10 Best Smart Thermostats 2023 UK | The Sun
SMART thermostats can save you time and money when used correctly, and they can be a great investment for the home.
But with so many options, it can be hard to pick out the best smart thermostat to suit you.
We've put together a guide to the different options – read on to find out more.
Do smart thermostats really save you money?
Yes, but only when used correctly.
Most people know that smart thermostats can be used to adjust your home’s heating and cooling system remotely.
Some of the more advanced systems will check whether you’re home, and will send you alerts if you’re not in but the heating is still on.
As you’re less likely to waste energy heating or cooling your home when you don’t need it, you should save money in the long run.
But the best smart thermostats will constantly monitor your home and self adjust to your routine.
It means you don’t have to check for alerts yourself all the time.
To get you started, we’ve found some of the most popular models around.
Best smart thermostats at a glance:
- Best overall: Hive Mini thermostat
- Best self-adjusting thermostat: Google Nest learning thermostat
- Best wired thermostat: Tado V3+ wired smart thermostat starter kit
- Best for simplicity: Google Nest Thermostat E
- Best starter kit: Honeywell Home evohome starter kit
- Best for larger homes: Honeywell Home evohome Wi-Fi connected value pack B
- Best for smart homes: Drayton by Schneider electric multi-zone smart thermostat kit
- Best budget option: Bosch Smart Home room thermostat
- Best for style: Netatmo smart thermostat
- Best for accessibility: Wunda room thermostat
Best overall: Hive Mini thermostat
- Hive Mini thermostat, £119 from Hive Home – buy here
Hive is one of the most well known brands for smart thermostats and the Mini is their smaller, more budget-friendly option.
It’s still pretty versatile; the device is compatible with most gas and LPG boilers as well as some oil and electric boilers.
And with geolocation sensors, it knows when you’re out of the house and will remind you to switch off the heating.
Key specs – Control: app, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant; Scheduling: yes; Installation: professional recommended
Best self-adjusting thermostat: Google Nest learning thermostat
- Google Nest learning thermostat, £199 from Argos – buy here
If you’re looking for a device that will do most of the controls for you, try this Google Nest learning thermostat.
After just a week’s use, it’ll learn your routines and habits and start adjusting controls for you.
Even better, this device will show your home’s energy use without you having to subscribe to any additional services so it’s even easier to see when you’re using the most energy.
Key specs – Control: app, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant; Scheduling: yes; Installation: DIY friendly
Best wired thermostat: Tado V3+ wired smart thermostat starter kit
- Tado V3+ wired smart thermostat starter kit, £179.99 from Amazon – buy here
If you’re looking for a smart thermostat to replace your existing wired set up, try this one from Tado.
It transforms your wired system into one you can control using your smartphone or by using voice commands.
And thanks to sensors that detect when a window is open or when temperatures outside are higher than usual, you’ll know exactly when temperatures in your home should be adjusted to save energy.
Key specs – Control: app, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant; Scheduling: yes; Installation: DIY friendly
Best for simplicity: Google Nest Thermostat E
- Google Nest Thermostat E, £143.99 from Argos – buy here
The Google Nest Thermostat E is one of the more budget-friendly smart thermostats around.
However, it’s only possible to control it via the app and not with systems like Amazon Alexa.
But if you’re looking for a no-frills model that’s still smart enough to know when everyone’s left the house then this is a great option to consider.
Key specs – Control: app; Scheduling: yes; Installation: DIY friendly
Best starter kit: Honeywell Home evohome starter kit
- Honeywell Home evohome starter kit, £679.99 from The Smart Thermostat Shop – buy here
Designed for radiators, this starter kit comes with a smart thermostat as well as five radiator controllers.
It means you can create different temperature zones in your home with minimal effort.
Once linked up, you can create schedules using the dedicated app and even change the temperature from your smartwatch.
Key specs – Control: app, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant; Scheduling: yes; Installation: DIY friendly
Best for larger homes: Honeywell Home evohome Wi-Fi connected value pack B
- Honeywell Home evohome Wi-Fi connected value pack B, £899.99 from The Smart Thermostat Shop – buy here
With eight radiator controllers, this starter kit is ideal for bigger homes.
Each of the controllers will display the current temperature when in use so you can see it at a glance.
The WiFi-enabled device can also be managed via its dedicated app and will sync up to your smart devices as well.
Key specs – Control: app, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant; Scheduling: yes; Installation: DIY friendly
Best for smart homes: Drayton by Schneider electric multi-zone smart thermostat kit
- Drayton by Schneider electric multi-zone smart thermostat kit, £269.95 from Amazon – buy here
This kit is designed to work with combi boilers and comes with two radiator controllers to get you started.
But unlike other systems where the focus is only on temperature control, you can integrate this option into a smart home set up.
Once connected, you’ll be able to use just one app to control everything, from temperature to the lighting in your home.
Key specs – Control: app, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant; Scheduling: yes; Installation: DIY friendly
Best budget option: Bosch Smart Home room thermostat
- Bosch Smart Home room thermostat, £55.71 from Amazon – buy here
The Bosch Smart Home room thermostat is designed to be used with the Bosch Smart Home controller, which you’ll need to purchase separately.
The controller links the thermostat to Bosch thermostatic radiator valves so you can adjust the temperature in your home via the app.
The battery-powered device will also monitor the humidity levels in your home so you know when you need to open a window.
Key specs – Control: app, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant; Scheduling: yes; Installation: DIY friendly
Best for style: Netatmo smart thermostat
- Netatmo smart thermostat, £140.50 from Amazon – buy here
This Philippe Starck-designed smart thermostat is used to control your boiler, allowing you to adjust the temperature of your home by switching it on or off.
It has colourful stripes on the side that can be replaced so the device matches your home.
You also have the option of mounting it or using it as a desktop display.
Key specs – Control: Apple Homekit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant; Scheduling: yes; Installation: DIY friendly
Best for accessibility: Wunda room thermostat
- Wunda room thermostat, £80 from Wunda Smart – buy here
Designed to be used with other WundaSmart heating controls, such as WundaSmart radiator heads, this thermostat allows you to create up to 30 temperature zones in your home.
It learns how long a room takes to heat up so if you schedule your room to be warmed to a certain temperature at a certain time, it will adjust the radiator to make sure that happens.
And thanks to the E-ink display, you can read the temperature from anywhere in the room without using up extra energy for backlighting.
Key specs – Control: app; Scheduling: yes; Installation: DIY friendly
How do smart thermostats work?
The functions on smart thermostats vary so how they work can also differ.
Most will connect to your boiler or radiator via your home wifi.
It will monitor the temperature in your home and automatically adjust this depending on your preferences.
Most will allow you to schedule and adjust the temperature from an app on your smartphone – although some are also compatible with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.
How to install a smart thermostat
Always refer to the instructions that come with your smart thermostat as some will require professional installation by an electrician while others are DIY friendly.
DIY friendly models are usually battery powered and you don’t need to mount them.
You’ll usually need to get another gadget, such as a smart radiator valve, and link these together via your home wifi.
Then it’s just a case of setting up the app or other smart controller on your phone and then adjusting the schedules according to your preferences.
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