Hive Radiator Control UK7004240

A smart thermostat is a room thermostat that connects to the internet, so you can set schedules and change the temperature from a phone app. This category covers smart thermostats and their stands, multi-zone kits with smart radiator heads, hubs and signal boosters, plus some smart home smoke and carbon monoxide sensors.

Choosing the right version

• Heating only: suits a combi boiler, which heats hot water as you use it and has no cylinder to control.
• Heating and hot water: suits a boiler that heats a separate hot water cylinder, so you can schedule and boost the hot water too.
• Multi-zone: extra thermostats, or battery-powered smart radiator heads that fit most standard valve bodies, let rooms or zones follow their own schedules.

Compatibility and installation

Many kits have three parts: the thermostat, a receiver wired at the boiler, and a hub plugged into your broadband router. A signal booster plugged in between can help where a device struggles to connect. Check boiler compatibility before buying. Some boilers support OpenTherm, a digital link that lets the boiler turn its output down to match demand; check the boiler documentation.

Regulations

In England, when a gas combi boiler is installed in an existing home, Approved Document L expects at least one extra energy efficiency measure, and a smart thermostat with automation and optimisation is one of the options. Some electrical work in homes, such as a new circuit, is notifiable in England under Part P of the Building Regulations and must be done by a registered competent person or notified to building control. Work on gas pipework, appliances and their gas parts must only be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

For other controls, see heating controls and thermostatic radiator valves.