UK citizens face significantly higher energy bills next month when the government’s energy price cap rises on April 1, and later with such volatility in the gas market. The average UK home’s spending on gas heating will increase 65% from £639 to £1,051 annually, according to the average annual consumption of gas provided by BEIS Energy Prices Statistics Team, plus April’s price cap’s cost of gas per kWh and daily standing charge. Homes with smart thermostats installed will protect themselves from some of these rising costs. Smart heating systems are available from the likes of Hive, Nest and Tado. Using data from 2 million of its European users, German provider Tado claims that the average household will enjoy a 22% reduction – from £1,050.55 to just £819.43 – on their heating bills through using smart thermostats in the home. Read our Tado Smart Thermostat review and compare the best smart thermostats in Tech Advisor’s roundup. Smart thermostats save on energy bills can turn the heating off when a home is empty and set smarter heating schedules than possible with plain boiler thermostats. Savings could be increased further with separate app-controlled room-by-room smart radiator valves. According to IDC Insights, the smart-thermostat industry grew 24% last year, as the technology approaches mainstream adoption in the fight against high energy prices. Find out more on how smart heating saves you money. Simon was Editor of Macworld from the dark days of 1995 to the triumphant return of Steve Jobs and the launch of the iPhone. His desk is a test bench for tech accessories, from USB-C and Thunderbolt docks to chargers, batteries, Powerline adaptors and Fitbits.
