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What is a Smart Thermostat?
If you’re going to buy a piece of smart tech this year, a smart thermostat is one of the best choices you could make. With this fitted, you’ll never be warming up an empty home. How do they do it? In this guide, we’ve covered all the handy features that’ll help you save some money on your energy bills.
Look at what they can do...
By connecting them to their compatible app, you can turn the heating on and off from your phone, as well as set timers and schedules. So, they’ll ake sure your home is nice and toasty before you need to head downstairs for breakfast. And over time, some also learn your habits and adjust themselves, meaning you won’t even need to open the app on your phone.
As well as being able to control the heating with your voice via a smart speaker, they also connect to motion sensors. So, you can set the thermostat to turn the heating up whenever any movement is detected near the door. Plus, you’ll be able to create routines with other tech around the home. For example, whenever you say ‘good morning’ to the speaker, it could then work with the relevant smart tech to crank up the heating and brighten the room.
Some thermostats even use clever geofencing tech, which will ask you if you’d like to turn the heating down when you leave the house. Others know when you’ve opened a window and will turn off. Both features are a great help when it comes to saving energy.
Different models work with different types of boilers. If you’ve got any underfloor heating or a separate water tank, just check the specs of the thermostat to make sure it’ll work in your home.
The big brands
Hive, Nest and tadoo thermostats all do an amazing job of keeping your home toasty while helping you save. To be honest, they’re all very similar, but there are a few features that might sway you one way or another.
Hive
The Hive thermostat can become part of such a bigger smart home. With radiator valves and motion sensors, you’ll be able to set up all kinds of clever routines to warm up the house. And it can connect to Amazon Echo speakers, letting you boost the heating with your voice. They have frost protection too, which automatically turns the heating on when the temperature drops below 7 degrees, preventing your pipes from freezing.
Nest
Nest learns your routines and uses the weather forecast to decide when your heating should be high and low. So, you can just leave it to do its thing while you count the pounds you’re saving. It also works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa speakers, meaning when you do want to control it, you can choose to use the touch display or your voice.
tado
There’re a few big pros to tado. Not only can the thermostat become part of a bigger heating ecosystem with the tado radiator valves, but it’s also the only one out of the three that works with Apple HomeKit. Plus, they claim you can fit the thermostat yourself. So, if you’re someone that can put your hand to anything, you can save a bit of money here too.
Shop our favourites
tadoº Starter Kit V3+ Wired Smart Thermostat - DIY Install - White
- Smart thermostat - manage your heating remotely
- Control settings from your phone or tablet
- Works with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa & Google Home
- Compatible with combi boilers and hot water tanks
- Hub included - get started right out of the box
Smart heating FAQs
- What is the best smart thermostat for your home?
This depends on your life and house. If you’ve got underfloor heating or a separate water tank, you’ll need to look for the thermostats that are compatible. And if you lead a busy life, you might want to look for a learning thermostat that keeps tabs on when everyone’s in and out of the house, as this will help you save money on your bills.
- How much do smart thermostats save?
This all depends on how you currently use your heating, if you’ve got someone in the house that’s always got it cranked right up, you’ll probably see the most benefit. Hive say that on average you’ll save around £120 a year with their smart thermostat, while Nest claim they’ll cut around 10-12% off your heating bills. And tado are even offering a money back guarantee if you don’t see a benefit.
- How much does it cost to install a smart thermostat?
To give you an idea, installing a smart thermostat can cost around £50-£60. This price varies depending on the plumber and if there’s any extra work that might need doing when they come to fit it.
