Saving money on your homes bills is something that everyone wants to be able to do, especially when it comes to winter, and your heating bills begin to skyrocket. Recently there has been a surge in both popularity and the usefulness of smart technology around the home. One of the best pieces of smart technology is a smart thermostat, which allows you to be more in control of your heating which in turn means that you are saving more money on your heating bills!
Table of Contents
What is a smart thermostat?
To begin with, you will have to know what a smart thermostat is to see if you think that it could benefit your current situation or if you would be better off sticking with a traditional thermostat. A smart thermostat will work similarly to your old thermostat in that it will use the same wired connection to your boiler and can be used just like your old thermostat via this connection. However, the best feature is the ability to use a companion app on either your smartphone or computer to control your boiler while on the move. This means that you are in control of your heating no matter where you are!
An internet connection is required to get the best out of them as this is how you can communicate your orders to them via the companion app, so if you do not have internet then a smart thermostat would not be the best for your home. Smart thermostats are generally compatible with all boiler types, so if you live in a small home with a combi boiler or a large townhouse with a system boiler a smart thermostat will work. But will not work with all boiler brands, so make sure that the brand of boiler you have will be compatible before purchasing. You can head on over to this site: https://www.boilercentral.com/guides/best-combi-boilers-uk/ to get a preview of the best boilers on the market and which ones can accommodate a smart thermostat.
How a smart thermostat can help you save money
There are a range of features that are great at helping you save money on your heating bills such as control from anywhere, setting up heating schedules, learning about your daily habits and more.
Remote control
The ability of remote control is arguably the best feature of a smart thermostat as this is what truly makes it smart compared to a regular thermostat. This remote control of your heating is done via the companion app and requires either Wi-Fi or mobile data internet connection. This is useful for helping you save money as it allows you to see if you have ever left your heating on by accident once you have left your home and it will allow you to turn the heating off, so you are not wasting any money on heating an empty home.
Heating schedules
A smart thermostat also allows you to set up simple heating schedules via the companion app, which can be very handy if you love having a set routine. A hating schedule basically means that your heating will be told at what time to begin and cease producing heat as well as what temperature to be working at. This is another great way to make sure that your heating is never left on after you have left home or gone to bed, it also means that you will not have to worry about turning it on or off as it is all done automatically by your smart thermostat.
Learning about your daily habits
Your smart thermostat is also able to learn about your daily habits via GPS tracking on your phone. This means that your thermostat can be one step ahead of you by tracking where you are. Meaning that your boilercan begin to start heating your home before you are even through the door. This way when you come home from work,you will be greeted by a warm home in the colder months. However, if you do not like the idea of your thermostat tracking where you are or would rather be in control yourself, you do not have to use this setting and it can be turned off. However, this ability to track you means that again your heating will never be on when you do not want it to be, meaning a saving on money.
Zonal heating
Zonal heating is only available to some smart thermostats as it requires you to pair your thermostat with a thermostatic radiator valve, which are not compatible with every brand. Zonal heating will allow you to control the temperature in certain rooms via your smart thermostat communicating with the thermostatic radiator valves. This allows you to automatically set up heating zones in certain rooms, meaning that you are fully in control of the heating in each one of your rooms. While this step can save you money, you are looking at adding the cost of thermostatic radiator valves in, which can cost a fair amount extra on top of a smart thermostat.
Following these steps is a great way to start using your smart thermostat to save on those heating bills at the end of the month!
