SMARTER HOME SAVINGS

HEAT

If you’re serious about saving energy, start with your heating: it accounts for more than half the energy the average UK household uses. Assuming your home is well insulated – if it isn’t, there may be grants to help – there are three factors you can control, and that smart devices can make more efficient.

The first and most obvious one is the room temperature. A smart thermostat can set a precise temperature and shut off the heating when it’s reached, just like a standard one, but some go further: smart radiator valves from the likes of Hive, Tado and Netatmo can recognise a sudden temperature drop, such as someone opening the windows, and turn the temperature down in that specific room.

Those smart valves can also ensure that you’re not heating empty rooms. While standard thermostatic valves enable you to set the maximum temperature, that’s all they offer. Smart radiator valves can be kept off when a particular room doesn’t need heat, so for example if you’re all watching TV there’s no need to have the heating on in empty bedrooms or the kitchen. You can create different schedules for different rooms, and set the