How the GH Tech Team tests smart thermostats Some others can use your phone’s GPS location to predict when you’re heading home, or automatically turn off the heating when you leave. This means they work out how warm you like the temperature, and when you’re not at home they can adjust the schedule for maximum comfort and energy saving. What’s more, some systems, such as Nest, are “self-learning” (more on that below). These give the user total control, which may help to reduce the heating bills. Some have tablet-style touchscreen displays, while all have weekly, daily, and hourly schedules via their smartphone apps. The best smart thermostats feature individual smart radiator valves, which allow you to create different heating zones and adjust when, and for how long, each room is heated.īut aside from working like a remote heating control, smart thermostats are easy to programme compared to an old-fashioned wall-mounted push button design.

Most systems consist of a wireless hub (which connects to your boiler) and a wireless thermostat controller that can be wall or table mounted, battery or mains powered.

By linking the two together you can control your home’s heating using a smartphone app whether you’re on the sofa, tucked up in bed or out and about. They’re intuitive to use, more affordable than ever, and can even be controlled using the latest voice control systems such as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.Įssentially, a smart thermostat connects your boiler to your wifi. They can learn when you’re at home or when you’re en-route from work, adjusting the temperature accordingly and giving you insights into how much energy you’re using.Īnd while such innovation would have, in the past, required a degree in rocket science to understand, brands such as Nest, Hive, Tado and Honeywell have worked hard to develop smart thermostats that slot seamlessly into our homes. The best smart thermostats make it easy to control the temperature of each room at home from anywhere in the world using your smartphone. But in truth, the most exciting - yes, exciting - hi-tech home innovation of the past decade is the smart thermostat. When most of us think of a 'smart' home, we’re imagining futuristic lighting controls, video doorbells, connected burglar alarms, robot vacuums and app-controlled appliances working together to make our lives easier.

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