Heat your house from your phone with Honeywell Single Zone Thermostat
With this new connected thermostat, you can control your heating from your sofa or anywhere in the world.
As the nights draw in it's time to start thinking about heating your house, and with the Honeywell Single Zone Thermostat you can control the temperature from your sofa or even out of the house.
The new device from Honeywell is a wirelessly connected thermostat, starting at £140. A screen in the centre shows you the temperature and battery status, and you adjust the heating by turning a ring around the outside.
A connected or smart thermostat plonks on your wall and wirelessly connects to the Internet, allowing you to monitor and adjust your heating from your smartphone. All settings are stored in the cloud, so you can change anything from anywhere by opening the app on your smartphone or going online on a PC. Honeywell says it works with any system and any boiler.
The app is called Total Connect Comfort, and is available for both Android and iOS phones and tablets. The Single Zone Thermostat is also compatible with Honeywell's "smart zoning" system, Evohome.
Installation involves wiring a wireless relay box into the system. It can be wired directly to motorised zone valves or actuators. Honeywell advises getting someone in to do that bit and will recommend certified installers in your area. Installation adds roughly £70 to £100 to the cost, depending on the complexity of your home -- factors affecting the cost include boiler location, the age of the system and so on.
There's no need for redecoration or drilling for the thermostat itself, which is wireless and battery-powered and can be placed wherever you like.
The Honeywell Single Zone is the latest smart thermostat to go on sale in the UK, following the Nest system and the Hive system. Hive is sold by British Gas, but it does work if you get your gas from another provider too.
The Single Zone Thermostat goes on sale in late October.