Makers of smart thermostats, including Nest and Honeywell, claim that they make heating a home more efficient and save energy on fuel bills.
Though smart thermostat features vary for different models, there are some common characteristics. These tools learn the temperature that the household prefers and store common times when members are out of the home and when the household sleeps. From this data, the thermostat creates a heating schedule that automatically adjusts the heating times and temperature.
Smart thermostats can be controlled remotely through a phone app. For example, if you are going to be late home and the house has no one in it, you can override and delay the scheduled heating switch-on.
Smart thermostats also enable users to accurately monitor and manage their energy use.
Two independent studies of Nest users found that they saved on average 10% to 12% on heating and cooling bills by taking advantage of the smart features of their thermostats. Obviously, the amount of energy saved is dependent on the size and energy rating of the home.
Smart thermostats are not cheap, however. Residents can expect to pay over £150 for a quality item without installation fees. They can be effective in saving money when it comes to heating costs, but some may find it will take a while to recoup their cost.
What a smart thermostat cannot directly measure is the energy efficiency of your boiler. For that, residents can rely on experts such as Xgas. Arrange a boiler service in Chester today to discover how efficient your boiler is.
