-fi. The top-of-the-line systems now include wireless thermostatic radiator valves (TRV), which means you can control the temperature in individual rooms – keeping the baby’s room warmer for instance.

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