With the help of smart thermostats, the way our homes are heated have been transformed. Features like home-away detection, zoned heating and app control are convenient in helping to reduce energy bills. Also, they’re better options for the environment.
There are a lot of smart heating systems available on the market with varying prices and level of technology that can make it hard to choose what to get. A very important consideration when purchasing a smart thermostat is its compatibility with smart devices you already own.
We’re now going to look at some of the best smart thermostats on the market and we hope this guide can help in making your decision.
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Google Nest Thermostat E
Like a lot of other thermostats, the Google Nest Thermostat makes use of connector ports that are clearly marked to indicate where your main heating and ventilation system wires should be connected. This thermostat comes with setup instructions that are simple to navigate.
- Use the Nest app to change the temperature from anywhere
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It is compatible with a lot of HVAC systems. Even though this particular thermostat comes with fewer inputs than its full-fledged counterpart (the Nest Learning Thermostat), it works effortlessly with a lot of home HVAC systems available on the market.
This company has claimed that this thermostat is compatible with at least 85% of cooling and heating systems of 24 volts. You can also make use of their tool that helps you know whether or not your system and the thermostat are compatible. For this thermostat, you’ll be able to use one of Alexa or Google Assistant to tweak its temperature setting.
The strength of this thermostat is mainly in its ability to ensure that each aspect of cooling and heating remains as efficient as ever. The Nest thermostat can be set up to make use of Eco temperature settings when you leave the house, which ultimately saves you money. To notify you that the system is effectively working, a green leaf icon will appear on the thermostat and on the app.
Other features of this thermostat include the Nest Sense – that automatically schedules your thermostat using the changes you make. Also, the Early-On feature will start to heat or cool the room before the scheduled time so that the room is at the right temperature as at when it is needed. This is way better than the thermostat merely just coming on at the scheduled time. The Cool to Dry feature also tackles humidity indoors by making use of the air conditioner.
The thermostat also lets you know whenever it’s time to replace the furnace filter. It will also provide you with a home report that will summarise the energy use pattern of your home.
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Drayton Wiser Multi-Zone Smart Thermostat
This thermostat comes with a system that is comprehensive and easy to make use of. There are a handful of starter kits available to fit various kinds of multi-zone kits and boilers – including radiator valves that allow the creation of heating zones without the need to modify or alter any plumbing.
- SAVE ON ENERGY BILLS - With full control of your Wiser system from our app, you can monitor your energy use, predict...
- COMPATABILITY This kit is designed to work with Conventional Boilers Only and will allow control of your heating and hot...
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Its kit is quite easy to install – especially if you already have an old-style programmer connected to your boiler. Also, everything else is battery powered and wireless, meaning there will be no need for you to secure the services of an electrician to help in the installation process.
The new updates to the Wiser app include a segment for insights that shows you the weather, the energy usage in your home and just how effectively Wiser has helped in energy saving. These are usually determined using smart modes like the Eco Mode and the Away Mode – and just how drastic they have decreased the run times of heating processes, as opposed to the regular schedule.
The thermostat’s control box makes use of connectors of industry-standard. This means that it will only take minutes for you to upgrade from the manual heating programmer you previously used to the one designed by Wiser. It should be noted that the two-channel kit gives you a heating button and a hot water button, while the one-channel button gets you only the heating button.
This is a wireless thermostat that is powered by a couple of AA batteries. You will be able to put it anywhere, with it also being mobile enough to be moved from one room to another.
Its display comes with decent colouring and it also shows you the programmed temperature as well as the current temperature and humidity level. One small problem could arise, though. That is if the radiator doesn’t come with compatible valves. However, the manufacturers have included several adapters for some valve types that are popular.
You can even control the system while you’re away from home through the app. So, if you’ve not been at home for a few days, you will be able to heat up your home remotely so that the rooms are warm at the time you finally get home.
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Nest 3rd Generation Smart Thermostat
As regards its size, the 3rd Generation Nest device is similar to its predecessor. However, this particular model comes with a display that is 40% sharper and larger. Due to this, the bezel is thinner, with the screen being easier to see across a room.
This thermostat comes with a number of fresh features that are filtered down to earlier models of this product. Some of these include an automatic schedule that helps the thermostat learn preferred temperatures and will then program itself. The auto-way feature turns down the temperature when it perceives that you’re not at home.
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- Auto-Schedule. Just turn it up and down. It learns the temperatures that you like and creates a schedule for you
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One feature that is particularly unique to this thermostat is Farsight.
This feature senses you across the room and will light up to indicate the time and the temperature. You also have the option of choosing between an analogue or digital face. Just like the previous models, you’ll have to make use of this thermostat for close to a week so that it can pick up your preferences regarding the cooling and heating of your house.
Like we’ve said before, an important feature of smart thermostats that are worth purchasing is their ability to establish a connection with other smart products. Even though this particular thermostat isn’t compatible with the HomeKit program of Apple, it is compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant and Works with Nest.
This last program makes sure users can connect the thermostat with a host of other smart devices like smart locks, hue lights, etc. Google, however, plans to phase out this program while encouraging its users to change to Google Assistant accounts from their Nest accounts.
Additionally, you will be able to connect the thermostat to the IFTTT platform that will allow the thermostat to automatically adjust its settings depending on certain triggers.
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Hive Active Heating Smart Thermostat
Just like all the other products mentioned above, the Hive is a smart thermostat. However, the brand, over the years, has expanded to provide a complete smart home setup.
The brand’s decision to go this route will greatly benefit homeowners because users will be able to heat their house with the Hive and they can also give control of the home’s sensors and lights to the Hive. They will be able to control these actions with the Hive app.
- Heating and Hot Water Boost - For up to six hours
- Heating and Hot Water Schedules - Set up to 6 daily time slots
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One thing that should be considered is how difficult the initial installation process is. However, this is something that you won’t actually have to execute personally. The British Gas connection of Hive ensures that when you purchase this product, its installation will be covered. It should be noted, however, that you don’t need to be a customer of British Gas for you to be able to make use of the home system.
For the set price, you’ll get the Hive hub, a thermostat controller, a receiver that establishes a connection between the controller and the boiler. You will also get someone who will help you to install the heating system. The price might be on the expensive side, but rest assured that you’ll be getting value for money.
The thermostat’s controller remains dormant till you move the dial. When this happens, it will indicate on the right side the current temperature, while the target temperature is at the left side. When it reaches the target temperature, the heating will remain off till it reduces, then the cycle resumes again.
If you want to increase the temperature a bit, there’s a button at the top. You can press it and choose just how long you’d like the heating to remain on – irrespective of if you’ve hit the targeted temperature or not. There are also three other buttons beneath the dial. The middle dial is for extra settings like frost protection and child lock, the right dial is the confirm button, while the left dial is the back button.
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Tado Smart Thermostat Starter Kit V3+
Even though its price is on the high side, don’t let that put you off. This is because Tado manufactures very effective heating systems. You can decide to hire a professional to help you install it, its manufacturers can actually provide comprehensive instructions about your current boiler and heating system.
The thermostat’s app will display the air quality of where you are. It will also show you an overview of the home’s environment: too cold, too warm, too dry or too humid.
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- Heating Boost: heat up all rooms for 30 minutes with one click in the app
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One thing about the app that doesn’t sit well with us is the requirement of a subscription for users to be able to make use of money-saving modes. These are window detection, which puts off the heating whenever a window or door is opened, and geolocation, which reduces your heating whenever you leave the home.
You will not get any of these features if you don’t pay the subscription fee – which is usually at £3 per month. You can actually cancel your subscription at any point, meaning you can decide to use these features only during winter. If you don’t like this subscription service, you can decide to go for any of the older Tado products that give users geolocation without the need to subscribe.
Users can also use the app to set a geolocation radius. This is particularly helpful for people who usually pop out for short trips. This is because they will be able to reduce the radius so that the heat shuts down whenever they are out of the house.
With the heating on, this thermostat functions in a scheduled mode. Here, you’ll set your preferred temperature for your preferred time periods. It’s very simple to set up, meaning you can use the same schedule every day, a different schedule for weekends and weekdays or a different schedule for every day.
You’ll be able to use the app to change the set temperature whenever it is required.
You can even set it to permanently run at a set temperature or to run with a timer. The temperature can be adjusted with the thermostat while its app allows users to determine just how long it will be on for.
Things to look out for When Looking for the Best UK Smart Thermostat
The following are some of the things to look out for when getting a smart thermostat:
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Hot water control
A handful of smart thermostats are capable of controlling your hot water and your central heating.
For people that have combination boilers that provide instant hot water when the shower or hot tap is turned on, they won’t really need this feature in their smart thermostats.
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Zonal heating or multi-room control
Some thermostats allow users to set up multiple temperatures in several parts of the home from one app. This is particularly important if you own a large home. So you can turn on the heat in the rooms that you frequent while putting it off in rooms you rarely enter.
However, to be able to apply this feature, you’ll need to purchase another thermostat or an extra device for the areas you want to have set at different levels.
These are not cheap, to be honest. They might even cost just as much as the initial thermostat, so this should be put into consideration.
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Learning
A handful of thermostats on the market have the ability to pick up on your preferred temperature and routine and ultimately program themselves to match this. This will save you the trouble and time of having to set a schedule, although it reduces the level of control you’ll possess.
The good thing is that this learning function can be switched off at any time.
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Weather-responsive
Thermostats with this function will be able to tweak the temperature in accordance with the weather and temperature outside. This could come in very handy when you’re coming home after a hectic day at work.
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Motion sensors and GPS tracking
These features will detect whenever you leave and enter the house and will adjust the heat settings accordingly. It will turn down the heat when you leave and pre-heat the house when you’re coming back.
This ensures that the house is at the right temperature as soon as you get indoors.
