How to Choose the Best Smart Thermostat for Your Home

Heating Tips

July 21, 2022

If you're looking for a way to save money on your energy bills, you may want to purchase a smart thermostat. They can help you save money on your bills by allowing you to control your home's heating system from your smartphone or computer. This blog post will discuss the different smart thermostats available and how to choose the best one for your home.

What Is a Smart Thermostat?

A smart thermostat is a type of thermostat that can be controlled remotely using your smartphone or computer. This means you can turn on or off your heating system, adjust the temperature, modulate your specific boiler or heat pump, and even set schedules, all from the comfort of your home. Smart thermostats are becoming increasingly popular as more people look for ways to save money on their energy bills.

With smart thermostats, you no longer have to forget to turn off the heating when you leave work or turn it on when you get home. You can set a schedule and let the thermostat do the rest. Smart thermostats can learn your habits and adjust the temperature accordingly. If you usually turn on the heating simultaneously every day, the thermostat will automatically turn on the heating.

What Does Modulating the Boiler or Heat Pump Mean?

One of the features we must look for when searching for the best smart thermostat is the ability to modulate our boiler or heat pump. Doing this will save energy and money on our heating bills. 

Modulating your boiler or heat pump means that the thermostat will adjust the output of your heating system to match the current temperature. This is different from traditional thermostats, which turn the heating on and off to maintain a set temperature. Rather than switching on the boiler to full blast to drive the home temperature as quickly as possible, a heating system's fan control will create a lower flow temperature from the boiler to keep an acceptable temperature in your house. 

When you use your boiler or heat pump to regulate your home's temperature, it can overheat and need to switch off, which causes wear and tear on the heating system. This continual switching on and off may cause wear and tear on your heating system, resulting in expensive repairs. You may extend the life of your heater by modulating it.

What Is The  Best Smart Thermostat For Your Home?

Now that we know what a smart thermostat is and how it can help save money on your energy bills let's discuss how to choose the best one for your home. The first thing you must remember is the modulating type of smart thermostat. There are two types of modulated smart thermostats.

Weather Compensation

These thermostats have an outdoor sensor that measures the temperature and humidity. The information is used to calculate the dew point. This way, the boiler will modulate its output to achieve the desired indoor temperature while using the least energy possible.

Advanced weather compensation thermostats can read the temperature outside and maintain an accurate temperature inside without any sensors or thermostats. It can also change the timing and temperature settings built-in. Because it utilises the lowest temperatures of all the various controls, it's highly efficient, comfortable, and dependable. 

The internet weather compensation thermostats, on the other hand, don't have an outdoor sensor. They use the internet to get the temperature and humidity from different weather stations around your area.

Load Compensation

These thermostats have sensors that measure the temperature in different areas of your home. This way, the thermostat can modulate the boiler output to maintain an even temperature throughout your home while using the least amount of energy possible. 

What Are The Benefits of a Modulating Smart Thermostat?

As we have seen, smart thermostats can save you money on your energy bills by allowing you to control your home's heating system from your smartphone or computer. With the modulating smart thermostats, you can enjoy so many great advantages, such as:

  • You can save money on your energy bills.
  • Your home will be more comfortable because the temperature will be evenly distributed throughout your home.
  • It improves the air quality in your home because the boiler will not be continually turning on and off.
  • You may extend the life of your heating system by modulating it, as it minimises corrosion and dirt build-up in your system, which is the main reason for system failure. (In fact, if you look up collision theory, for every 10 degrees you lower your radiators in temperature, you will reduce your corrosion by half!)
  • You will have fewer repair bills because the system isn't working as hard, so parts last longer.
  • Increased energy efficiency from condensing at your boiler, but it also improves heat pump COP.

How Much Energy Can I Save With a Smart Thermostat?

You can save up to 30% on your energy bill with a smart thermostat. The average savings is 15%. If you set it back when you're not home or asleep, you will see greater savings.

How To Choose  The Best Smart Thermostat?

Let's talk about picking the best smart thermostat for your house now that we know what one is and how it can help you save money on your energy bills. You must first keep in mind that your boiler or heat pump will require a specific modulating device that accepts bus control. (you can replace older thermostats with new models that will take advantage of this technology). Not all manufacturers have yet caught up to this standard, but the industry is heading this way. So, you'll want to ensure that when you purchase a new smart thermostat, it's compatible with your boiler or heat pump.

Many benefits come with owning a modulating smart thermostat. This is the thermostat for you looking to save money on your energy bills and have a more comfortable home. Do your research to find the best one for your heating system. You can save money and stress in the long run with a little knowledge. 

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