Save money on your energy bills with a smart thermostat
Smart technology might sound like a costly addition to your home. However, as with solar panels, the savings can soon mount up and the return can dwarf what you paid originally. Smart thermostats, typically costing £149-£249 or up, are a growing trend in homes. Once installed, either by the owner or an electrician, depending on the model and your current home heating system, they can improve the flexibility and efficiency of your heating, helping to reduce bills.
Using your smartphone, they can be turned off or off or programmed remotely. This means you can switch the heating off if you’re going to be out for the night, get it running if you’re coming home early on a winter’s day, or adapt it to any other change in your normal routine. If your home has air conditioning, this can also be controlled by some smart thermostats, for total climate control.
Some models also learn when you’re home through a range of sensors, either in the thermostat or around your home. They will adapt the timer program as the smart thermostat learns your comings and goings, so that the house is at your preferred temperature when you arrive home. More advanced systems can even turn on individual radiators at set times, so the bedrooms are only warmed when usually occupied and so on.
Most models claim a saving of between 15% and 25% on your heating costs, but this will vary based on the size of your house, the number of occupants, and the efficiency of your heating system. Models like the Nest (https://nest.com/uk/), a company recently acquired by Google, and the Ecobee (https://www.ecobee.com/) are helping popularise smart thermostats, and can help save energy, reduce emissions and improve your green credibility.
Some models come with touchscreens for easier programming for non-smartphone users, while others have dials to help you adjust the settings. Smart thermostats have been on the market for a few years now, and prices will fall as lookalike products go on sale. So, look out for a bargain and you could help keep your house the right temperature, whatever our increasingly unpredictable weather can throw at it.
