How we research

Last reviewed 5 November 2026

Two labels, used honestly

Researched — based on the manufacturer’s UK product page, installation documents and official specifications, with the main sources listed and dated on the page. We say clearly that we have not used the product: this is documentary research, not hands-on testing.
Tested — used only when we have genuinely installed and used the product. The page then shows when and how it was tested. Our website cannot label a product “Tested” without a recorded test.

Step by step

Find the product sold for UK homes, with its exact name and model.
Read the official sources — the manufacturer’s UK product page, specifications and documents. We record the address and the date we checked.
Check whether it suits UK homes. For heating: combi, system and regular boilers, heat pumps, OpenTherm and wiring. For doorbells and cameras: battery or wired power, existing chimes, Wi-Fi band and upload speed, indoor or outdoor use. For everything: what renters can fit. Where the manufacturer doesn’t say something, we write “not stated” rather than guess.
Add up the real cost — price, delivery when the shop states it, any subscription (required or needed to keep recordings), and anything else you must buy, such as a hub or bridge. We show a three-year cost so subscriptions are not hidden.
Find the same product at other UK shops. We only treat two listings as the same product when the model, pack contents or barcode (EAN/GTIN) match.
Rank on the criteria published on each list, then add shop links.

Every product page shows which of the two labels applies. We use software tools, including AI, to help gather information and draft text; the important facts are checked against the official sources before a page is published.

How we rank

Each ranking page publishes its criteria and their weights — for example compatibility with UK heating systems, three-year cost including any plan needed to keep recordings, installation flexibility and warranty. Commission is never a ranking factor. Commission information is stored separately from our editorial data and the ranking code never reads it.

Prices and shops

We show a price only when it comes from a page we can verify — the manufacturer’s own UK shop or a UK retailer’s product page — with the date and time it was checked.
Where several shops sell the same product, offers are sorted by price, with in-stock offers first. If a shop doesn’t show stock or delivery, we say “stock not stated” or “delivery not stated” rather than assume.
Prices older than 14 days are hidden automatically.
If we cannot verify a price, we say so and link to the official product page instead.
We call something a deal only when we can show it is below the product’s usual price. Until we have a reliable price history, we don’t show deals.
Prices are checked one product page at a time, with AI-assisted tools under our supervision. We don’t run bulk automated price scrapers, and we never get round a shop’s access controls, such as “prove you are human” checks. In future, prices may come from data feeds that shops or affiliate networks provide for this purpose.

Manufacturer claims

When a manufacturer publishes savings or battery-life figures (for example “up to 30%” or “up to 6 months”), we show them as the manufacturer’s claim, never as our finding.

Images

We only use product images supplied through a channel that allows it, such as an approved affiliate programme or a manufacturer’s media terms. Until then, product pages do not show product photos.

What we never do

Invent reviews, ratings, testers or experiences
Accept payment for a position in a ranking
Use inflated “was” prices or false urgency