What “smart” heating control features do people actually use?

[endecotp]

Dear All,

Thinking about high-tech central heating controls - Tado, Hive, Evohome etc. - what features do people actually use and like?

I ask because I am currently setting up my own DIY system, and while there is lots that I could do, some ideas are likely to be more useful in practice than others. For example, I’m considering a button by the front door that says “I’m going out, back at bedtime”.

What features do you use yourself - or wish that you had? Pros, what do your customers actually use?

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[pcaouolte]

Away mode when the last person leaves the house (tracked by mobile phone position). Out of away mode and back into normal working mode when someone leaves work, or travels within a specific distance of home (again tracked by mobile phone position).

Heating temperature lowered when everyone is in bed (various sensors to establish this).

Heating in a room turned off if an outside door is left open for a few minutes, I'm not going to try to heat the world (heating linked to intruder alarm sensors).

Runs a different, warmer, program when we have guests (we pretend that we can afford to heat the house ).

Some normally unoccupied rooms only heated to a low level, level increased when the room is in use.

If someone fiddles with a thermostat and turns the heating up it gets automatically set back to the program temperature after a few minutes.

Those are mine but everyone will have different needs.

 

[Murdochcat]

I can control our heating and hot water from my phone. The heating is preset to steps each day. When we go away I can pause the schedules with ease.

Nothing else is really needed

 

[denso13]

Thinking about high-tech central heating controls - Tado, Hive, Evohome etc. - what features do people actually use and like?

EPH controller with the EPH internet gateway, weather compensation, opentherm and manual TRVs. Be aware that the Hive, for one, doesn't seem to work properly with the Pinnacle on opentherm.

 

[mikehammer69]

Away mode when the last person leaves the house (tracked by mobile phone position). Out of away mode and back into normal working mode when someone leaves work, or travels within a specific distance of home (again tracked by mobile phone position).

Heating temperature lowered when everyone is in bed (various sensors to establish this).

Heating in a room turned off if an outside door is left open for a few minutes, I'm not going to try to heat the world (heating linked to intruder alarm sensors).

Runs a different, warmer, program when we have guests (we pretend that we can afford to heat the house ).

Some normally unoccupied rooms only heated to a low level, level increased when the room is in use.

If someone fiddles with a thermostat and turns the heating up it gets automatically set back to the program temperature after a few minutes.

Those are mine but everyone will have different needs.

Some of that is my idea of control

Automated and not pressing buttons and looking at phones half the day

 

[aveatry]

Smart heating is just wasting fuel and energy