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If you have central heating, heating controls help you keep your home comfortable and warm, without overheating it and wasting energy. By installing and using your heating controls effectively you could save money on your energy bills and lower your carbon emissions. 

What controls should you have?

Heating controls range from timers, thermostat controls to electrical and plumbing components and help manage when your heating should be on and what temperature it should be set at. 

Your central heating system should have a programmer – which controls when your heating is on, at least one room thermostat, and thermostatic radiator valves (TRV’s)  which are self regulating and maintain  a constant temperature in the room by sensing the air temperature and adjusting the flow of water until the desired temp is achieved. 

Heating controls range from traditional mechanical styles that are set manually to internet connected controls that can learn your habits and adjust settings automatically. 

You can upgrade or install heating controls without replacing your central heating system. You should consider new controls if you don’t have a programmer. Plus at least one room thermostat or TRV’s on your radiators. Many more modern room thermostats have more accurate temperature sensors and many smart controls include additional energy saving features such as detecting when windows are open. 

How do you use your heating controls? 

As there are a large number of types of heating controls available, instructions differ, so it would be helpful to check with your installer or read the manufacturer’s manual. If you no longer have access to the manufacturer’s manual, these can often be found online by searching by make and/or model. 

Programmers

A heating and hot water programmer allows you to schedule when your system turns on and off. This is useful as it means you can programme your heating to only turn on when needed.

Benefits:

• Older timers have basic functionality (one on/off cycle daily).
• Modern and smart programmers allow multiple schedules, enhancing convenience and energy efficiency.

Energy-Saving Tips:

1. Plan Usage – Use heating and hot water only when needed. For instance, turn them off when you’re out or asleep. Adjust settings to match daily schedules.
2. Warm-Up and Cool-Down Times – Account for how long your home takes to heat up and cool down when programming. To find this out choose a cold evening and time how long it takes for your home to warm up and then cool down. Use this information when planning programming times.  
3. Air source heat pumps can be a little slower to react to changes you might make to your heating controls than an oil boiler might be. If you prefer a cooler home at night than during the day, you can set a time programme using your heating controls.  Your heating controls will manage the time that your heating system powers on, so that your home is back to a comfortable temperature when you wake up.
4. Insulated homes heat faster and retain warmth longer. For more information on insulating your home see here.
5. Hot Water Scheduling – Only heat water as needed. Insulated water tanks can retain heat for later use.

Efficient programming helps reduce energy waste and saves money. 

Room Thermostats 

Room thermostats prevent your home from getting warmer than necessary. They turn the heating on until the room reaches your desired temperature, and then turn off until the temperature drops again. 

You should situate them in areas where they can get a free flow of air to sense the temperature. They shouldn’t be blocked by furniture or curtains or placed near heat sources that could give them false readings.  

Set your thermostat to the lowest temperature you feel comfortable with (most people choose between 18°c and 21°c. 

Programmable Room Thermostats

A programmable thermostat combines time and temperature controls in a single unit and allows you to set different temperatures for different times of the day. 

Thermostatic Radiator Valves 

Thermostatic radiator valves or TRV’s do not control your central heating system, they control the flow of hot water through the radiator they are fitted to. They work by sensing the air temperature around them. If the room is warmer than the setting on the TRV then it will close a little, reducing the flow of water. If the room temperature is lower than the TRV setting, the valve will open and increase the flow of hot water into the radiator. 

Radiator covers and furniture can prevent TRV’s from getting accurate temperature readings. Warm air heated by the radiator can get trapped and the TRV can read this as a higher temperature, therefore it would be best practice to not block radiators. 

TRV’s can be adjusted to different settings by twisting them and are marked with a scale. Normally from 0 or * which is off to 6 which is fully open. Aim for the lowest setting that is comfortable for you. 

Smart Heating Controls 

Smart heating controls offer everything that conventional controls do. They also have a timer to control when you have the heating on and off. Plus work with thermostats to control the heat in your home. However, smart controls are connected to the internet.  

Features vary by manufacturer however some features they may have include: 

• Simple and easy to use controls. Making it each to check and change on and off periods for heating and hotwater
• They allow you to turn the system on and off and change the settings from smart phones when you are not at home 
• Learn your habits and adjust controls to match. They can turn heating on when you’re most likely to be at home, detect open windows, and heat hot water before you are most likely to use the bath or shower. 
• Use geo-fencing to track where you are able to turn on your heating when you are returning home. 
• Advanced control functions like weather compensation. 

Smart heating controls may not be for everyone. Having a system that can learn your habits and adjust times to minimise energy consumption can save you money, and requires very little input once set up. 

Hot Water Thermostats 

Traditionally hot water cylinders used to heat up whenever the heating was on, without time or temperature control. Adding a cylinder thermostat can help save energy by keeping the water from getting hotter than needed.

The thermostat turns off the heat supply once the water reaches the set temperature. Setting it higher won’t heat the water faster. The thermostat should be set between 60°C and 65°C. This temperature kills harmful bacteria but can cause scalding, so handle it with care.

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