In short, hysteresis cuts the boiler off once your house is within the threshold of the set temperature (by default 0.2C). Even so, hot radiators can push your heating beyond the set point. PID is smarter, and learns how your home heats up and how long it takes, so it can cut off the heating at the right point so that your home doesn’t exceed the set temperature. PID constantly updates and learns, making it better over time. In my tests, my house barely exceeded the set 19C when PID was used. From the app, you can override any set temperature for the period that you define. And there are two special modes that set a constant temperature until they’re turned off, or the timer you set runs out. 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. 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. 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.

Saving energy: in fact, controlling your heating remotely is a considerable advantage given that lowering the temperature by just one degree can already reduce your consumption. What’s more, with the rising price of gas and electricity, it’s important to be able to limit the use of our heating systems. The Netatmo Smart Thermostat allows you to set a custom heating schedule that suits your lifestyle and enables you to heat your home and hot water only when necessary and to the right temperature. This allows you to reduce your heating costs and avoid heating your home unnecessarily when you’re away. After one week of use the system will have a better understanding of your home and how it retains heat. Because the app has location data it can draw on local data for external temperature conditions, to get an understanding of insulation, heat retention, and heating time relative to that external temperature. Netatmo calls this PID, or Proportional-Integral-Derivative, which the app will alert you to being available - you can choose whether you want it activated or not.It makes sense that the temperature in different parts of your home should be slightly different, depending on what you use them for. Take the bedroom and bathroom, for instance - you’re unlikely to heat them both to the same temperature. 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 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. When making a temperature change, you can also adjust the slider to make the change last for a longer or shorter period.

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. Optimal thermal comfort thanks to the features offered by the Netatmo Smart Thermostat, such as Auto-Adapt, which works out when to turn on your heating by taking account of your home’s insulation as well as the outside temperature.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 I've received one Radiator Valve to review but have been unable to install it. I'm not sure why, but it disconnects the downstairs Relay from the network when attempting, so the app just spins out unable to connect to it. If you're keen on the Radiator Valves then take note they can only replace thermostatic valves on radiators; if you don't have that then you'll need a plumber. Multiple valves are also pricier than the Smart Thermostat system itself, so the costs will add up if you're doing a lot of zoning. Precise control of your heating at all times. Whether you’re in the office, on business, on holiday or even at home, you can control the temperature of your home to the nearest degree and choose the preferred heating mode for your combi boiler. To control your heating remotely with the Netatmo Smart Thermostat, just install the Energy app or the Home + Control app on your smartphone. You will then be able to access your heating schedule directly on your smartphone, as well as monitoring your energy consumption so you can heat your home as efficiently as possible. Even in a second home, a smart thermostat can be a very useful piece of kit: turn the heating and hot water on ahead of your arrival and enjoy peace of mind when you leave, because with a smart thermostat you can turn the boiler off even after you’ve gone. Netatmo could make the available options a little easier to understand, though: hysteresis algorithm and proportional-integral-derivative (PID) algorithm are hardly descriptive. While the manual explains what each one does, they’re a bit wordy. 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.