What are smart thermostats and how do they work?
Smart thermostats are part of a range of smart home gadgets that can help you control your home's energy usage - here's how
A smart thermostat is a type of thermostat that lets you control your home’s heating remotely, via devices like smartphones and tablets.
Your smart thermostat’s functionality will depend on the make and model you buy, and how much you’re willing to spend. Some of the most useful features include:
Not only does a smart thermostat have the potential to save you money on your energy bills, but they are extremely convenient, allowing you to control your home’s heating from wherever you are.
Smart thermostats typically cost between £150 and £280, depending on the make and model. Most makers recommend getting them professionally installed – which usually costs an additional £50 to £100.
If you want zoned heating, smart thermostatic radiator valves will need to be fitted to each radiator to control them individually – these can be around £60 each.
Smart thermostats may seem similar to smart meters, but they work quite differently:
Installing a smart thermostat could help you save money, but it will also depend on your energy habits.
If you leave and enter your house at different times every day, a smart thermostat could be a good option for you. The same goes if you or someone else often forgets to turn off the heating before you leave – you’ll still be able to shut it down remotely from your phone or tablet.
If you have a set routine where you leave the house at the same time every day and return at the same time, it may not be as useful – you can already programme most thermostats to come on at specific times.
Smart thermostats use the internet to allow you to control you home’s heating remotely. If your internet were to go down, don’t worry, the heating will stay on and your smart thermostat system will usually continue to run your schedule.
You won’t be able to control it via the app or online, but you can adjust it via the thermostat’s manual controls if needed.
For information on the best smart thermostats on the market, read our handy smart thermostat guide.
Smart thermostats aren’t the only way you can save money on your energy bills.
Unprecedented price rises mean that cheap deals are hard to come by right now, but in most circumstances comparing energy tariffs on MoneySuperMarket can be a good way to see what options are available, so you can find the cheapest deal right for you.
All you need to do is tell us a little about yourself, your home, and your approximate energy usage – the more you can tell us about how much energy you use, the more accurate your quote will be.
Then we’ll show you a list of energy tariffs tailored to your needs, and you can sort them by the overall price per month and year, as well as the yearly savings you could make by switching.
Once you’ve found the deal you want, just click through to the supplier to finalise your purchase.
Thanks to the Energy Switch Guarantee, you’ll be swapped over to your new supplier hassle-free within 21 days – you won’t be without gas or electricity at any point, and if there are any issues the supplier will work to resolve them as soon as possible.
Switching your energy supplier is quicker and easier with MoneySuperMarket’s Energy Monitor. We’ll let you know as soon as there’s a cheaper tariff available for you, so you can effortlessly switch.
Find out if you can save by running an energy price comparison now.
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