Before buying a smart thermostat, you’ll need to find out what’s compatible with your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system and what wiring your current thermostat has. In the UK, some boilers have a twowire or threewire thermostat system, and some use a receiver with a batterypowered wireless thermostat. Luckily, most manufacturers offer a compatibility checker on their website to help you find out which thermostats are available to you in your home.
If your boiler isn’t compatible, or you want more precise control over each room (rather than the whole house at once), you may want to consider using multizone heating smart radiator valves. It’s worth knowing that these tend to be more expensive because you need to install them in every room.
Budget is likely to be a deciding factor for many people. Thermostats can cost anything from around £50 to over £250, so it’s worth figuring out how much you’re willing to spend before you start shopping.
Consider which features you’d like to have, too. Most smart thermostats and smart radiator valves have remote control through a smartphone app, but some can also be controlled by voice and integrated into your smart home system. If you use a particular voice assistant at home, be sure to check that the thermostat is compatible with that, too. Some can even be triggered by other smart tech, like a motion sensor.
Many have more advanced tools, like a builtin temperature sensor to turn the heating on or off when it drops below a certain point or reaches the ideal level. Some will provide you with detailed energy usage reports and insights. Occasionally, smart thermostats have energysaving features like geofencing, which can turn the heating off when your smartphone leaves the property. Others take that even further, using AI to learn and predict your energy usage habits and using that information to adjust the heating accordingly.
When it comes to the key specifications, these are some of the main factors we think you should keep in mind.
Display and controls
All smart thermostats offer control and scheduling via a smartphone app, but if someone at home doesn’t use a smartphone, or is less techsavvy, it’s worth looking for a thermostat with an intuitive display.
Selflearning
Some smart heating thermostats are selflearning. They can assess how long it takes your home to get to the desired temperature and adjust to make sure your home reaches that temperature exactly when you want it to.
Smart home platforms
When you invest in a smart thermostat, think about your whole smart home. Do you also have a video doorbell, security camera or a preferred voice control system? Each brand tends to work with its own products, so sticking with what you know might be wise! However, it’s worth knowing that there is a protocol that helps smart devices to communicate, called “Matter”; this is developed jointly by Amazon, Apple, Google and other manufacturers to eliminate incompatibilities.
Location tracking and geofencing
If you’re always out and about and don’t adhere to a regular schedule, GPS location tracking can be very handy. Smart thermostats can track your location through your phone and learn your routine, adjusting your central heating schedule accordingly.
Heating zones
Creating heat zones gives you greater control over different parts of the house. This can be either through using multiple thermostats – one upstairs and one downstairs, for instance – or by investing in smart thermostatic radiator valves which give you control over each room.
Voice control
If you’re already using Amazon Alexa at home, it makes sense to buy a smart thermostat that’s also Alexa compatible, rather than suddenly switching to Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit and having to learn how to set up and navigate a whole new ecosystem.
