Buying guides
Understand the choice before you compare products.
Smart Heating · 5 min read
Hubs and bridges: the hidden extra cost of smart heating
Which smart thermostats and radiator valves need a hub or bridge, what they cost, and when you can skip them.
Updated 6 November 2026 · Draft
Home Security · 6 min read
Choosing a home security camera in the UK
Indoor or outdoor, battery or plug-in, what recordings cost each year, Wi-Fi at the far end of the garden, and the privacy rules for cameras that see beyond your boundary.
Updated 5 November 2026 · Draft
Smart Heating · 8 min read
How to choose a smart thermostat for a UK home
Boiler type, wiring, OpenTherm and subscriptions — the four checks that decide which smart thermostat suits your home.
Updated 5 November 2026 · Draft
Home Security · 7 min read
How to choose a video doorbell for a UK home
Battery or wired, whether your chime still rings, what recordings really cost each year, Wi-Fi, and the privacy rules for filming beyond your front door.
Updated 5 November 2026 · Draft
Smart Heating · 5 min read
OpenTherm explained for UK boiler owners
What OpenTherm does, how to tell if your boiler supports it, and which smart thermostats can use it.
Updated 5 November 2026 · Draft
Smart Heating · 6 min read
Smart controls for heat pumps
Why heat pumps need different controls from boilers, and what to check before you buy a smart thermostat or optimiser.
Updated 5 November 2026 · Draft
Smart Heating · 5 min read
What does it cost to heat a UK home with gas?
A plain-English way to estimate your gas heating cost at the current Ofgem price cap, and what smarter controls could change.
Updated 5 November 2026 · Draft
Smart Heating · 6 min read
Smart heating for renters
Upgrades you can make without rewiring, what to ask your landlord, and what to take with you when you move.
Updated 4 November 2026 · Draft
Smart Heating · 6 min read
Do smart radiator valves save money?
Where room-by-room control helps, where it doesn't, and how valves work alongside a smart thermostat.
Updated 3 November 2026 · Draft