8 Features of Modern Smart Thermostats

Thermostats used to have one fairly simple job.

You would turn a dial, pick a temperature and wait for your home to heat up.

Today’s smart thermostats can do much more, but not all models have the same features.

A UK Government-published report notes that smart thermostats with more sophisticated controls may deliver energy cost savings of around 12.5%. Actual savings, however, depend on the property, heating system, previous controls and how effectively the thermostat is used.

Whether a smart thermostat will work for you also depends on your boiler, heating system and any other smart devices you have.

So, if you are interested in bringing your home’s heating controls into the 21st century, here are eight of the most useful features of modern smart thermostats.

1. Heating Control From Your Phone

One of the biggest benefits of a smart thermostat is remote control.

After connecting your thermostat to your home’s Wi-Fi network, you can usually control it with an app on your smart device.

You may be able to:

• Turn the heating on or off
• Change the target temperature
• Adjust your heating schedule
• Check the current temperature
• Boost the heating temporarily

This comes in handy if your routine suddenly changes.

Just because you can control your thermostat remotely doesn’t mean your energy bills will automatically go down.

But it does give you more chances to turn off the heating when no one is home.

2. Custom Heating Schedules

Traditional heating programmers often allow you to set one or two heating periods each day.

Smart thermostats are usually much more flexible.

Many models allow you to set different temperatures for:

• Early mornings
• Working hours
• Evenings
• Overnight periods
• Weekdays
• Weekends

This means your heating doesn’t have to follow the same schedule every day.

A good schedule can stop your boiler from running when it’s not needed. It also makes your home more comfortable by matching the heating to your daily routine.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, heating and hot water make up over half of a typical UK home’s energy use. Suitable heating controls, including thermostats, programmers and radiator valves, can help you heat your home only when necessary.

3. Learning And Heating Optimisation

Some smart thermostats learn your habits and how your home heats up.

For example, the thermostat may learn:

• How long does your home take to reach a chosen temperature
• How quickly individual rooms lose heat
• When do you usually turn the heating up or down
• Which temperatures do you prefer at different times

Instead of turning the boiler on at the same time every day, the thermostat can figure out when to start heating.

Products available through WarmZilla offer similar scheduling and optimisation features.

For example, the Salus iT800 Smart Thermostat includes optimum start and stop functions, allowing it to adjust when heating operates to better meet your schedule.

The Hive MINI Smart Thermostat also lets you create heating schedules and make adjustments through the Hive app. This gives you greater control over when your home warms up, even when your routine changes.

Rather than just switching on and off, a smart thermostat can decide when your heating should run.

4. Geolocation And Presence Detection

Have you ever left home and wondered whether you remembered to turn off the heating?

Some modern smart thermostats use geolocation or presence detection to help.

Geolocation uses the position of your smartphone to recognise when you have left home or are returning. Depending on the thermostat and its settings, it may send you a reminder or automatically adjust the heating.

Presence detection can use compatible sensors or smart-home devices to identify whether someone is at home.

These features can help you avoid heating an empty house, but you’ll need to set them up carefully if several people live at home.

You wouldn’t want the heating to turn off just because one person went shopping while everyone else stayed home.

With Hive’s device, they offer geolocation alerts that can remind users when they have gone out and left the heating running.

5. Multi-Zone Heating Control

An older single thermostat measures the temperature in one part of your home.

This can be a problem since rooms often heat up at different rates. For example, a sunny living room might be warm, but a north-facing bedroom could stay cold.

Some smart heating systems support multiple zones through additional thermostats, zone valves or smart thermostatic radiator valves.

This lets you set different temperatures and schedules for each area.

For example, you could:

• Heat bedrooms in the morning and evening
• Lower the temperature in unused rooms
• Warm a home office during working hours
• Keep the living room comfortable in the evening

Zoned heating gives you more control, but your options depend on your plumbing, boiler and the smart system you choose.

Smart radiator valves are useful, but just installing them everywhere won’t always make your system efficient. Planning is important.

6. Load Compensation And Weather Compensation

Some advanced thermostats do more than just turn the boiler on or off.

They can talk to a compatible boiler and adjust how much it heats.

Load Compensation

Load compensation monitors the difference between the current room temperature and the target temperature.

When the home is cold, the boiler may initially work harder. As the property approaches the required temperature, the control can reduce the boiler’s flow temperature.

Weather Compensation

Weather compensation adjusts the heating system according to the outdoor temperature.

During mild weather, your home may only need relatively low-temperature water circulating through its radiators. When outdoor temperatures fall, the system can raise the flow temperature.

Both features can help condensing boilers run more efficiently and keep your home’s temperature steadier.

Under Boiler Plus standards in England, certain new combi boiler installations must include an additional energy-saving measure. These options include load compensation, weather compensation or qualifying smart controls with automation and optimisation.

But it’s important to make sure your thermostat and boiler are compatible.

Jargon Buster: OpenTherm communication
A standard communications protocol used in central heating systems for two-way communication between a boiler and a room thermostat. It allows the boiler to modulate its heat output instead of just turning on or off, leading to greater efficiency.

Features such as OpenTherm communication will only work when both products support the required control system.

7. Energy Reports And Usage Insights

It’s hard to cut down on wasted heating if you can’t see when it happens.

Many smart thermostat apps show you reports about how you’ve used your heating.

Depending on the system, these may include:

• Daily or weekly heating activity
• Changes in your heating patterns
• Comparisons with previous periods
• Estimated energy use
• Suggested schedule adjustments
• Energy-saving tips

These reports might not show your exact gas costs. Your final bill also depends on your tariff, standing charge, boiler efficiency, hot water use and the weather.

Still, heating reports can help you spot useful patterns.

You may discover that the heating runs for several hours after everybody leaves for work.

Or you might see that keeping the temperature too high at night is costing you more than you realised.

Energy reports are most useful when you use them to make smart changes.

8. Holiday Modes, Frost Protection And Smart Alerts

Modern thermostats often include protective and convenience features for times when your normal schedule does not apply.

Holiday Mode

Holiday mode lets you reduce your heating while you are away without changing your regular schedule.

You can usually enter your departure and return dates. The thermostat then maintains a lower temperature before returning to its normal programme when you come home.

Frost Protection

Frost protection helps prevent indoor temperatures from falling low enough to place vulnerable pipes at risk during cold weather.

This is especially helpful in empty homes or during winter holidays.

Smart Alerts

Depending on the model, your thermostat may also alert you about:

• Unusually low or high temperatures
• A loss of internet connection
• Heating that has been left running
• Possible problems with the heating system
• Low batteries in connected devices

Some smart thermostats also work with voice assistants and wider smart-home systems. This can let you adjust the temperature using a voice command or include the heating in household routines.

For example, a “goodnight” routine might turn off downstairs lights, lock compatible doors and lower the target temperature.

Holiday mode, frost protection, voice control, heating boost and geolocation alerts are all available on certain current smart thermostat systems.

But the exact features depend on the model and might need extra equipment or a subscription.

Can a Smart Thermostat Lower Your Heating Bills?

A smart thermostat won’t lower the price of energy.

It also can’t make up for poor insulation, an old boiler or radiators that aren’t balanced.

Instead, it helps you manage your heating more precisely.

The potential savings will depend on:

• How did you control your heating previously
• Your household routine
• The thermostat settings you choose
• The size and efficiency of your home
• Your boiler and heating system
• Whether you use the smart features properly

If you already have an efficient heating schedule, you might not notice much change. But if you often leave the heating on when no one’s home, you could save more.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, installing a programmer, room thermostat, and thermostatic radiator valves could save a household around £110 a year. However, this estimate applies to a complete set of heating controls rather than a smart thermostat alone.

So, be wary of any company that promises guaranteed savings for every home.

An Engineer’s View

Upgrading to a smart thermostat is one of the most effective ways to take control of your energy usage and lower your bills without sacrificing comfort. Always check your boiler’s compatibility first to ensure you can unlock advanced features like load and weather compensation.

– Matthew Powell, Engineer

Is Every Smart Thermostat Compatible With Every Boiler?

No, not every smart thermostat works with every boiler.

Smart thermostat compatibility can depend on:

• The type of boiler
• The age of the heating system
• Existing wiring
• Whether you have a hot water cylinder
• The number of heating zones
• The boiler’s communication protocol
• Whether you use a heat pump
• Other installed heating controls

A thermostat may provide basic on-and-off control with one boiler but offer more advanced functions with another.

Heat pumps need the right controls too. Systems that run at lower temperatures shouldn’t always be managed like a traditional gas boiler.

That’s why you should check compatibility before buying a thermostat just because you like its app, look, or voice control features.

Choosing the Right Smart Thermostat

The best smart thermostat isn’t always the one with the most features.

It’s the one that works well with your heating system and makes your home easier to manage.

Before choosing one, consider:

• Which features will you actually use
• Whether you need hot water control
• Whether you want separate heating zones
• Compatibility with your boiler or heat pump
• Any subscription charges
• Whether professional installation is required
• Compatibility with existing smart-home devices

If this list feels overwhelming, we’re here to help.

We Can Always Do The Technical Decision-Making

At WarmZilla, we handle the technical decision-making.

When you order a new boiler through WarmZilla, our heating professionals can assess the system and help ensure that the controls are suitable for your home.

This means you don’t have to worry about figuring out communication protocols, wiring diagrams, or thermostat compatibility on your own.

Complete WarmZilla’s online boiler survey to receive a fixed-price quote for a professionally installed heating system and suitable controls.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can A Smart Thermostat Reduce My Heating Bills?

A smart thermostat may help reduce heating waste by improving schedules, remote control and temperature management.

However, savings depend on your previous controls, property, heating system and how effectively you use its features.

Will Every Smart Thermostat Work With My Boiler?

No. Compatibility depends on your boiler type, existing wiring, heating zones and communication protocol.

Some thermostats provide only basic control with certain boilers, while others support advanced functions such as modulation.

Do Smart Thermostats Work If The Internet Goes Down?

Most smart thermostats continue to provide basic heating control if the internet connection fails.

However, app control, remote adjustments, and some automated features may remain unavailable until the connection is restored.