Smart controls

Smart controls allow you to monitor and manage your home’s energy usage in real-time. By gaining better control over your heating, lighting, and appliances, you can reduce waste, lower your energy bills, and improve the comfort of your home.

In a typical UK home, space heating and hot water account for over 60% of energy usage. Smart controls target this directly, ensuring you only heat the rooms you are using, when you are using them.

The benefits of smart technology

  • Real-time monitoring: See exactly how much energy you are using and where it is going.
  • Automation: Set schedules that match your lifestyle, so you never accidentally leave the heating on when the house is empty.
  • Remote access: Control your home’s temperature or appliances from anywhere via your smartphone.
  • Optimisation: Some smart systems use artificial intelligence (AI) to learn your habits and automatically adjust for maximum efficiency and comfort.
  • Grid integration: Connect your smart home to Time-of-Use tariffs to automatically run appliances when electricity is cheapest and cleanest.

Core smart components

Depending on your goals and budget, you can start with a single device or build a fully integrated smart home system:

  • Smart Thermostats: The most impactful upgrade, providing zonal control and remote management of your heating.
  • Energy Monitors: Devices that plug into your smart meter or consumer unit to show real-time electricity and gas usage.
  • Smart Plugs: Simple adapters that allow you to monitor and remotely turn off individual appliances.
  • Home Automation Hubs: Central controllers that allow different brands of smart devices to work together.

Energy Saving Tip: Installing a smart thermostat and using it correctly can save the average UK household between £75 and £150 per year on heating bills.

Data privacy and security

  • Use devices from reputable manufacturers that offer regular security updates.
  • Set a strong, unique password for your accounts and enable multi‑factor authentication where possible.
  • Review what data your smart devices collect and how they use it; disable unnecessary data sharing.

Typical savings and payback

  • A smart thermostat can reduce heating use by 10–12% in many homes when paired with sensible schedules and lower set‑points.
  • Zonal controls and room‑by‑room TRVs can avoid wasting heat in unused rooms, increasing savings.
  • Payback periods vary from 1–3 years depending on energy prices and baseline usage.

Tools

Guides

FAQs

Do smart thermostats work with heat pumps?

Yes. Many modern smart thermostats support heat pumps and can manage lower flow temperatures and weather compensation. Avoid excessive on/off cycling; continuous low‑temperature control is best.

Will smart plugs really save me money?

They can help you identify and eliminate standby loads and automate off‑peak operation. Savings are higher on time‑of‑use tariffs and with energy‑hungry appliances.

Do I need a smart hub?

Not always. Many devices connect directly via Wi‑Fi. A hub (or Matter/Thread border router) improves reliability and lets different brands work together.

Sources

Troubleshooting & common problems

Issues you might encounter with your smart controls and how to solve them safely.

Smart TRV noisy at night

Why your smart radiator valves are making whirring or grinding noises at night and how to adjust your settings for a quieter bedroom.

Smart thermostat not reaching setpoint

Why your smart heating controls might be failing to get your room to the desired temperature.

Smart hub offline frequently

How to fix a smart home hub that keeps losing its connection, ensuring your heating, lighting, and energy monitoring stay online.

View all smart controls problems

Written by NetZeroNow Editorial Team | Last updated on 2026-03-23