It was only today that a well-known energy supplier (whose name rhymes with British Ass) announced they will be increasing gas and electricity prices by 5.5% for those on standard tariffs. However, smart thermostats can help you take control of your energy usage in more ways than ever before!

The 3rd gen Nest Thermostat learns your routine and gets to know the temperatures you like when you are at home within one week of use. The 3rd gen has new rings and with a large, sharp display as well as hot water control. It can even learn how your home warms up, how draughty it is and turns itself down whilst you’re away.

To get set up, a trained ‘Nest Pro’ can install the Nest Thermostat for you (costs extra). You can fix it to the wall or mount it on a stand (sold separately), from there you just turn the temperature up and down and that’s all that’s needed for the Nest Thermostat to learn your preferences. For example: when you turn down the heating before you go to bed, the Nest takes note of this and starts to create a schedule - repeat a similar action for a few days in a row and the Nest will begin to automatically change the temperature for you so you don’t have too. When you leave the house, the Nest Thermostat can use sensors and your phone’s location to check if you’ve left. It then sets itself to ‘Eco Temperatures’ to help you save energy. But say your mum is popping over before you get home: you can adjust the temperature from your phone to ensure your house is warm before you get back. You can control the hot water tank with a hot water schedule that’s adjustable from the app - if you end up away unexpectedly for a few days, the Nest Thermostat will turn off the hot water for you.

To encourage you to save energy, you will be rewarded with a Leaf every time you change the temperature. You can also view your ‘Energy History’ to see how much energy you use per day and per month in your Home Report. Choose from four different ring colours to compliment your home: Copper, Stainless Steel, Black or White. The new display has the ‘Farsight’ feature, which automatically lights up when you enter the room and is large enough for you to clearly see the temperature across the room. For safety the Nest Thermostat can send you alerts if its too cold or your boiler is at risk of bursting a pipe, and it is compatible with other Nest products – ‘Nest Protect’ (smoke and carbon monoxide detector) for example.

We found the Nest Thermostat convenient and straightforward to use: it gives you greater control and insight into your energy consumption and does most of this without you needing to lift a finger or give it a second thought. RRP £279 (with included installation); £219 (without installation)

4.8 out of 5

Buy now

Pros

Auto-Scheduling learns your preferences

Automatically turns down after you leave

Control your hot water tank and adjust the hot water schedule from your mobile

Compatible with other Nest Products as well as Amazon Alexa and Google Home voice control

Simple to use

Attractive unit

Large, bright screen with Farsight

Safety alerts

View Energy History

Encourages money saving choices with the Leaf

Cons

Installation costs extra

Stand sold separately