Scheduling becomes more complicated when Smart Radiator Valves are involved. Netatmo applies one schedule to every room, setting the profiles you choose at the times you choose. You can adjust a profile’s temperature for each room, say having the Comfort mode set to 19C for your living room and 18C for your bedroom. This isn’t as flexible as being able to set a dedicated schedule for each room, as you can do with both Evohome and Tado. The first mode, Away, is set to 12°C and is used when you go out. It’s a shame that geofencing isn’t built in to do this automatically, although you can create a similar feature using the excellent IFTTT channel. The second mode, Frost-guard, sets the temperature to 7°C and is there for when you leave your home but don’t want the pipes to freeze while you’re away.

However, to get the most out of a Nest you'll want to be part of Google's subscription model – which is an additional cost. Netatmo doesn't have additional ongoing costs, which suits me better, even if the Smart Thermostat outlay is a little pricier than Nest, Tado or Hive from the outset. READ NEXT: What is SmartThings? Samsung’s home automation system, explained Netatmo Smart Thermostat: Controls Smart thermostats - as you might have guessed - are the more modern version of a traditional home thermostat that you might have seen in use in other homes. Smart thermostats have proven benefits for saving energy, saving on home heating bills and reducing your home energy consumption’s carbon footprint. But how exactly does a smart thermostat work? Smart thermostats: how do they work to control your home temperature level? The thermostat’s clear E Ink screen displays the current and set temperatures. Using E Ink means that this information is onscreen all of the time, using little power (the three AAA batteries should last one year). However, the display is hard to read in a dark room since it isn’t illuminated.The competition is also tough. The more expensive Tado Smart Thermostat has the same range of features, but I prefer its app, plus it has brilliant geofencing. For a more advanced, room-by-room system, the Honeywell Evohome is excellent. Verdict While requiring an investment up front, smart thermostats increase your energy efficiency, allowing you to save on your home heating bills. That way, any smart thermostat you buy should soon pay for itself! Installation costs The second option is to wire the relay into the boiler via the bundled boiler connector kit. In this mode, the relay takes power from the boiler and uses its own relay to switch your heating on and off. The thermostat unit becomes completely wireless and communicates directly with the relay. Given that the relay has to be physically connected to your boiler using mains power, you may want to get this installed by a professional .

Once you’ve attached a valve, it needs to be added into your existing Netatmo system via the smartphone app. The Smart Radiator Valves need to be placed in a room, but you can have multiple valves per room, which is handy for those that have multiple radiators. You can also place the valves into the same room as the main thermostat, letting it act as a remote temperature sensor; this is handy if you’ve got a radiator behind furniture and the Smart Radiator Valve is giving incorrect heat readings. What could be better than being able to control the temperature of your lounge, bedroom or bathroom, anywhere, at any time? Now you can, with the range of smart thermostats available today! These wireless products work with modern combi boilers and are a key part of managing the heating in your home, which is more important than ever when it comes to saving energy. Successful installation of a smart thermostat But with so many established smart thermostat systems already on the market - Nest, Hive, Tado, to name but three - does Netatmo's simpler battery-powered offering provide enough features to keep up? As Google Nest users in a previous property, the idea of Netatmo was appealing on account of its simplicity and lower price. For many users you'll be able to self-install the thermostat where your previous model once sat (without necessarily needing to open up your boiler at all), or sit it in whichever room you choose on its mobile stand. Whichever option you go for, it makes configuring the thermostat a little more fiddly than with either the Honeywell Lyric T6 or Tado Smart Thermostat, both of which have geofencing built in.

A gorgeous-looking thermostat that can be expanded with radiator valves, but the scheduling is fiddly to configure

Netatmo ships the Smart Radiator Valves with plenty of adaptors in the box, so you should have no problem fitting them to your radiators. It took me a matter of minutes to fit my test valves. The Smart Thermostat uses some advanced heating algorithms, designed to save money – up to a 37% cut in energy bills – to help keep your house from getting too hot or cold. Note, however, that there's no automated geofencing control, so this system isn't smart enough to, say, know when you (and family) have left home and automatically switch it off. As such, the Netatmo system isn't as 'smart' as something like Google Nest, which not only learns your patterns but follows your movements if you let it (creepy, eh?) and offers more controls.

In this system, the Netatmo Thermostat is installed on the wall and controls your boiler through the existing electrical wires. The Netatmo Smart Thermostat is heating-only, so is ideally combined with a combi boiler. If you have a separate hot water tank, you’ll need to leave your old controls in place, or use a different smart heating system, such as the Tado Smart Thermostat. Netatmo Smart Thermostat – Performance Netatmo’s Smart Thermostat is one of the best connected. Setting up HomeKit and the Apple Home app is easy, since the pairing code required pops up on the thermostat’s screen. To aid with heating, the Netatmo Smart Thermostat also takes into account the local outdoor temperature, so that it knows when to turn on the heating: earlier, when it’s really cold; later, when it’s warmer. The temperature can be pulled from the internet, using your home’s location, although more accurate readings can be taken from a Netatmo Weather Station if you have one linked to the same account. Netatmo Smart Thermostat – Smart Radiator ValvesHowever, since the thermostat doesn’t have a touchscreen, temperature changes last for the default setpoint duration only. The Tado Smart Thermostat offers greater control; it can set thermostat changes to last for a set period, forever or until the next period.

Overall the Netatmo Smart Thermostat isn't as fancy-looking (it's got an E Ink display after all) or as overall 'smart' as some of the competition (there's no geographically-based austomation features, for example). But that doesn't necessarily matter: it has no subscription model to worry about, it's easy to install, and it handles your heating with ease whether via the thermostat itself or by using the app wherever you are. For me that makes this smart heating system well worthy of consideration, and one I wouldn't have wanted to live without these last couple of years. Also consider In addition, there are two special modes: Away and Frost-Guard. Both set a constant temperature until you switch them off. Away is set to 12C by default and should be used when you’re out, but want to stop your house from getting too cold. Frost-Guard is set to 7C, and is for use when you’re away for longer periods. You can override the temperature setting for both modes. More than ever before, with rising gas and electricity prices, being able to manage your heating remotely can help you avoid high energy bills. Beyond the financial aspect, there’s also an ecological aspect, because a house that’s not overheated is a house that emits less CO2! Also it would be remiss of my to not point out that the Netatmo system is smart, in that it can learn using what's called the Auto-Adapt function. This, says Netatmo, "uses your home’s insulation and the outdoor temperature to programme when your heat should switch on". The theory there being it can assess outdoor temperature and pre-heat ahead of schedule time depending on environmental factors, so it'll adapt through the seasons. Remotely controlling your heating system can also be done directly through your radiators. Today, some radiators have embedded wireless technology so you can manage your heating even when you’re away from home.Netatmo Smart Thermostats are ideal for easy DIY installation! Control your energy consumption, set the perfect temperature and start saving on your home heating bills. You’ll soon start feeling the benefits, and find that the savings easily justify the price of buying and installing your new product! How much do smart thermostats cost? With its modern, innovative and intelligent setup, a smart thermostat can help you control your home heating with perfect precision, according to a schedule that suits your lifestyle. No matter the time of day or night, you can use your smart thermostat installation to regulate the temperature in your home, making it a toasty, warm little nest.