Smart Thermostats

Smart thermostats are intelligent heating controls that connect to your home's WiFi network, offering unprecedented control and automation of your heating system. Unlike standard thermostats that simply maintain a fixed temperature, Reform Energy's smart thermostat installations provide remote control via smartphone apps, learning capabilities that adapt to your lifestyle, multi-zone control for room-by-room temperature management, and integration with other smart home systems. These advanced features allow Devon homeowners to precisely manage their heating based on occupancy, weather conditions, and daily routines. Our smart thermostats work with virtually all central heating systems found in Devon properties, including conventional gas boilers, heat pumps, oil systems, and electric heating, providing intuitive control interfaces that make managing your home's climate simpler and more efficient than ever before.

Devon homeowners typically save 15-25% on heating bills after Reform Energy installs smart thermostats, representing annual savings of £150-£300 for an average household. These savings come from several intelligent functions: geofencing automatically reduces heating when you're away from home; learning algorithms optimise heating schedules based on your lifestyle and Devon's specific climate patterns; weather compensation adjusts operation based on outdoor conditions and forecasts; open window detection prevents wasted energy; and detailed energy reports help identify further efficiency opportunities. The exact savings depend on your previous heating controls, property characteristics, and usage patterns, with greater savings typically achieved in larger properties and homes with irregular occupancy. Most Devon customers recoup their investment within 1-3 heating seasons, while immediately benefiting from improved comfort and convenience.

Reform Energy installs smart thermostats compatible with virtually all heating systems found in Devon properties. This includes gas, oil, and LPG boilers (both modern condensing and older conventional models), air and ground source heat pumps, electric heating systems (including storage heaters with appropriate controllers), biomass boilers, and hybrid systems. Our pre-installation assessment determines exactly which smart thermostat models are compatible with your specific system, considering factors like whether your heating uses standard on/off control, OpenTherm modulation, or proprietary protocols. For properties with underfloor heating, we offer specialised controllers designed for the specific response characteristics of these systems. Multi-zone capabilities allow independent control of different heating circuits or radiator zones, ideal for larger Devon properties or homes with varied occupancy patterns throughout the day.

Yes, many smart thermostat systems installed by Reform Energy can control both heating and hot water in Devon properties with stored hot water cylinders. This functionality allows you to schedule hot water heating separately from space heating, potentially reducing energy consumption by 10-15% compared to traditional timers. Through smartphone interfaces, you can boost hot water remotely before returning home or extend heating periods when guests are staying. For properties with combi boilers (which heat water on demand), smart thermostats control only the heating function as no hot water storage is involved. During our initial assessment, we determine your specific hot water setup and recommend appropriate control solutions, ensuring your entire thermal system operates with maximum efficiency and convenience, particularly valuable for holiday homes or properties with irregular occupancy patterns common throughout Devon.

Reform Energy's smart thermostat installations in Devon properties typically take 1-3 hours depending on system complexity and whether additional zones are being implemented. Our Gas Safe registered engineers replace your existing thermostat with the new smart controls, making any necessary wiring modifications to your heating system. For wireless systems, we install the receiver at your boiler and position the thermostat in an optimal location for accurate temperature sensing. Multi-zone installations may require additional time to install and configure zone valves or smart radiator valves. Following physical installation, we configure your system settings, connect it to your home WiFi network, set up smartphone access, and provide comprehensive guidance on using your new controls. We take care to work cleanly and efficiently, leaving your home tidy after installation is complete.

Yes, all smart thermostats installed by Reform Energy provide comprehensive remote control capabilities ideal for managing Devon properties while away. Through intuitive smartphone apps, you can adjust temperatures, modify schedules, or activate vacation modes from anywhere with internet access. This functionality is particularly valuable for holiday homes, allowing you to ensure pipes are protected during cold weather or to warm the property before arrival. For permanent residences, remote access enables you to adjust heating in response to unexpected schedule changes or weather events common in Devon's variable climate. Advanced geofencing features can automatically adjust your heating based on your location, saving energy when you're away while ensuring you return to a comfortable home. Our setup process includes configuring secure remote access and demonstrating these features to ensure you're completely comfortable managing your property from afar.

Reform Energy specialises in integrating smart thermostats with renewable heating systems throughout Devon. For air and ground source heat pumps, we install smart controls specifically designed to optimise the unique operational characteristics of these systems, including weather compensation functions that adjust flow temperatures based on outdoor conditions—crucial for maximising heat pump efficiency. Our smart controls for renewable systems focus on maintaining stable temperatures with minimal fluctuation, optimising flow temperatures, and providing appropriate scheduling that accounts for the slower response times typical of heat pump systems. For hybrid systems combining renewable and conventional heating, intelligent controls automatically select the most efficient heat source based on current conditions and energy costs. The resulting improvements in system efficiency typically increase the already substantial carbon and cost savings delivered by renewable heating technologies in Devon homes.

Yes, Reform Energy's smart thermostat installations can create sophisticated zoning systems that independently control different areas of your Devon home. This can be achieved through either hard-wired zones using motorised valves (ideal for properties already divided into multiple heating circuits) or wireless smart radiator valves that control individual radiators. Zoning allows you to heat only occupied rooms, potentially reducing energy consumption by 20-30% while improving comfort by maintaining different temperatures in different spaces—for example, warmer living areas and cooler bedrooms. This functionality is particularly valuable for larger Devon properties, homes with varied occupancy patterns, or buildings with varying heating requirements in different areas (such as north-facing rooms that may need more heating than south-facing spaces with solar gain). Our system design considers your property layout, occupancy patterns, and lifestyle to create an optimised zoning strategy.

Smart thermostats installed by Reform Energy use advanced algorithms to learn your lifestyle patterns and preferences. During the initial 1-2 weeks after installation, the system observes when you manually adjust temperatures, building a profile of your preferred comfort levels at different times. Occupancy sensors detect when rooms are in use, while geofencing identifies when household members are arriving or departing, allowing the system to adjust heating accordingly. Some models analyse how quickly your specific Devon property warms up and cools down, factoring in the thermal characteristics of your building and local weather patterns to optimise start-up times. This continuous learning process means your heating system becomes increasingly attuned to your lifestyle over time, automatically maintaining comfort while minimising energy use without requiring manual programming. You retain full ability to override automated settings whenever desired through simple smartphone or device interfaces.

Reform Energy's smart thermostat installations include fail-safe functionality that ensures your Devon home remains heated even during internet outages. If your WiFi connection is interrupted, the thermostat continues operating according to its most recent schedule using its local programming. The physical thermostat interface remains fully functional, allowing manual temperature adjustments without internet connectivity. While remote control features and weather forecasting functions may be temporarily unavailable during outages, core heating functions continue without interruption. Once internet connection is restored, the system automatically reconnects and resumes full functionality, including updating any schedule changes you may have made remotely during the outage period. This resilient design ensures reliable heating performance regardless of connectivity issues—particularly important in rural Devon areas where internet service may be less consistent than in urban locations.