Smart thermostats are quickly becoming a household must-have, helping people save energy and money heating their homes. Ever gone out for the day only to realise you left the heating on? Or come back on a chilly evening to a cold house? With a smart thermostat you can control your heating straight from your phone – no wasted warmth and no extra effort.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the ins and outs of smart thermostats: what they do, how they work and how they can help you save. Let’s start with the basics…
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What is a smart thermostat?
A smart thermostat controls the heating in your home just like a regular thermostat, but with one major difference: they can be controlled from an app on your smartphone, tablet or Apple Watch. That’s why they’re sometimes called WiFi thermostats. Some, like our Hive Thermostats, can be controlled with your voice and can link up to Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant.
And then things get even more advanced – some smart thermostats can learn your schedule by detecting when your smartphone is in the house, then adjust the heating to fit. Or, use geolocation to work out your usual route home, then set the temperature so it’s just how you like it, the moment you arrive. It’s impressive stuff.
How do smart thermostats work?
Smart thermostats do the same job as traditional manual thermostats: they tell your boiler or heat pump to run until your home reaches its set temperature. Then they turn the heating off. If the temperature falls below the set point, they turn it back on again.
But what smart thermostats do differently is let you control your heating from an app. That means that you can still set schedules and your preferred temperature, but you can do it all from your phone – wherever you are.
As long as you have an internet connection, and your smart thermostat is connected to WiFi, you can control your heating from anywhere in the world!
- Set the temperature from your smart device
- The command is sent to your smart thermostat by WiFi
- The thermostat adjusts your HVAC system
Of course, you can still use your smart thermostat manually with the device’s in-built controls. So if there’s ever a problem with your home’s internet connection, you can still control your heating.
WATCH: Here’s how Hive Smart Thermostats work
How do you install smart thermostats?
Every smart thermostat is a little bit different. But here’s how to install a Hive one:
- Set up your hub. This little device connects to your router and allows you to control your heating (and any other Hive devices you have) over the internet.
- Wire the receiver up to your heating system. If you have a wired thermostat, you’ll need to connect that too.
- Finish setting up your thermostat using the Hive app.
If you’re experienced with electrical wiring, then technically, you can install a thermostat yourself. However, we always recommend getting professional help. Here at Hive, our expert partner engineers can help install your smart thermostat for you.
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The benefits of smart thermostats – are they worth it?
Here are a few of our favourite smart thermostat features:
Full control over your heating
With a smart thermostat, you can manage your heating wherever you are – all you need is an internet connection. This means you never have to heat an empty home. If your plans change, you can you just open the app and change the schedule.
Look after loved ones
You can even install the app for someone who doesn’t have a smart device. That way, you can make sure their home stays warm and comfortable and you’ll get any fault alerts directly to your phone.
Save energy and cut costs
By avoiding unnecessary heating you’ll use less energy overall which can help to lower your bills and your carbon footprint.
Voice control
Some smart thermostats, like our Hive Thermostat or Hive Thermostat Mini, work perfectly with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. So, if you want to turn up the heating just say so.
Easy schedules
With smart thermostats you can set schedules from your smartphone really easily. And if things change, just move on to the next step in your schedule with a tap of the app.
Geolocation
If you leave the house with the heating on, geolocation sends you a reminder to turn it off. It also lets you know if your home’s colder than usual when you’re coming back.
Frost Protection
If the temperature drops below 7°C inside your home, a clever little feature called Frost Protection turns on your heating to stop your pipes from freezing.
Do smart thermostats save energy?
Yes. When you use smart thermostats the right way, they can really help you save energy. Features that we mentioned before, like schedules and geolocation, are all designed to ensure you’re only heating your home when you need to be.
And simply being able to control your heating from wherever you are means there’s way less risk of you heating an empty home. If you know that none of the family are in, open your app, see if the heating’s on and turn it off if you need to. It takes about three seconds!
But smart thermostats aren’t the only way of saving energy at home. Hive makes lots of different eco-tech – all designed for greener living, lower bills and a whole lot less hassle. Like our smart radiator valves, which connect straight to your radiator so you can control the heating in individual rooms remotely.
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FAQs
Do smart thermostats work with heat pumps?
Yes, smart thermostats and heating controls can be used with all types of heat pumps, including air source, ground source and water source heat pumps.
How many smart thermostats do I need?
Just one – you can control your heating all over the home with this. If you want to control the heating in individual rooms remotely, you can use smart radiator valves.
Can smart thermostats work with any boiler?
Not every boiler is compatible, so check with your boiler manufacturer before you buy a smart thermostat.
Will a smart thermostat save me money?
Smart thermostats don't directly save you money in the way switching energy supplier can. But they can help you heat your home more efficiently, which will save you money in the long term. A smart thermostat can help you understand your heating use so you can adjust it to save money.