With sustainability at the forefront of our minds, smart heating and air conditioning is a stress-free way to lower energy consumption. Smart temperature control involves using the Internet of Things to control devices remotely.
These may include heating, cooling and temperature monitoring, from underfloor heating to wireless thermostats. If you’re not sure where to start, our qualified integrators can recommend a starter kit or full overhaul to suit your needs.
Smart heating control systems are about more than energy-saving devices – they can also heat and cool your home more efficiently. Broadly speaking, there are four types of smart heating system:
Efficient home heating options include smart radiator valves and smart electric radiators. A smart radiator valve lets you change your settings remotely from a mobile device.
Smart electric radiators offer full flexibility. You can activate them via voice control such as Siri, or interact using WiFi and Bluetooth.
Air conditioning smart devices allow you to lower the room temperature via your mobile. Like you would your heating schedule, you can customise these to come on when you’re home and reduce energy use when you’re away.
Smart heating thermostats can range from basic heating and cooling to dehumidifying and ventilation. The original Nest Learning Thermostat set the trend, analysing your occupancy patterns and optimising your home system.
These include IoT brands such as Google Home or Apple Homekit. They’re ideal for controlling the temperature in different rooms thanks to a multi room thermostat. Again, you can connect voice assistant devices like Amazon Alexa or Google Nest.
From convenience to sustainability, smart heating and cooling offers several benefits.
Lower energy use means lower bills – promising significant savings, particularly in times of economic uncertainty. WiFi thermostat brand tado claims to reduce bills by up to 30%, while the Hive thermostat suggests savings of up to £311 per year.
Plus, energy-efficient homes are more valuable – with 60% of estate agents saying that they held their value.
We’ve all panicked about heating bills when we’ve gone out and left an open window. Smart heating allows you to turn off your central heating from a mobile device, wherever you are.
All you need is a connected router and your smart devices. Keep bills down and arrive home to the perfect temperature, whatever the season.
Products like evohome allow you to control up to 12 different heating ‘zones’. Ideal for fussy household members or saving energy, you’ll notice the difference to your energy payments.
Internet of Things devices work on an IFTTT basis, which means “if this, then that”. This means they can integrate with other home kits, such as a smart speaker or home lighting.
It’s easy to customise whole rooms based on your settings – for example, putting your living room into “night mode” by turning lights and heating down.
From turning off hot water to powering down wired lights with smart plugs, smart homes are hugely efficient. Brands like Honeywell Home claim to save up to 30% in energy consumption. This lowers our homes’ greenhouse gas emissions – reducing global figures by 12% since 2017.
The cost of smart temperature control depends on the devices you want installed. As a starting point, devices like smart radiator thermostats can range between £100 and £250 inc VAT.
If you’re looking for a fully integrated heating and air conditioning model, this may exceed four figures. Our qualified engineers can help you decide based on your needs.
