Smart Heating
Smart Heating for UK homes
Smart heating controls switch your heating on only when and where it is needed. The right choice depends on your boiler or heat pump, your wiring and whether you own or rent.
Choose a type
Smart thermostats
Whole-home control. The best place to start.
Best picks →Smart radiator valves
Room-by-room control for homes with radiators.
Best picks →Heat-pump controls
Controls suited to low-temperature heat-pump systems.
Best picks →Energy monitors & smart plugs
See where your electricity goes, appliance by appliance.
Best picks →Our picks at a glance
- Smart thermostatstado° Wireless Smart Thermostat X Starter Kit (with Hot Water Control and OpenTherm) — Relay or OpenTherm, hot water control, listed for heat pumps, and no separate bridge needed.See why
- Smart radiator valvesWiser by Drayton Radiator Thermostat (2nd Generation) — £59.99, 3-year warranty, more than 2 years stated battery life.See why
- Heat-pump controlstado° Heat Pump Optimizer X UK — Made for air-to-water, water-to-water and geothermal heat pumps.See why
- Energy monitors & smart plugsGlow (Hildebrand) Glow Display and CAD — Live smart-meter data with open API and MQTT access.See why
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Popular comparisons
Head-to-head on cost, compatibility and features
tado° vs Hive vs Wiser smart radiator thermostatsHead-to-head on cost, compatibility and features
tado° Smart Thermostat X Starter Kit vs Hive Thermostat MiniHead-to-head on cost, compatibility and features
Wiser 1 Channel vs 2 Channel kit: which suits your boiler?Head-to-head on cost, compatibility and features
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Guides
Do smart radiator valves save money?
Where room-by-room control helps, where it doesn't, and how valves work alongside a smart thermostat.
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.
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.
OpenTherm explained for UK boiler owners
What OpenTherm does, how to tell if your boiler supports it, and which smart thermostats can use it.
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.
Smart heating for renters
Upgrades you can make without rewiring, what to ask your landlord, and what to take with you when you move.
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.
Common questions
Do smart thermostats work with combi boilers?
Most do. Combi boilers are the most common type in UK homes, and nearly every smart thermostat sold in the UK supports them. Check whether your boiler supports OpenTherm, which allows finer control. Our boiler checker walks you through it.
Do I need an engineer to fit one?
Many smart thermostats are designed for DIY installation if you are replacing an existing wired thermostat or programmer. If you are unsure about the wiring, use a qualified installer. Any work on the gas side of a boiler must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Will a smart thermostat lower my bills?
It can, mainly by avoiding heating an empty home and by giving you better schedules. Savings depend on your home, your habits and how you used your heating before, so we show savings as a range rather than a promise.