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Following my smart electric radiator post, this article covers smart programmable radiator valves. Most news reports and advertisements are focused on the smart thermostat, which allows you to control the boiler through an app, and in some cases, you can also set up various automations. Many times, this insurance coverage will advertise how you will save on heating costs.
Tado specifically pointed out that you can reduce energy consumption by up to 31%, but this is a bit vague and probably depends on the automatic assistance services they pay for each month. This statement is undoubtedly correct, but it may be the best case for users who transition from poorly optimized heating to being able to take full advantage of automatic assist functions.
In my opinion, what the smart thermostat does is to provide convenient control for your heating. If you are frugal about heating from the start, I doubt you will see a significant difference.
However, the product that should have a significant impact on your heating bill is to control your heating zone by using programmable TRVs. Most smart thermostat brands now have these in their ecosystem, including Tado.
I have reviewed the excellent Genius Hub before and regularly recommend the Tado system to most consumers.
Using a combination of smart thermostat and TRV, you can heat each room according to your own schedule. Therefore, for me working from home, I heat the office during the day, but close all the rooms downstairs, and then close the office at night to heat the living area.
Since many of us now work from home, this idea of district heating may save you a lot of money.
So, what is the best choice for district heating? Do you have to invest in expensive smart thermostats and valves to achieve this goal?
I started this article hoping to find some low-cost options that may be different from well-known brands. I’m wrong.
Where possible, all links below will be affiliate links
Smart Radiator Valve/TRV
If you have a complete system under a brand, things will be much easier. When I use the Genius Hub to set up my office for heating, it will control both the valve and the boiler at the same time.
However, if, like me, you have a fixed schedule, you don’t have to replace the entire system with an intelligent system. You can get programmable TRVs and let them run according to your schedule. This may be much cheaper than a smart heating system, but has similar energy-saving effects (but not very convenient).
Most big-brand smart heating companies can also use this method. Even if you don’t intelligently control the boiler, Tado and Genius upper valves are still available. You only need to manually synchronize the boiler schedule with the valve. It is worth noting that with the advent of Black Friday, you can usually get a fairly affordable Tado valve block.
During my research, the biggest problem I encountered was to find affordable options without having to purchase expensive hubs. Some brands do not sell hubs themselves, but let you also buy boiler controllers.
Tado° Smart Radiator Thermostat Starter Kit V3+ [Probably the best overall option]
- At the time of writing, the suggested retail price of the starter kit including the hub is 110 pounds, down to 80 pounds
- The suggested retail price of subsequent radiator valves is 68 pounds or 50 pounds based on the current price reduction
- 3 packs of TRV, priced at £120
If you want to have a smart TRV and you can choose to upgrade to a more advanced smart heating system in the future, Tado seems to be the most cost-effective solution.
Honeywell Home Rondostat HR20 [Not actually that smart]
Because this article aims to save people money, I should point out that you can buy a programmable thermostat without fancy app controls. You have to do things the old-fashioned way and program them on the device. You have 7 days of control, but it only has 4 switching times per day. I think this means on/off/on/off, so you only have 2 heating periods per day. For rooms that you don’t use often and want to keep warm intermittently, this is worth considering.
Eve Thermo Smart Radiator Valve [No hub required]
- No hub
- The radiator valve is 45 pounds / 65 pounds
Eve Thermo TRV is not cheap, but it can work independently via Bluetooth control, and it is the only good check option you can find that works independently. They have an old version for only £45, which may be worth considering. Eve cooperates with Homekit and will support Thread in the future.
The main disadvantage is that if you want to expand into a complete system, they do not have an intelligent boiler controller.
Hive hub and radiator valve
- Hub: £69.99
- Hub 360: £99.99
- Valves: 55 pounds-5 pieces, 199 pounds, 40 pounds per valve
- Hub + 5 pieces for £239
If you want to equip quite a lot of heat sinks with TRVs at once, then Hive has a cost-effective solution.
The 5-piece package on their website costs £199 or £40 each for each valve. If you also need a hub, they only cost £40, which is £30 cheaper than buying separately from Amazon. Similar to Tado, you can get a smart thermostat later.
Strangely, Hive no longer seems to promote their Hub 360 on the Hive website. This provides some additional home security features.
Genius wheel hub + radiator valve
Not as cost-effective as Tado, but it may be worth paying attention to sales. You need a hub for 130 pounds, and then the valve is 60 pounds. It can then be developed into a complete intelligent system, which may be much more advanced than many other options.
Bosch Smart Home-Radiator Thermostat and Controller
- Starter kit: £250 including 2 valves and door and window sensors-as low as £160
- The hub itself is £125
- Radiator valve: £55 (as low as £41.50
I didn’t realize that this system exists, but it has been well received. It seems to be very popular in the German market.As usual, you need a hub for £125 or they offer an indoor climate starter kit for £250
Lightwave + Honeywell Home Wireless Radiator Valve
- Lightwave Link Plus controller: £125
- Valve: £55
Honeywell’s EvoHome hub is very expensive. A hub and 2 TRVs are priced at £300, but using Lightwave can save a lot of money. The Lightwave Link Plus controller costs £125, and they sell Honeywell valves for £55. Lightwave is unique in this list because they also provide smart lighting and power.
AVM FRITZ! DECT 301 Thermostat head
The other one I didn’t realize existed. This is a bit different, because the hub is actually a router. Therefore, if you already own FRITZ! Box, these are worth considering. Amazon UK pricing is not favorable, but you can buy these items from Amazon.de for a shipping cost of 51.56 Euros, which is equivalent to 44 pounds, which is less than all the options above.
Last updated on 2021-11-21 / Affiliate link / Image from Amazon Product Advertising API
