The Top 5 Best Smart Thermostats in the UK

We live in a world of smart gadgets – phones, laptops, vacuum cleaners, toys (we could go on), and – thermostats. If you have been thinking about upgrading your home with a premium, market-leading device, check out our in-depth guide to the top 5 best smart thermostats in the UK from the best-in-class brands – Nest, Honeywell, tado°, Hive and Salus.

How We Picked the Best Smart Thermostats in the UK

The biggest advantages of getting a smart thermostat include being in control of your energy consumption, monitoring your expenses, and, hopefully, lowering them. Your Heat took the following factors into account when choosing between the smart and the less smart thermostats:

• Ease of installation and use,
• Efficiency,
• Compatibility with virtual assistants,
• Warranty,
• Price,
• Customer reviews.

5 Best Smart Thermostats

1. Google Nest Smart Thermostat

The Nest smart thermostat sets a standard high when it comes to innovation in the smart home gadgets industry. Let’s go through basic info about this product before moving on to the in-depth review:

• Super-easy to install,
• Wireless,
• Compatible with standard digital devices, Amazon Alexa, Google Home voice control, Logitech, Samsung SmartThings, IFTTT, Wink, WeMo, and Xfinity,
• Comes with a standard 2-year warranty or a 5-year warranty with NestPro installation,
• £168-250.

This thermostat boasts numerous features that can make it super-convenient to keep track of your energy use and help you save money in the long run. These features include:

• Auto-learning

The Nest smart thermostat learns about your behaviour and monitors your heating preferences through the day. It automatically adjusts the temperature fromday to night to morning by creating a custom schedule according to your needs. Also, it detects changes in your home’s temperature as the temperatures outside drop and it re-adjusts itself.

• Remote control

Turn up your heating with the Nest mobile app from anywhere – on your way home or even when you are thousand of miles away from home. Isn’t that a great feature? Entering your warm and welcoming home after a long and cold winter day? Priceless!

• Geo-fencing

The Nest mobile app recognises when you are home and when you are out. This way, it automatically turns off the heating when you are away, which can save you some serious money.

• Open-Therm technology

Another way the Nest thermostat saves you money is by using Open-Therm technology. It makes your boiler use less gas but still reaches the desired temperature.

• Anti-leak and carbon monoxide protection

You probably already know how dangerous (deadly) carbon monoxide leaks can be. Nest upgraded their protection system by building in a carbon monoxide detector. In case of a leak, the detector will send a signal to your boiler and instantly turn it off.

Do Nest thermostats really save money?

Nest claims their smart thermostat can help you save somewhere between 8.4 and 16.5% on your heating bills. As this device automatically adjusts your heating according to your behaviour and turns it off when you are away, there’s almost no doubt it can save money by reducing your energy use.

How do I know the Nest thermostat is compatible with my boiler?

The Nest thermostat is compatible with system, combi, heat-only, and biomass boilers, immersion heaters, underfloor heating systems, air/ground source heat pumps, domestic tanks, zoned/multiple zones heating, and systems compatible with Open-Therm technology. In a nutshell – it is compatible with most heating systems but you can check whether your unit is compatible with the Nest thermostat on the official Nest website.

Can you install the Nest thermostat yourself?

Absolutely. However, if you have your smart thermostat installed by a Nest Pro installer, you will be entitled to an additional warranty, which is worth considering.

Final verdict

The Nest smart thermostat reflects the quality this brand offers to a maximum. This user-friendly, award-winning device combines all the features that can upgrade your living and reduce your bills at the same time. Although it comes at a slightly higher price tag, it is certainly worth the extra investment.

2. Hive Smart Thermostat

British Gas, one of the UK’s energy giants, designed the Hive smart thermostat. You probably already know about the quality and service this brand offers but let’s go through some of the highlights of this gadget.

• Installation is relatively simple but requires some basic wiring knowledge,
• Compatible with most digital devices, including Amazon Alexa and Google Home,
• 1-year warranty,
• £179.

The Hive thermostat features:

• Set daily schedules

Personalise your daily heating schedules (the unit allows you to set 6 slots per day) using a mobile app. This way, you can set your heating so it meets your needs best and saves you some money.

• Geo-fencing

Just like with the Nest thermostat, the Hive mobile app uses your location and turns the heating on/off, depending on whether you are home or away. If the device recognises you are out of your home, it will remind you to turn it off.

• Frost protection

Once the temperature drops below 7 degrees Celsius, the device will activate frost protection and prevent your pipes from freezing.

How do I know the Hive thermostat is compatible with my boiler?

Hive is compatible with most heating systems, including electric, oil, gas and LPG boilers. However, we still recommend checking their official website for more precise information.

Can you install the Hive thermostat yourself?

If you have some wiring knowledge, the answer is yes. Still, if you want to make sure everything is set up correctly, contact British Gas and one of their Gas Safe engineers will carry out the installation for you.

Final verdict

The Hive thermostat lacks some features the Nest smart thermostat provides, but it still boasts the ultimate efficiency, sleek design and simple interface.

3. Honeywell T6 Smart Thermostat

Here’s another stellar smart thermostat designed by Honeywell, an industry-leading brand with a long-standing reputation. Their T6 thermostat features:

• Good compatibility with digital devices, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Apple Homekit, Apple Watch and IFTT,
• 2-year warranty,
• £150,
• Limited wireless compatibility.

Here’s an in-depth overview of the T6’s other useful features:

• Geo-fencing

Just like its counterparts, the T6 comes with location-based temperature control that makes it easy to adjust the temperature in your home from afar. The device will automatically adjust the heating based on your location. It can even start heating your home once it detects you are getting nearer.

• Heating schedules

You can schedule your 7-day heating via the Honeywell app and make sure the temperature in your home is just how you like it. You can also schedule it remotely, just in case your plans change when you are away from home.

• Programmable and flexible

The T6 gives you a myriad of options and takes responsibility for helping you save energy and money. It sets temperature based on the temperature outdoors, time of the day and your heating demands.

Can you install the Honeywell thermostat yourself?

Due to its limited wireless capability, wiring it into your boiler should be carried out by a professional. This is not a DIY type of task.

Final verdict

If you are looking for a smart thermostat that combines great features and a budget-friendly price, the Honeywell T6 could be the one that ticks all the boxes for you.

4. tado° V3 Smart Thermostat

tado° might not sound over familiar as a brand, as it is a recently established company, but their V3 smart thermostat is already working its way through the market. Let’s see some of its basic specs:

• Convenient installation,
• Wireless,
• Compatible with digital devices as well as Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit,
• 2-year warranty,
• £150,
• Requires a subscription for some features.

Let’s look at some of the tado° V3’s distinct, standout features:

• Zonal heating control

The tado° V3 allows you to remotely control the temperature in your home. However, that’s not what brings the wow factor to this device. The V3 allows you to control your boiler and radiators in separate rooms. We love this feature! If your kids like their rooms warmer than the rest of the house, you can turn up the heating in their rooms only. This is called zonal heating.

Another benefit of zonal heating is that you don’t have to heat the whole house. For instance, you don’t have to heat guest rooms when you have no guests over. This can bring a notable difference in your energy use and save you money.

• Smart scheduling

This is one of the standard features but still worth mentioning. Set your 7-day heating schedule from afar and control the heat output through the day, no matter if you are home or away.

• Geofencing

The V3 turns off heating as soon as you start moving away from your home. This prevents wasting energy and reduces your monthly bills. As soon as the device detects you are coming back, it will adjust the temperature to your usual preference.

However, the biggest drawback of the V3 is that it requires paying a monthly subscription to enjoy the convenience of geofencing as well as its open-window detection feature. If you don’t sign up to the monthly subscription, you will have no other choice but to set it all manually.

• Smart reporting

But going back to impressive features, the V3 gives you access to smart reports. These reports include information such as your heating preferences, energy-saving data, weather activity, etc. This way, you can get a better grasp of your heating needs and consumption so you can, eventually, re-adjust some of the settings.

Can you install the V3 thermostat yourself?

Approximately 95% of customers can install their tado° V3 thermostat without anyone’s help. This is one of the simplest smart thermostats to install if you would like to save the money you would pay someone else to do this for you.

Final verdict

The tado° V3 is a very attractive, super-useful and truly innovative thermostat that can make heating your home during the winter months a breeze. If you don’t mind paying the subscription, then this little one could be your best bet for the upcoming period.

5. Salus IT500 Internet Controlled Thermostat

The Salus IT500 allows you to control hot water and heating via your phone, PC or tablet using the Internet. This smart gadget uses some of the best features and the latest technologies, which makes it highly energy-efficient. Some of its basic specs include:

• Effortless installation,
• Compatible with digital devices,
• Wireless,
• 5-year warranty,
• £88.

You can see it lacks compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google Home but it comes at a super-affordable price. What else does the Salus IT500 have to offer?

• Zonal heating

You can use the Salus IT500 to control hot water, heating or both, and heat different zones (rooms) in your home. This gives you a complete temperature control via the app from wherever you are, contributes to greater energy efficacy and reduces heating bills at the same time.

• Programmable heating profiles

The Salus IT500 really gives you options. You can choose between 6 heating and 3 hot water controls, which sets it apart from its counterparts.

• Automatic frost protection

If your pipes are not insulated properly, there’s a great chance frost will make them burst as soon as the temperature reaches a critical point. Thanks to the automatic frost protection, you can rest assured the Salus IT500 will switch the heating on when it gets icy outside and prevent damage and costly repairs.

Can you install the Salus IT500 thermostat yourself?

Absolutely! Simply connect the device to the Internet, download the app to your phone, and you will be able to start using it right away.

Final verdict

If you are looking for an innovative, yet not overly fancy smart thermostat, the Salus IT500 could meet your expectations.

Summary

If the idea of having control over your energy use and monthly bills entices you, then a smart thermostat can take you there. We have listed the top 5 best smart thermostats in the UK and highlighted all of the features that might interest you so you can compare products and make up your mind about the right choice.

In our opinion, the Nest smart thermostat would be any home owner’s best bet. What’s even better is that it is compatible with Worcester boilers and other boilers we install so you can order your new boiler and your smart thermostat today! Book a quote or contact us today for more info!