Best smart thermostat: save energy and money in 2020

Are your bills too high? The best smart thermostats will help you reduce your energy consumption by allowing you to control your heating remotely from your phone and by learning your temperature preferences, so that you won't even need to remember to change any settings.

Smart thermostats are especially useful this time of year, when the weather is unpredictable, and one day still feels like winter, while another is more spring-like. You didn't think you'd need the heating on, but you do after all: with a smart thermostat, you can remedy the situation well before you get home. 

Browse our pick of the best smart thermostats below, and enter into a world of ease and efficiency when it comes to controlling your heating, hot water, underfloor heating and more.

Want advice on how to buy the best smart thermostat? Jump to our top tips below. Still not sure about what a smart thermostat is or why you might benefit from having one over a traditional model? Read our handy guide: what is a smart thermostat and do I need one?

• Browse the best smart home tech for your house
• Find more tips and tricks on how to reduce your home energy costs 

What is the best smart thermostat?

The best smart thermostat is the Nest Learning Thermostat, thanks to its stylish design and ability to learn your heating behaviours, over time. Use your smartphone to control when your boiler starts heating up hot water, make adjustments to your heating schedule, and discover where you could be saving energy with ease and efficiency. Then, begin relying on your Nest device to make automatic adjustments for you as it gains a greater understanding of your heating preferences.

The best smart thermostats you can buy right now

Stylish on the outside and intelligent on the inside, the Nest Learning Thermostat is the top smart thermostat around. But why?

It learns your behaviours

Designed to learn and interpret your heating behaviours, this clever device will quickly become familiar with your temperature preferences throughout the day, as well as your daily routine (at least in terms of when you're in and out of the house) and how draughty your home is. Using this information, it can optimise your energy use and, ultimately, save you money. 

Control your hot water

A relatively new addition, it's now possible to control your hot water, as well as your heating, from the Nest app. On a day-to-day basis, this means you can schedule hot water for the hours that you're at home, as well as being able to turn everything off from afar if you head off on a spontaneous trip. Got caught out in the cold? You can even super heat your water in preparation for your return home. 

Monitor how much you've saved

Half the fun of saving money is knowing how much you've saved, right? Well, the Nest Learning Thermostat allows you to do just that by tracking your energy history and producing monthly reports with your progress. Plus, the presence of a handy leaf symbol on your thermostat helps you keep on top of your daily energy saving progress. 

Connect to a wider system

Connect your Nest Learning Thermostat to Nest Protect (sold separately) and simultaneously protect your home against carbon monoxide leaks.  

Stylish design

It's available in four stylish colourways, including black, white, copper and stainless steel, so you're sure to find a scheme that either complements, or blends in with the rest of your scheme. Depending on your preference – and current heating set up – you can choose between wall mounting your thermostat, or placing it out of sight on a shelf.

To find out if you could install a Nest learning Thermostat in your home, take a look at their compatibility test. Then, browse more smart thermostats from AO.

Designed to ensure you’re never paying over the odds for your energy, and perfect for those on a budget, the Tado Smart Thermostat uses technology to control the temperature of your home. Here's everything it has to offer:

Climate Assistant

Much like the Nest Learning Thermostat, this offering from Tado works to learn your heating behaviours, adjusting the climate of each room, individually. Plus, it offers practical advice to help prevent mould, reduce humidity and more.

Geofencing

Using GPS to track your location, Tado is designed to ensure you never heat an empty house. Once you step outside your geofence heating turns off automatically, ensuring energy is saved, even if you forget.

Affordability

Although the Tado is half the price of the Nest, it is compatible with a range of heating systems, including underfloor heating, and you can use it alongside the Amazon Echo for complete smart home functionality. 

Browse more smart thermostats from Amazon.

Perfect for large homes, or those looking to create heating zones, the Honeywell Evohome is next in our list. Here's what it has to offer:

Smart zoning

The option to create up to 12 heating zones is ideal for larger homes, homes with multiple occupants or for those who have different preferences when it comes to the temperature of their bedroom, living room, bathroom and so on. Control the temperature of each zone, hassle free, from one app. 

Flexible control

Whether your preference is to control your smart thermostat from your phone, or via a smart assistant, the choice is yours.

Heating analysis

It can monitor how long your property takes to heat up, then adjusts its timer settings to ensure it's always at the ideal temperature. You can also control your heating using the app, with options to turn it up, down, on or off.  

Shop more smart thermostats from Very.

The Netatmo Smart Thermostat is another great choice if you're looking for a budget friendly option. Here are our favourite features:

Save energy

Similarly to other models in this list, the Netatmo is designed to optimise your heating, minimising energy use and saving you money in the long term. According to Netatmo, the average user will use an average of 37 per cent less energy.

Set separate room temperatures

With the addition of Smart Radiator Valves, The Netatmo enables you to control your heating room by room, perfect if you're heating a larger home or have different preferences when it comes to the temperature of different rooms. 

Create a heating schedule based around your lifestyle

While this offering doesn't offer smart learning like some of the pricier brands, it does provide you with the option to input your information. Netatmo can then use this to design a heating schedule based on your lifestyle.

Unique design

The work of French designer Philippe Starck, Netatmo certainly offer a unique and contemporary take on the smart thermostat. 

Take a look at more smart thermostats on offer from BT.

While it's not one of our top rated smart thermostats, the Hive Active Heating 2 still has a lot to offer. Here are our favourite features:

Control your heating from afar

Similarly to other smart thermostat models, this option from Hive allows you to control your heating from your smartphone. Far from a gimmicky feature, this allows users to prepare their home's temperature while on the way from work, or a holiday. Alternatively, it makes turning off the heating, should users forget, the easiest it's ever been.

Set a heating schedule

Much like the Netatmo, the Hive Active Heating doesn't offer learning technology, but it does allow users to set their own heating schedule according to when they're in and out of the house. Plus, there's the option to overwrite the schedule, should plans change at the last minute.

Plus, with temperature tracking, Hive keeps an eye on how you're really using your heating, so you can make adjustments to your schedule as and when necessary.

Geolocation alerts

If, like many of us, you're not the best at remembering to turn off your heating, geolocation could be the feature for you. Designed to notify users if they've left a pre-set geolocation and forgotten to turn of their heating, it's functions like this that will help lead to reductions in energy use and cost of bills. 

Frost protection

Perfect for those of us living in cooler climates, Hive also works to protect your heating system when you're away from home. Designed to switch on, automatically, when temperatures drop below seven degrees, it'll help protect your home from the risk of burst pipes.

Take a look at more smart thermostats on offer from John Lewis & Partners.

Despite not being a household name, the  Drayton Wiser Multizone Kit 1 makes a great base for a more extensive zone heating system. Here's what else we like about it:

Voice control

Because the thermostat is compatible with Amazon's smart assistant, Alexa, it's possible to use your voice to control your heating. Handy if you're building a larger smart home system.

Optimise individual rooms

Thanks to the option for separate radiator valves, the Drayton thermostat allows you to set the temperature of each room, depending on your preferences. As with other models in this list that offer zoning, it's perfect for larger homes or spaces with multiple occupants.

Affordability

While this offering from Drayton doesn't come with the same kudos of other big name brands, it boasts a lot of similar features at a fraction of the price, making it an ideal solution for those on a lower budget.

How to buy the best smart thermostat

When it comes to buying the best smart thermostat to suit your needs, there are a few factors to look out for. Generally, we'd recommend considering the following:

What do you want your smart thermostat to control?

While some smart thermostats are all encompassing, meaning they'll control your boiler, hot water and underfloor heating, don't take it for granted that this is the case for all models. Read into what each model allows you to control and bear in mind whether you may consider upgrading your heating systems in future.

Will your smart thermostat require professional installation?

Bear in mind that some smart thermostats will require professional installation, which will mean you incur additional costs, while others can easily be fitted on a DIY basis.

Self learning

While some models of smart thermostat adjust settings as they 'learn' your heating behaviours, this is not the case for all models.

Create heating zones

If you live in a larger property, you may benefit from a smart thermostat that allows you to create heating zones, specific to different areas within your home. 

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Looking for more smart home tech advice?

• Find out more about how to heat your home in our specialist guide, which covers everything from central heating to underfloor heating
• Interested in smart home tech? Head over to The Hub, our technology home page