Wouldn’t it be great if you had more control over your heating?
Imagine if you could control each of your radiators to come on or go off whenever you choose! Well, perhaps you already know the technology is out there, but now Worcester Bosch have introduced what’s called the Easy Control Smart Thermostat and Smart Thermostatic valves.
And they can be used with new or existing Worcester Bosch boilers! Isn’t that fantastic?
As an experienced engineer, I think this is a great bit of tech that Worcester Bosch has added to their product family. However, it’s only good if you’re definitely going to use it.
Introducing… 2 new additions to the Worcester Bosch family!
A bit like the Honeywell EvoHome, Worcester Bosch has released thermostatic valves that can be controlled individually through your smart thermostat – the Easy Control Smart Thermostat, to be precise! This means that each valve can be programmed to come off and own, effectively creating zones in your house.
So, what does this mean? Let’s take a closer look, below.
Main advantages of the Easy Control Smart Thermostat
Let’s just say, for the purpose of this example, that you get up at 7am. You can have the heating on in your bedroom from 6:45am for an hour. You can also set the heating to come back on in that room from 8 – 10pm, so it’ll be nice and cosy for when you go to bed (at least in winter).
If you’re working from home, you can then heat the lounge, kitchen, office and bathroom, whilst leaving the rest of the house alone. Or, you can set the heating so that it won’t drop below 14 degrees.
The point is, with every valve programmed independently, you can have complete control. Plus, since you only heat the rooms you’re using at any given time, this will definitely help you save on your energy bills!
Are there any disadvantages?
Well, firstly, this is not a cheap piece of kit. Not that this really counts as a disadvantage if you’re going to use it – but it will count as a bit of an upfront investment. The Easy Control Smart Thermostat will set you back around £250 for the main hub. Then, you might have 10 or even 16 radiators to consider – and you’ll be paying £45 for each thermostatic head.
Although this hub is designed to work specifically with Worcester Bosch boilers, and controls the cycling of the boiler and modulation, it can’t work with the Wave. So, if you already have a Wave, it’s one or the other, I’m afraid.
Finally, it does work similar to the Wave in that it’s a 2-core wire needed for installation. This is a disadvantage compared to the likes of Tado, Drayton and Honeywell. These work via a smart box that’s wired into the boiler, so you can put the thermostat anywhere.
The Tado is even more sophisticated, as you don’t even have to use the Tado hub as a thermostat, Every single radiator works as an individual thermostat, so the hub is just a hub. I do so much research on these! I’m about to try out a Drayton, so keep your eyes peeled for my next review!
Advice from an experienced engineer
My advice is this: if you’re a retired couple in a big house, and don’t use three bedrooms out of four, it’s definitely more effective to turn your radiators to the anti-frost setting. These bits of kit are designed for active homes. In other words, people working shifts, or someone working from home.
The heating in my lounge is never on during the week until we come down between 7pm – 11pm at night. There are different settings we have for Sundays, when we’re using the lounge most of the time. So, it’s great if your house is getting used a lot and you’re in different rooms at different parts of the day.
If you’re not really using those rooms? Sorry, but it’s probably not worth the investment.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading. Hopefully this blog has given you a better idea of what the latest Easy Control Smart Thermostat and Smart Thermostatic Valves from Worcester Bosch can mean for your home. If you’re not sure about whether these are right for you, do your research first. Maybe even get some advice from your engineer.
They’re certainly not for everyone – and they won’t be worth it if you aren’t using them as part of an active household.
What do you think of these – do you have any questions? If so, just leave me a comment below. I’m always around to help!
