Smart thermostats are smart technology that allows you to remotely control the temperature of your home via a tablet, smartphone or desktop computer for better control of your central heating. (They should not be confused with smart meters, which digitally send meter readings to your energy supplier.)

How smart thermostats work

A typical room thermostat simply allows you to change the temperature in your home using a dial or control panel. A smart thermostat gives you more efficient, user-friendly and accessible control of your home heating using three basic components.

The first component plugs directly into your boiler and can communicate wirelessly with the second component, the home appliance which is the thermostat and the main control.

The third component is an application that is downloaded to a smartphone (or tablet). Users remotely control the thermostat / main control unit through the app, allowing them to adjust their heating wherever they are.

It is the basic composition of most smart thermostats. Some smart thermostats offer more, like “learning” your schedule by sensing when your smartphone is in the house, or even going further by sensing when you’re on your usual route home and preparing your home for the temperature. desired.

So what can a smart thermostat do for me?

The ability to remotely control a home’s temperature appeals to those with busy schedules; if you have a late meeting, there is no reason to heat an empty house, is there? On vacation and you realize that you forgot to turn off the heating? Correcting the error is done with a few clicks on your smartphone.

Smart thermostats don’t directly save you money like switching energy providers. However, they do offer the ability to heat your home more efficiently, which should save you money in the long run. You will also receive reports on your usage, which can help you better understand your heating consumption and adjust your behavior and preferences accordingly to save money. For more ways to reduce your energy use around the home, check out our energy saving guides.

Types of smart thermostat

There are several smart thermostats now available on the market. We take a look at a few below:

tado °

tado ° operated in Germany and other European countries before launching in the UK in October 2013. It follows the same philosophy as Google Nest and seeks to adapt to user lifestyles and create smart homes with the least possible contribution from them.

The device learns from user behavior and tries to match your home temperature to your preferences in the most energy efficient way possible. It does this by tracking residents using their smartphones.

This means that when everyone leaves the house, it turns off the heat, and when it detects someone coming home from work, for example, it starts to turn up the heat. The system also takes weather conditions into account and, according to the manufacturers of tado °, can help users save up to 31% on their energy bills.

Johannes Schwarz, founder of tado °, said: “We weren’t convinced by any of the solutions available on the market. We were looking for a solution that in terms of design and function fits seamlessly into people’s lives – not the other go around. “

As with the other devices mentioned, the wireless thermostat display is available through an app that you can download for your iOS, Android, or Windows device. The product itself will set you back £ 199 or you can rent it for £ 4.99 per month. Anyone who opts for the rental plan will be happy to hear that if you don’t save at least £ 100 in your first year, you will be refunded the one-year rental fee.

British Gas Hive

Unlike Google’s Nest, the Hive doesn’t want to run your heater with as little input as possible. Hive active heating is built around a dashboard that allows users to manage their home’s temperature using a smart device.

Kass Hussain, chief technology officer of Hive, explained this choice, saying that customers don’t yet trust technology to make these kinds of choices for them, nor are they comfortable. to have home automation devices collecting their personal data.

In this context, Hive allows users to design heating programs and change the temperature of their home whenever they want. Very useful, especially since British Gas claims 7.8 million empty homes are heated each year. The device can also automatically turn on the heater if your pipes freeze due to cold temperatures.

Nina Bhatia, Managing Director of British Gas Connected Homes, Strategy and M&A, said: “[Hive] puts the control of heating and hot water in the hands of our customers. No one is better placed to do this than British Gas. We can connect the dots between energy supply, overview of consumption and the means to control it, with a product installed by British Gas and a beautiful modern and intuitive app. “

Anyone looking to get a beehive can purchase the technology for £ 199 (including installation) from the Hive website.

E.ON Touch

At the end of 2015, E.ON was the last major supplier to announce the launch of its own smart thermostat. Their Touch system allows users to control both their heating and hot water through a smartphone app, giving them greater control over their usage and costs.

The supplier released a statement saying the average home now has up to three mobile devices and heating accounts for up to 60% of the household’s energy use – hot water adds an additional 15%.

The Touch aims to provide a simpler and more convenient way to manage these costs. In addition to out-of-home monitoring, users receive monthly reports and personalized information on their usage.

Google Nest Learning Thermostat

Nest made headlines in early 2014 when it was bought by Google for around £ 2 billion. Designed by the man behind the iPod, the best thing about the Nest Learning Thermostat is that it’s designed to match your home temperature to your behavior.

By monitoring the user’s habits – that is, what time they leave home on weekdays – the Nest device is able to create a personalized “heating schedule”. The hope is that eventually the learning thermostat will learn so much about your habits that you never have to change the temperature by hand.

The Nest Learning Thermostat also has a motion sensor, which can detect when your home is empty and doesn’t need to be heated. It also allows you to control your heating via your smartphone, tablet or desktop computer.

Commenting on the product launch in the UK, Lionel Paillet, Managing Director of Nest Europe, said: “Nest Learning Thermostat customers in the US see savings of around 20% on average on their heating bill and air conditioning and look forward to helping you. UK customers are saving too. “

Read independent reviews on the Nest Smart Thermostat here.

If, for example, last Christmas you set your temperature to 23 degrees, the Nest will remember that and automatically do the same the following year. This new update will allow your Nest Learning Thermostat to better predict your preferred temperature and reduce your energy bill by up to 6%.

In the past, the major supplier npower offered an energy package that included a Nest plus installation, but does not currently offer such a package.

Honeywell evohome

The evohome, a smart thermostat produced by Honeywell, has the ability to divide your home into multiple “smart zones,” in which you can control the heating individually. So if, for example, it’s cold and you have guests, you can heat the guest room to make sure they are comfortable when they arrive. According to Honeywell, the device can help homes save up to 40% of their annual heating costs.

The technology incorporates the usual array of smart thermostat features, including allowing you to control your heating remotely, as well as a better understanding of your energy use.

Honeywell’s evohome is available for purchase online with prices starting at £ 249 for the base unit (installation not included) and an additional £ 70 for each device needed to create a smart zone.

Heatmiser NeoKit2

Released in 2014, Heatmiser’s NeoKit2 is designed to provide homes with an easy way to upgrade their current hot water thermostats and timers.

The standard neoKit2 package has everything you need to upgrade the heating and hot water controls, as well as to use the neoApp. The latter works in much the same way as apps for other smart thermostats and allows users to control their home’s heating remotely. Heatmiser’s NeoKit2 costs £ 265.

HeatSmart from EDF Energy

EDF Energy is the latest major supplier to partner with a smart heater, announcing its collaboration with Netatmo’s HeatSmart thermostat in 2015.

Like the Nest and the Hive, the HeatSmart smart thermostat is available to everyone – not just EDF Energy’s own customers – for £ 199 including installation.

Designed for Netatmo by famous French designer Phillipe Starck, the system includes a remote control function and schedule maker, so you never have to pay to heat an empty house.

The HeatSmart smart heating system also features Auto-Adapt to account for climate change and includes a “freeze protection” feature which means your heating system will be protected from freezing in very cold weather.

The HeatSmart system works with smartphones, including iPhone and Android. It can also be personalized using interchangeable colored films located on the back of the device.

Drayton miGenie

Developed by heating specialists, the miGenie works like other smart thermostats: there is the thermostat and controller device, and a “Gateway” device that connects to your boiler.

The miGenie app is available for iPhone and Android devices. This app can be used to control your home’s heating and temperature from anywhere.