However, you won't get the 'smarter' functions or complete heating control that's possible with a smart thermostat and smart radiator valve setup. Installation of the Evohome system is a little more involved than with some other smart thermostats available due to the fact that each radiator in your house needs to be fitted with an individual thermostat.

The ability to smartly control the valves. But as we’ve seen, the current integration options are poor. If I could integrate smart valves into an ecobee thermostat, I think I’d run out and buy a full smart heating system. But right now that’s just not possible, so I don’t really see the benefit of having ‘smart’ radiator valves. Those with a poorly insulated home If heat easily leaks out your house, installing loft insulation or double glazing first will improve the energy efficiency of your home, and give greater savings than installing smart valves One of the major draws of Evohome is that it can control not only radiators, but, with additional kit, hot water and underfloor heating. Our installer found it hilarious that our flat was so small we only needed to have three radiators hooked up – the Evohome is designed for big houses with complex heating and hot water systems. In contrast to the hardware, the app is beautifully designed. It’s very clearly laid out, with color coding for temperatures allowing you to identify at a glance the temperature for each room of your house. PerformanceYou can easily set up heating schedules. For example, the heating can be turned off in all the rooms but the office during the day, and then be turned on low in the bedrooms and higher in the living room during the evening. Configuration of the TRVs is super flexible, and multiple units can be combined into a single zone. This is particularly handy if you’ve got rooms with multiple radiators. The Honeywell Evohome delivers brilliantly on its gambit: making zonal temperature control child’s play. If all you’re looking for is a system that allows you total control over the temperature of your house, even when you’re not there, get this one. The third-party smart TRVs reviewed here all do much the same thing, it is the control thermostat that is the most important choice. The Honeywell EvoHome is suited for much larger properties. All six other thermostats are compatible with the vast majority of heating systems (old and new boilers) and will operate the boiler efficiently based on a learned pattern of when you need heat. require a combined programmer and thermostat with an ‘advanced’ energy saving feature. Namely: weather compensation, load compensation or smart controls that combine automation and optimisation features. (Or you can fit a flue gas recovery unit.) New installations of a heat only or system boiler:

Control valves remotely You don't have to go to each room to change the settings like traditional thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) Neither of the boiler manufacturer's smart TRVs are compatible with home automation devices such as Alexa, IFTTT and Google Home. Many homeowners already have thermostatic radiator valves (TRV's) fitted and rather than go to the inconvenience and expense of changing each thermostatic valve body (not to mention the required draining of the heating system), Honeywell have made their HR92UK Radiator Controllers compatable with most existing TRV's which also use the standard M30 x 1.5mm threaded body.

Resideo products create the supported home

If you use the boiler manufacturer's own smart TRVs you only have to deal with one manufacturer for all your heating system products But like all technology, it ultimately comes down to what you need from your heating controls and how you plan to use it. If you're unlikely to use smart valves to reduce how often your heating is on you're unlikely to save money in the long run. Smart radiator valve pros Other brands, including Tado, Netatmo, Eve and Energenie did not provide us with specific information on update support periods. The starter kit shared here contains both a smart thermostat and radiator valve, you only need one thermostat per home so it’s easily expandable with additional radiator valves. The valves have a heat on-demand feature that will come in handy when the Hive thermostat is installed along with it. As designed, the valve will boost the thermostat as and when required in the room.

Those that won't use the smart features If you're likely to forget to use the app, or unlikely use the extra features to change how you currently heat their home, the amount you'll save on heating will be less If you plan to fit smart radiator valves, you’ll need to ensure they are compatible with your existing heating system:

Choose Smart, Give Back

So, if your home is cold, but you're scared about increasing your heating bills, here's our round up of the most popular smart radiator valves, including models from Netatmo, Tado and Eve. Many homes already have thermostatic radiator valves (or TRVs for short) on their radiators. They work by detecting the temperature of the room, and turn the radiator on or off depending on whether the room needs heating up or not. When it comes to the features, one that stands out is Geofencing. Using the location on your phone, it notifies you to turn down the heat when the last person has left or turned it up when a person is expected to arrive. Moreover, the heating can be regulated automatically with the auto-assist skill. However, if you don't own a smartphone or don't like using one, you're unlikely to get the full benefit out of a smart radiator valve. You can change the settings remotely You don't have to go round your whole home changing each valve's settings, if you want to heat rooms differently.