Our Guide to Smart Thermostats

A smart thermostat is a useful device which allows you to control your heating from your phone or other similar device. It is important to note that smart thermostats are not the same as smart meters – the former allows you to control the temperature of your home, whereas the latter takes automatic meter readings for you. Some people consider them to be an unnecessary expense, but there are a number of benefits! Whether or not you choose to invest in a smart thermostat will depend on your lifestyle. We’ve outlined some key benefits below to help you make a decision.

Remote heating delay

The smart thermostat operates using Wifi, so as long as you have access to an internet connection, you can control the device from wherever you are. This feature is particularly useful if your work life is unpredictable! There is no point having the heating on full blast if you’re not there to appreciate it, so you can delay the heating if you know you’re going to be late.

Holiday mode

Remote access also means that you can use the smart thermostat when you’re on holiday. Holiday mode can be accessed temporarily without interfering with your existing settings. This means you can keep the heating off for the most part while you’re away, but you can also protect your pipes because you won’t need to shut it off completely.

Monitor your energy consumption

The smart thermostat is designed to keep track of all of your energy data. This means you can monitor your energy consumption on your phone and change your habits if you think you need to. This could save you money in the long run!

Voice control

Many smart thermostats are programmed to work with voice control devices like Alexa, which makes it easier than ever to control the heating in your home. Make sure to check which voice control app the smart thermostat works with before you invest.

So, you might be convinced by the idea of a smart thermostat, but which model should you invest in? We’ve linked some of the leading devices below to help you make a decision.

The Hive

The Hive smart thermostats work with Alexa and have a number of useful features, including a geolocation tool which lets you know if you’ve left the heating on when you’re not home. This is useful for remote temperature control.

Nest Learning Thermostat

Nest smart thermostats are impressive because of their ability for smart schedule learning. It has motion sensors and can learn the patterns of when you are home or away. Then it uses this to control the temperature. Google Assistant also features for voice control capabilities.

Honeywell

The Honeywell smart thermostat can be used with Amazon Alexa for voice control. A useful feature it has is the ability to detect issues with your heating systems and alert you to the problem. You can also set up different schedules for each day of the week and once programmed, the thermostat does not require further scheduling.

Netatmo

This model is on the more basic side but is great if you want something that is simple to use. It has the main features which allow you to control temperature remotely and monitor energy usage. You can use Netatmo with Amazon Alexa.

If you’re thinking about investing in a smart thermostat and you’d like some assistance with the installation, why not hire one of our experienced heating engineers? Simply give us a call on 0208 6407907.