How smart controls can control your heating costs

With UK homeowners now facing an average increase in their energy bills of £600+ a year, it is time to seriously think about how to save energy in the home. One highly effective way to reduce the amount of unnecessary heating you use is to add smart controls into the mix. We take a closer look at how they can help you to control your costs.

Which smart controller should I choose?

There are now a number of smart controls available to homeowners, and even when you have made the decision to go smart, it can be difficult deciding which system to choose. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, and your may be limited by the type of boiler you operate. Read on to learn more about the different systems and what to consider.

Nest by Google

Google Nest is one of the best-recognised and most trusted brands when it comes to smart home technology. With over 11 million units sold to date, Nest has established itself firmly as the market leader in intelligent home technology. The Nest brand was acquired by Google in 2014 and has become a firm favourite for millions of users, largely due to it’s compatibility with the broader range of smart home functionality that Google now offers, with the Google Home system at the heart of it all.

Google’s smart home technology adheres to a simple principle - helping your home take care of you. Thanks to this philosophy, homeowners can benefit froma device that actually saves energy - and therefore money - all by itself.

As an experienced Nest Pro Installer, D.R. Plumbing & Heating can get your new boiler set up and running with the latest generation Nest Learning Thermostat and make sure that you are all set up to get the most savings out of this simple, stylish and innovative device. As well as saving you money by optimising your heating to fit your habits, features include voice control, remote control via the Nest app and compatibility with other Nest home products. With a large, bright display, it is user friendly for everybody.

Worcester Bosch Smart Controllers

Worcester Bosch’s latest generation of smart boiler controllers are a powerful alternative to Nest systems. The new range of Worcester Bosch controls allow you to take advantage of features such as smart, internet-connected programmable control for central heating and hot water which can be operated using a smartphone or tablet, as well as innovative programming that enables it to have an ‘intelligent conversation’ with the boiler and take advantage of advanced control features such as weather and load compensation.

Are Worcester Bosch smart controllers compatible with Alexa?

One of the big advantages for those heating their homes with Worcester Bosch boilers is that their smart home technology is also now fully compatible with Alexa. This means that when partnered with a Bosch smart thermostat, you can adjust the temperature of your home via voice command and create your very own feel-good climate. If you want to get even more specific, different rooms or ‘zones’ can be controlled independently - great if you like a cooler bedroom but a warm and cosy bathroom, for example.

Hive

Like the Nest system, Hive supports something called geofencing, meaning it is able to track your GPS location on a smartphone. This means that your smart thermostat knows when the property is empty and when you return home, and can adjust your heating accordingly, helping to avoid wasting energy by heating an empty home. Check our earlier article for a more in-depth comparison of the Hive and Nest systems.

Tado

The Worcester Bosch Greenstar boiler range is also designed to be tado° compatible, meaning you can get a smart heating system up and running quickly and easily. Available in both a wired and wireless version, the tado° Smart Thermostat helps you to save energy and maximize comfort and works with both central and underfloor heating.

With the Smart Schedule, tado° lets you plan your desired day and night time temperatures in time blocks based on your routine, while its Geofencing feature reminds you to turn down the heating when the last person leaves home and to turn it up in time for the first person’s arrival. Tado° also detects open windows and reminds you to turn down your heating to save more energy. Other features are also available.

Concerned by the energy price rise? Speak to our boiler experts today to learn more about how you can keep your bills as low as possible. Call D. R. Plumbing & Heating today on Wrexham 01978 291 923 or Mold 01352 620 125.