Thermostats - to smart or not?

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

It's time to replace our old programmable thermostat. The screen has decided to gently die.

Do we replace it with a similar one and program it at source or do we replace it with a smart device and if so, which one?

I'm a bit put off by the price of smart devices. I'm also not quite sure how secure they are or how stable they are if the internet goes down. But I do like the idea of being able to tell it what to do with my phone.

Ideally, what ever we get I'd like to be able to install it myself.

Thanks!

Hive does have to be wired onto the boiler and if the old thermostat is wired that has to be removed

Or just turned to the maximum setting and left where it is.

@NothingIsWrong

I have a Tado and love it - about to start investing in the radiator individual stats for a bit more control

Bloody love our tado. We made back the £900 it cost in the first 18 months but we do have quite a drafty old house. I love that we can turn on and off individual radiators - no point heating the kids rooms all day when we're all in the living room and kitchen. Each room has its own schedule, so the kids rooms warm up in time for bed, our room for when we go up. Kitchen turns off after dinner, bedrooms and bathrooms warm when get up in the morning (but not over night).

And if the WiFi fails, the schedules continue as normal or you can sort it manually.

Hive, hooked up to HomeKit, so works with Apple HomePods, and Philips Hue, Yale Alarm etc

I can also link it to HomeKit automatons, E.G. If movement in living room then set the temperature to 21, or If the (Yale) alarm is set, turn the heating off.

It's hard to quantify, but I'm sure I make savings, compared to how I used to just have the thermostat on the landing set to 22 for the whole winter.