Whether you’re Smart-Thermostat-Savvy and think you know what you’re looking for, or you need the Dummies Guide to Smart Thermostats – We’ve got your covered! 

Chances are you’ve landed on this page by Googling ‘Which is the best Smart Thermostat?’ – And luckily for you, that’s exactly what we’re going to tell you. 

Spoiler alert! It’s the Nest Smart Thermostat. If you want to carry on reading, then we’ll explain why the Nest could be just the Smart Thermostat you’re looking for. As well as a few other options just in case. 

Even if you’re one of the people looking for a Dummies Guide to Thermostats (no judgement here) you’ve probably already heard of Nest, Hive and Honeywell. But there are a few other options available too which could give the leading brands a run for their money. 

What is a Smart Thermostat?

The main job of a Smart Thermostat is to help you monitor the amount of energy you use, and thus control your energy consumption. 

They allow you to control your heating depending on the time of day, the weather outside and the people in your home. Smart Thermostats use your daily habits to create automatic and programmable heating settings.

Smart Thermostats link to your home Wi-Fi, enabling you to control your heating with a smart device such as your phone, tablet, smart speaker or other internet connected device. 

This means that you can control your heating remotely. This means you can turn your heating back on on your way back from a Winter holiday! Or when you realise you’ve left it on when you get to work, you can switch it back off with the touch of a button sat at your desk.

What do I need to consider when choosing a Smart Thermostat for my home?

There are a few factors that are worth considering when you’re in the market for a Smart Thermostat. 

• Ease of installation – You want the set up to be as straightforward as possible
• User friendly – This is a device you’ll be using all the time, so you want it to be as easy to use as possible
• Useful features – The aim is for this nifty little device to help you monitor your energy use and even help you save money on your bills
• Compatibility with other smart devices – Your Smart Thermostat being compatible with Alexa or Google is a big plus
• Price range – Perhaps your budget is top of your list
• Customer reviews – It’s always a good idea to look up the reviews for a device, appliance or service you’re thinking of buying. No one says it better than a satisfied (or disgruntled) customer
• What’s the warranty like? Make sure it’s likely to last you a while 

What are the top Smart Thermostats in the UK?

#1 Nest Smart Thermostat

Coming in at number 1, which is no surprise as we’ve already told you this is the one to get, is the Nest Smart Thermostat. 

Currently on the 3rd generation, this is the name everyone knows when it comes to Smart Thermostats. This brand is now owned by Google, so it’s no surprise that it’s leading the way in Smart Thermostat innovation. 

Key info:

• Price? Currently around £238
• Is it wireless? Yes, but can also be mounted on a stand with a 3 pin plug)
• Warranty? 2 years or 5 is you buy with NestPro Installation
• Can I install it myself? Yes, it’s easy to do yourself
• Do I need a subscription? No

What are the features of a Nest Smart Thermostat?

• Smart technology that learns from you by automatically adjusting and syncing to your heating behaviours, helping to save energy and lower your heating bills 
• Control your heating remotely through the Nest mobile app
• Allow it to detect your location via your mobile so it can turn the heating off or down if you are out, automatically
• Open Therm technology uses an advanced algorithm that modulates your boiler’s heating temperature and allows your greener boiler to use less gas to reach the set temperature – Helping you to save more energy (and money!)
• When used in conjunction with a Nest protect smoke alarm system, you can use Nest Protect to detect any carbon monoxide leak from your boiler and turn it off
• It’s compatible with computers, phones and tablets as well as Google Home and Alexa
• It can work alongside most boilers and heating systems including combi boilers, system boilers, immersion heaters, heat only boilers, biomass, air source/ ground source heat pumps, underfloor heating and more. 
• Online reviews give it an average of 4 and 5 stars, with customers sharing it’s ease of installation and how much money it has saved them (particularly through location detection)

Despite the Nest Smart Thermostat being a tad pricier than its rivals, its ease of use, wireless capabilities and innovative features make this a tough one to beat. 

#2 tado° V3+ Smart Thermostat

A worthy opponent, coming in second is tado°. It’s been available in the UK since 2015 and comes as a complete package. 

It has a number of nifty little features that its competitors dont have – Such as open window detection and adapting to the weather. Reviews on Trustpilot rate it as a 4.3 and it’s also the most efficient out of any of the Smart Thermostats you’ll find in this article. 

Key Info:

• Price? £199.99
• – Wireless? Yes
• Warranty? 2 years
• Can I install it myself? Yes
• Do I need a subscription? For some features, yes

What are the features of a tado° V3+ home starter Smart Thermostat kit?

• Helps you to reduce energy wastage and save money on your heating bills by utilising zonal heating through radiator controls with the Smart Thermostat
• Radiator controls allow you to control the heating of your boiler plus individual radiators in each room – Meaning that heating output in every room (that has one installed) can be adjusted
• You can control the heating remotely from your mobile (or other device) at any time
• Be smart and schedule your week, using times of day and whether you’ll be home to adjust the temperature and heat output. Any changes can be easily made remotely if need be
• Location detection allows the app to notify you that no one is home, and set your heating system to ‘away’ mode – Saving energy and money. Not only that, but it can also detect when you are on your way home, turning your heating back on so it’s nice and cosy!
• The only downside to these great features is that you need to be paying for a monthly subscription to have these features automated. Without the subscription, you can make the adjustments manually after being prompted with a push notification
• Inside the mobile app, you can access a whole range of interesting (and useful) data to help you monitor your heating use and change your behaviour to allow for savings to be made
• Despite being a relatively new brand, it matches the warranty pf the Nest Smart Thermostat with 2 years cover
• It has compatibility with a PC, tablet and mobile phone as well as Alexa, Google Home and Apple HomeKit (which Nest doesn’t have) 
• Reviews look good across Google, Amazon and Trustpilot for the tado° V3+ Smart home starter kit with 4+ stars, with customers raving about how much money it’s helped them save
• It’s easy to install and you should be able to do so yourself

The user friendliness, clean design and innovative features make this Smart Thermostat a serious consideration. Zonal heating, easy to use data in the app for monitoring plus location and open window detection make this a real contender in the Smart Thermostat market. 

#3 Hive Smart Thermostat

And here’s the other brand name we all recognise when it comes to Smart Thermostats – The Hive. A product created by British Gas themselves, it’s no surprise that most people are familiar with this Smart Thermostat.  But does it live up to the hype?

Key Info:

• Price? £179
• Wireless? Yes, but can also be mounted on a stand with a 3 pin plug
• Warranty? 1 year 
• Can I install it myself? Yes but you’ll need knowledge of basic wiring
• Do I need a subscription? No

What are the features of a Hive Smart Thermostat?

• You can set your own personalised daily heating schedule using the Hive mobile app, with 6 slots daily, helping you to save on your energy bills
• Using the location of your mobile phone, Hive can identify when you have left your home as well as determining whether the heating has been left on. It will then send you a reminder to turn it off via the app
• If the outside temperature drops below 7 degrees, Hive will activate frost protection to help prevent your pipes from freezing
• The Hive Smart Thermostat is compatible with computers, tablets and mobile phones as well as Alexa and Google Home. 
• Hive will work with most UK heating systems, including Gas and LPG boilers, oil boilers and electric boilers
• Some Hive Smart Thermostat sellers offered a free Amazon Echo Dot with every purchase, which allows you to control your heating with your voice. The Hive is connected to this additional device, meaning you can turn your heating off just by asking Alexa
• It’s worth noting that the number of ratings for Hive are lower than Nest (perhaps due to popularity) but the reviews are generally very positive with lots of 4 star ratings. Less favourable complaints were to do with customer service, and it’s also worth remembering that the warranty period is only for 1 year
• Although it’s possible to install yourself, you will need some knowledge of wiring. British Gas recommend using a professional installer – A gas safe engineer is always a good idea when it comes to boiler work, including wiring a new Smart Thermostat to the boiler

In direct comparison to Nest, Hive doesn’t have as many features and lacks compatibility options. Its 3rd generation is the best of the Hive bunch and with British Gas behind the helm, there is bound to be continuing innovation and improvements to the smart home tech they have to offer. 

#4 Honeywell T6 Smart Thermostat 

If you’ve been Googling Smart Thermostats then you’re bound to have come across the Honeywell brand. For decades they have been a big player in the heating and cooling industry. 

Key Info:

• Price? £179 
• Wireless? No
• Warranty? 2 years
• Can I install it myself? Probably not
• Do I need a subscription? No

What are the features of a Honeywell T6 Smart Thermostat?

• The location-based temperature control is similar to what’s offered by its rivals. Not only can you adjust the temperature remotely and on demand, the Honeywell T6 also can use your phone’s location to identify if you are at home and adjusting the heating as necessary. A standard for most Smart Thermostats, it can turn your heating off when it detects you are not home (saving energy) as well as turning it back on when it detects that you are on your way home
• You can set a 7 day schedule based on your personal preferences and routine which will help you to save energy (and money) as well as making sure the temperature of your home is just the way you want it to be
• You can adjust your schedule any time using the Honeywell app on your mobile phone, allowing you to change your heating needs remotely
• As with all the Smart Thermostats we’ve talked about in this article, the Honeywell T6 is compatible with computers, phones and tablets, as well as Alexa, Google Home and The Apple Homekit
• Unsurprisingly, this leading heating brand has a strong 4 star rating on numerous sites. Most reviews are positive, sharing how easy the Honeywell T6 is to use. It’s worth noting however that some negative reviews talking about a lack of temperature differential within the unit which can cause it to turn on and off every few minutes in order to maintain the chosen temperature. This could end up costing a lot of money
• Perhaps one drawback of the Honeywell T6 is that it isn’t wireless, meaning that it has to be wired directly into your boiler. This means that it needs a professional installer if you opt for this one

The Honeywell T6 Smart Thermostat has lots of great features and despite the need for a professional installer, doesn’t break the bank. This brand have been about for over a century with a solid reputation in the heating industry so should be one you can trust. 

Which Smart Thermostat is the Best?

As we said above, our top choice would be the Nest 3rd generation Learning Thermostat. Overall, it has the best features, design and reviews. 

A Smart Thermostat is a great option if you’re looking for a bit more control over your energy usage. And what with all the increases in costs going on at the moment, who wouldn’t want to try and save some money on their energy bills? Getting yourself a Smart Thermostat is a great place to start.