Best smart thermostats UK (2026) — compared & price-tracked
A smart thermostat is a heating controller, not an upgrade to your boiler — it changes when and where your home is heated, not how efficiently the boiler burns fuel. The decision that matters is rarely the app or the styling: it is whether the unit works with your specific boiler and system, and whether it can control a hot water cylinder if you have one. Several of the products here run heating only, and two need a separate adapter or bridge before they will do what the box implies. This page compares eight UK-available thermostats on compatibility, control type, zoning and how realistic self-installation actually is, with prices and specifications checked against the manufacturers' own documentation and UK retailers between 24 July and 8 October 2026.
By Tom Calder · Updated 5 November 2026 · 8 products, 7 of 8 price-tracked
Our picks
Photo: Amazontado Smart Thermostat X
Most UK homes — including heat pumps and cylinder systems — that want hot water control without buying a hub.
as of 5 Nov 2026, 22:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.Honeywell Home T6R-HW
An S-plan or Y-plan home with a hot water cylinder that needs one thermostat to run both.
Photo: AmazonDrayton Wiser Multi-Zone Kit 1 (2nd Gen)
Room-by-room control on a combi boiler without paying whole-house-system money.
as of 5 Nov 2026, 22:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.All 8 compared
| Thermostat | Works with | Control | Zoning | Fitting | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Most gas boilers and heat pumps via relay or OpenTherm · OpenTherm or relay; hot water control included; no hub needed · Single zone; add tado° Radiator Thermostats X for per-room · Most DIY-friendly here, still wired; pro fitting £140 inc VAT Most UK homes — including heat pumps and cylinder systems — that want hot water control without buying a hub. | Most gas boilers and heat pumps via relay or OpenTherm | OpenTherm or relay; hot water control included; no hub needed | Single zone; add tado° Radiator Thermostats X for per-room | Most DIY-friendly here, still wired; pro fitting £140 inc VAT | £169.61 at Amazon as of 5 Nov 2026, 22:07 GMT · DetailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.In stockCheck price → |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched The most complete package here for the money: OpenTherm or relay control, hot water control included via the bundled Programmer X, and no separate hub or bridge to buy because the Programmer is itself the Thread border router. It is also the one the manufacturer describes as genuinely self-installable, with in-app instructions tailored to your system, though the Programmer still wires in at the boiler — which is why tado sells professional fitting at £140. Note that the Matter and Thread support is smart-home connectivity, not any form of safety approval. Best for Most UK homes — including heat pumps and cylinder systems — that want hot water control without buying a hub. Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want room-by-room control out of the box — Drayton's Wiser Multi-Zone kits include two radiator thermostats, and this kit includes none. Read the full review → | |||||
2. Honeywell Home T6R-HW Wall-Mounted Wireless Heating & Hot Water Smart Thermostat (Y6H920RW5031) Runner-up 24–230V on/off and OpenTherm boilers, heat pumps; S/Y/W-plan · OpenTherm or relay; genuinely controls stored hot water · Single zone only — no radiator valve ecosystem · No hub; 2-channel receiver needs a wired 230V supply An S-plan or Y-plan home with a hot water cylinder that needs one thermostat to run both. | 24–230V on/off and OpenTherm boilers, heat pumps; S/Y/W-plan | OpenTherm or relay; genuinely controls stored hot water | Single zone only — no radiator valve ecosystem | No hub; 2-channel receiver needs a wired 230V supply | |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched The answer to a common and badly served UK problem: a single, sensible thermostat that controls both heating and a stored hot water cylinder. Resideo specifies it for 24–230V on/off and OpenTherm appliances including gas boilers, combis and heat pumps, and for Sundial S-plan, Y-plan and W-plan stored hot water systems with 24V and 230V zone valves, with no separate hub required. Screwfix lists a 5-year manufacturer's warranty for domestic use subject to proof of purchase and terms; the frost protection and holiday mode are built-in functions rather than any external certification. Best for An S-plan or Y-plan home with a hot water cylinder that needs one thermostat to run both. Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want room-by-room zoning — evohome, Drayton Wiser and tado all support radiator valves and this does not. Read the full review → | |||||
Combi boilers; can also interface with heat pumps · OpenTherm or relay; heating only, no hot water channel · Multi-zone: 2 radiator thermostats included; up to 16 rooms, 63 devices · Hub wires in at the boiler; radiator heads are DIY Room-by-room control on a combi boiler without paying whole-house-system money. | Combi boilers; can also interface with heat pumps | OpenTherm or relay; heating only, no hot water channel | Multi-zone: 2 radiator thermostats included; up to 16 rooms, 63 devices | Hub wires in at the boiler; radiator heads are DIY | £309.99 at Amazon as of 5 Nov 2026, 22:07 GMT · DetailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.In stockCheck price → |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched Drayton's second-generation Kit 1 keeps what made the first one good value: two smart radiator thermostats in the box, so zoning starts on day one, with room to grow to 16 rooms and 63 Wiser devices. It talks to the boiler over OpenTherm or relay, and the new hub doubles as a Matter bridge. The hard limit is unchanged: this is the combi kit, with one heating channel and no hot water control. Best for Room-by-room control on a combi boiler without paying whole-house-system money. Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you have a hot water cylinder to control — Drayton's Multi-Zone Kit 2 or the tado° kit with the Programmer handles hot water, and this does not. | |||||
 Conventional and system boilers with a cylinder; can interface with heat pumps · Relay switching; 2 channels, heating plus separate hot water · Multi-zone: 2 radiator thermostats included; up to 16 rooms, 63 devices · Hub wires in at the boiler; radiator heads are DIY Room-by-room control in a home with a hot water cylinder, without a whole-house engineer's system. | Conventional and system boilers with a cylinder; can interface with heat pumps | Relay switching; 2 channels, heating plus separate hot water | Multi-zone: 2 radiator thermostats included; up to 16 rooms, 63 devices | Hub wires in at the boiler; radiator heads are DIY | £309.99 at Amazon as of 5 Nov 2026, 22:07 GMT · DetailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.In stockCheck price → |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched Kit 2 is the hot water version of Drayton's second-generation zoning kit: the same two smart radiator thermostats in the box, but a two-channel receiver, so it schedules a hot water cylinder as well as the heating. It suits conventional and system boilers with a cylinder, switches the boiler by relay and can interface with heat pumps, and it grows to 16 rooms and 63 devices on Drayton's figures. The hub wires in at the boiler or wiring centre, so expect to pay for that part to be fitted. Best for Room-by-room control in a home with a hot water cylinder, without a whole-house engineer's system. Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you have a combi boiler with no cylinder — Kit 1 does the same zoning without the hot water channel you won't use. | |||||
 Most boilers, heat pumps, district heating; S-plan and Y-plan · Relay as sold; OpenTherm and hot water need extra hardware · Up to 12 heating zones + 1 hot water; controllers extra · Engineer's job; whole-system fitting quoted c.£600–£900+ A large or awkward home being zoned properly by a heating engineer. | Most boilers, heat pumps, district heating; S-plan and Y-plan | Relay as sold; OpenTherm and hot water need extra hardware | Up to 12 heating zones + 1 hot water; controllers extra | Engineer's job; whole-system fitting quoted c.£600–£900+ | £229.98 at Amazon as of 5 Nov 2026, 22:07 GMT · DetailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.In stockCheck price → |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched The most capable system here — Resideo quotes up to 12 individually time- and temperature-controlled heating zones plus a separate domestic hot water zone, and the broadest system support of anything on this page, covering most boiler types, heat pumps, district heating, pellet burners and S-plan or Y-plan zone-valve setups. But the pack as sold is a controller, a table stand, a power lead and one wireless relay box: no radiator controllers, no OpenTherm and no hot water control. Judge it as the first component of a professionally installed whole-house system, not as a standalone thermostat. Best for A large or awkward home being zoned properly by a heating engineer. Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want room-by-room control without an engineer-installed system — Drayton's Wiser Multi-Zone kits include two radiator thermostats in the box, and this pack includes none. Read the full review → | |||||
 Most gas/LPG/oil boilers; no heat pumps, storage or solid fuel · OpenTherm or on/off relay; Hive Hub included and required · Single zone; radiator valves and multizone kits sold separately · Hive says self-install needs wiring competence; pro fitting sold A combi-boiler household that wants a familiar, well-supported app at the lowest hub-included price. | Most gas/LPG/oil boilers; no heat pumps, storage or solid fuel | OpenTherm or on/off relay; Hive Hub included and required | Single zone; radiator valves and multizone kits sold separately | Hive says self-install needs wiring competence; pro fitting sold | £151.12 at Amazon as of 5 Nov 2026, 22:07 GMT · DetailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.In stockCheck price → |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched The mainstream, widely supported option, and with the required Hub in the box it is the cheapest route into a well-known British Gas-backed ecosystem with OpenTherm modulation on compatible combis. Two things to be clear about before ordering: this is the combi version, so it controls heating only and there is no cylinder for it to manage, and Hive's published incompatibility list is long. Check your specific boiler against that list rather than assuming a mainstream brand means universal fit. Best for A combi-boiler household that wants a familiar, well-supported app at the lowest hub-included price. Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you have a hot water cylinder to control — this combi SKU cannot, and Hive's Heating & Hot Water bundle is a different, dearer product. Read the full review → | |||||
Worcester Bosch boilers natively; others need the EasyControl Adapter · EMS 2 modulation, not OpenTherm; hot water scheduling included · Multi-zone: 3 TRVs included, up to 19 TRVs across 20 zones · Installer-fitted; Worcester points buyers to accredited fitters Homes that already have a Worcester Bosch boiler and want zoning plus the extended guarantee. | Worcester Bosch boilers natively; others need the EasyControl Adapter | EMS 2 modulation, not OpenTherm; hot water scheduling included | Multi-zone: 3 TRVs included, up to 19 TRVs across 20 zones | Installer-fitted; Worcester points buyers to accredited fitters | |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched If you already own a Worcester Bosch boiler this is a strong package: native EMS 2 modulating control, hot water scheduling, three Smart TRVs in the box, and a system that scales to 19 Smart TRVs across 20 zones on Worcester's own figures, with an up-to-12-year guarantee when installed with one of their boilers. If you do not own one, the maths falls apart — you need the separately sold EasyControl Adapter to convert EMS out to OpenTherm, iRT or a 230V on/off contact, on top of the bundle's own price. Worcester states the EasyControl boosts a system's ErP rating by 5% with at least three Smart TRVs, or 4% without Bosch TRVs; those are its own figures and explicitly conditional on the installation. Best for Homes that already have a Worcester Bosch boiler and want zoning plus the extended guarantee. Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if your boiler is not a Worcester Bosch — Drayton's Wiser Multi-Zone kits give comparable zoning and need no adapter. Read the full review → | |||||
Sold out right now (1)
The shop says these are sold out today. We check stock every hour, and each one moves back up the list when it returns.
| Thermostat | Works with | Control | Zoning | Fitting | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1,500+ boilers, any fuel, heat pumps — if dry-contact on/off · On/off relay only. No OpenTherm, no hot water control · Single zone; Smart Radiator Valves sold separately · Head is battery DIY; Relay needs 230V wiring at the boiler An unusual fuel or older on/off system where compatibility matters more than modulation. | 1,500+ boilers, any fuel, heat pumps — if dry-contact on/off | On/off relay only. No OpenTherm, no hot water control | Single zone; Smart Radiator Valves sold separately | Head is battery DIY; Relay needs 230V wiring at the boiler | Out of stockCheck price → |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched The budget pick and the most fuel-agnostic here: Netatmo claims compatibility with more than 1,500 boilers and with most boiler types regardless of fuel — electric, gas, oil or wood — plus heat pumps, air-to-water heat pumps and wood or pellet stoves. The real test is electrical rather than brand-based: your system must be controllable by a dry-contact on/off room thermostat with a maximum switching current of 120VA. That constraint is also the limitation, because this is the least capable controller on the page. Best for An unusual fuel or older on/off system where compatibility matters more than modulation. Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if your boiler supports OpenTherm modulation and you want to use it — the tado° kit or Honeywell T6R-HW will, and this will not. Read the full review → | |||||
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Before you buy
Compatibility, not features, decides this category, and three questions settle most of it.
First, what kind of boiler and system do you have — a combi that heats water on demand, or a system or heat-only boiler feeding a hot water cylinder? Drayton's Wiser Kit 1 and the Hive combi thermostat are built for combis and control heating only; anyone with a cylinder needs a product with a second channel, which here means the Honeywell T6R-HW, the tado° starter kit, Drayton's Wiser Kit 2 or the Worcester Bosch EasyControl. Second, is your system plumbed as an S-plan or Y-plan with motorised zone valves? Resideo specifies both the T6R-HW and evohome for those layouts, while several rivals do not mention them at all. Third, does the manufacturer actually list your boiler? Hive publishes a specific incompatibility list covering heat pumps, storage heaters, electric underfloor heating, solid fuel and biomass, Honeywell SmartFit controls, the Vaillant VR 65 control centre and ten Worcester Bosch models that accept only Worcester's own TR2 room thermostat. tado publishes no blanket boiler list and instead directs buyers to its online compatibility checker for their exact make and model — a five-minute step worth doing before you order rather than after.
The second decision is how the thermostat talks to the boiler.
Simple on/off relay switching does what it sounds like: the boiler is either firing or it is not. OpenTherm is an industry boiler-communication protocol — not a safety certification — that lets a compatible boiler modulate, running at lower output for longer instead of cycling, which is generally the more comfortable and more efficient way to heat a home. Most products here support both: tado, Wiser Kit 1 and the Honeywell T6R-HW all list relay and OpenTherm connections, while Drayton's specification for Wiser Kit 2 lists relay switching only. Two do not work the way the marketing implies. The Netatmo Smart Thermostat for Individual Boiler is dry-contact on/off only, with a maximum switching current of 120VA — Netatmo sells a separate modulating thermostat for OpenTherm systems, and the two are easy to confuse. And Worcester Bosch's EasyControl is not natively an OpenTherm device at all: it speaks Bosch's own EMS 2 bus, and OpenTherm is simply one of the outputs its separately sold adapter converts to for third-party boilers. On the evohome pack, OpenTherm requires the R8810A1018 bridge, which is not in the box.
Zoning is where the real money goes, and where headline prices mislead most.
A single-zone thermostat controls the whole house from one temperature reading in one room, which is how most UK homes already work. Room-by-room control means putting a smart valve on individual radiators, and those are almost always sold separately. Only three products here include any: Drayton's Wiser Kit 1 and Kit 2 each ship with two radiator thermostats and scale to 16 rooms and 63 Wiser devices on Drayton's own figures, and the Worcester Bosch bundle ships with three and scales to 19 Smart TRVs across 20 zones on Worcester's. The Honeywell evohome pack is the most capable of the lot — Resideo quotes up to 12 individually time- and temperature-controlled heating zones plus a separate hot water zone — but the pack as sold contains no radiator controllers at all, so its price is the start of the spend rather than the end of it. Hive, tado and Netatmo are all single-zone as supplied, with their own radiator valve ranges bought separately.
Finally, be honest with yourself about installation, because almost everything here involves mains wiring somewhere.
The genuinely DIY parts are the battery-powered pieces: Netatmo's thermostat head runs on three AAA cells, and radiator valves screw onto existing valve bodies with no electrics involved. The parts that are not are the receivers, relays and hubs that connect to the boiler or wiring centre — Netatmo's Relay is powered from 230V mains, the Honeywell T6R-HW's 2-channel receiver box always requires a 230V supply, and Drayton's HubR wires in at the boiler. Hive's own wording is that self-installation requires competence in electrical wiring and DIY, and it sells a British Gas-backed professional install alongside the product. tado, the most self-install-friendly option here, still charges £140 including VAT for professional fitting, which is a fair signal of how hard the wiring step really is. Worcester Bosch points buyers to accredited installers rather than describing DIY, and evohome is realistically a heating engineer's job — UK quotes for whole-system fitting run to several hundred pounds or more. Two smaller costs are worth knowing before you commit: Hive requires its Hub, included with a first thermostat purchase, while tado's Programmer X needs no bridge at all; and tado's optional AI Assist subscription runs to £3.99 a month, which is not required for basic operation but is an ongoing cost buyers rarely expect.
We verify every product's specifications against at least two independent sources, re-check its UK price and stock on a schedule where we can track it automatically, and cross-check safety-relevant claims against official guidance. Every review is labelled Researched or Used and reviewed by us: where we've bought a product, or been sent it free, and used it ourselves, its review says which; where we haven't, our verdict is a considered spec-and-evidence comparison, not a hands-on test. When two products are close, commission can decide which one we pick. A clearly better product always wins. Read our full methodology →
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Common questions
Will a smart thermostat work with my boiler?
Usually, but not always, and it is the check to do before buying anything. Every manufacturer publishes its own compatibility information: Hive lists specific exclusions including heat pumps, storage heaters, electric underfloor heating and solid fuel or biomass systems, while tado publishes no blanket boiler list and directs buyers to its online compatibility checker for their exact make and model. Treat any retailer listing that says 'suitable for all boilers' with caution — the manufacturers themselves do not make that claim.
Which of these can control my hot water cylinder?
Four of them as supplied. The tado° Wireless Smart Thermostat X starter kit includes hot water control via the bundled Programmer X; the Honeywell T6R-HW controls stored hot water on S-plan, Y-plan and W-plan systems; Drayton's Wiser Kit 2 has a second channel for hot water; and the Worcester Bosch EasyControl lets you schedule when the boiler provides hot water. The Hive combi thermostat, Drayton Wiser Kit 1 and Netatmo Smart Thermostat for Individual Boiler are heating only. The Honeywell evohome system supports a hot water zone but needs the separate ATF500DHW kit or a CS92A wireless cylinder thermostat to do it.
What is the difference between OpenTherm and on/off control?
On/off relay switching means the boiler is either firing or idle. OpenTherm is a boiler-communication protocol that lets a compatible boiler modulate its output — running gently for longer rather than cycling on and off — which is usually more comfortable and more efficient. It is an industry communication standard, not a safety certification. Your boiler has to support it as well: if it does not, an OpenTherm-capable thermostat simply falls back to relay switching.
Can I fit a smart thermostat myself?
Parts of the job, yes. Battery-powered thermostat heads and radiator valves are genuine DIY. The receiver, relay or hub that connects to the boiler or wiring centre is mains electrical work — Netatmo's Relay and the Honeywell T6R-HW's 2-channel receiver both need a 230V supply, and Hive states plainly that self-installation requires competence in electrical wiring and DIY. tado is the most self-install-friendly option here and still sells professional fitting at £140 including VAT, while whole-system evohome installs are quoted at several hundred pounds or more. If you are not confident with mains wiring, use a qualified heating engineer.
How much will a smart thermostat actually save me?
Less than the marketing suggests, if you already control your heating carefully. The Energy Saving Trust puts the saving from installing heating controls at around £100 a year in Great Britain and £110 in Northern Ireland, with a programmer, thermostat and TRVs together saving about £110 a year in GB, and adding TRVs to a system that already has a programmer and thermostat saving about £35 a year in GB. Those figures describe going from no or basic controls to a full set — not swapping an existing thermostat for a smart one, where the saving is smaller. Manufacturer figures such as Hive's 'up to 12%' and 'up to £167 a year' are the company's own conditional claims and are not independently verified.
Do I need a separate hub or bridge?
It varies, and it is a real cost difference. Hive requires its Hub, which plugs into your broadband router and is included with a first thermostat purchase. tado's starter kit needs nothing extra — the Programmer X is itself the Thread border router, and the Bridge X is sold separately only as a signal amplifier for larger homes. The Honeywell T6R-HW needs no hub. The evohome pack needs the separate R8810A1018 bridge for OpenTherm, and Worcester Bosch's EasyControl needs the EasyControl Adapter for any non-Worcester boiler.
Are there ongoing subscription costs?
Not for basic operation on any product here. The one to know about is tado's optional AI Assist subscription at £3.99 a month — it is not required to run the thermostat, but it is a recurring cost that is easy to miss at the point of purchase. Beyond that, budget for what expanding a system costs rather than what running it costs: radiator valves, extra zones, adapters and bridges are all bought separately.
