Smart heating controls: zoning, underfloor heating and real savings

What the evidence says

The Energy Saving Trust says installing a programmer, room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves can save around £100 a year in Great Britain, and that turning a thermostat down from 22°C to 21°C can save around £120 a year (Energy Saving Trust). Those savings come from controlling when and where heat is used. Smart controls make that control automatic, so it actually happens.

What smart heating adds

• Room-by-room zoning. Each room heats to its own temperature and schedule.
• Presence awareness. Heating turns down when everyone leaves and back up before you return.
• Open window detection so a room stops heating while a window is open.
• Integration with blinds, ventilation, solar and time-of-use tariffs.
• Remote control, especially useful for second homes. See our second home guide.

Radiators

Smart radiator valves replace the heads of existing thermostatic valves, usually without draining the system. Combined with a controller at the boiler, they let each room call for heat only when it needs it.

Underfloor heating

Wet underfloor heating is controlled zone by zone through a wiring centre at the manifold, with a thermostat or sensor in each zone. Smart control can replace those thermostats and coordinate the zones. Because underfloor heating responds slowly, good scheduling and anticipation matter more than with radiators. Electric underfloor heating, common in bathrooms, can be controlled too.

Heat pumps

Heat pumps work most efficiently with steady, lower flow temperatures. Aggressive on-off schedules that suit a gas boiler can work against a heat pump. We integrate with heat pump controls carefully and follow the manufacturer's recommendations rather than overriding them.

Hot water

Cylinder heating can be scheduled around your routine and, where you have solar or a time-of-use tariff, around cheaper or self-generated electricity. See our solar, battery and EV guide.

Listed and period homes

Wireless valves and sensors suit period homes well, as in our Grade II listed farmhouse project.

Being realistic about savings

Savings depend on your home, your current controls and how you live. A home with no thermostat or valves has more to gain than one already well controlled. We do not promise a percentage. We do show you what is being used, room by room, so you can see the effect.

Common questions

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Related services

Sources

• Energy Saving Trust: Take control of your heating

Last reviewed 1 November 2026. Prices ex. VAT unless stated.