Here are 5 things households should look for in a smart heating system – explained by Sam Jump, Product Manager at Wunda Group.

Consumers looking to save money and energy are now carefully investigating their options. With energy bills rising by more than 50%, installing a smart heating system could recoup savings in the next 12 months quicker than previously possible, making it a wise investment for 2022.

“The time has now come to invest in smart heating system as it could mean the difference of hundreds of pounds a year,” explains Sam Jump, Product Manager at Wunda Group, the 5 Star Trust Pilot Rated British heating experts behind the Good Housekeeping Institute Approved WundaSmart heating system. “Spring and summer will provide a short relief before the rising cost of energy bills is back on the agenda as autumn arrives. Almost every home in the UK could benefit from a smart heating system. For those now considering buying one, here is a six-point check list to look out for.”

1. Does it allow you to control your heating room by room from anywhere in the world?

Controlling your heating room by room saves energy. This method, called zoning, has been shown in studies to provide energy savings of up to 37%.* Unless you are manually adjusting radiator heads in each and every room in your house every day to suit your needs, you will inevitably waste energy and money.

2. How accurate is the temperature control?

“The difference of a degree in your home could equate to several hundred pounds over the course of a few years when the impending rises come into effect” explains Sam Jump. “Most UK homes are still operating on one single thermostat for the entire home. This is an antiquated system that has been used for decades. By introducing thermostats into every room, you can significantly optimise energy use.” Unlike other smart heating systems, WundaSmart uses wireless thermostats positioned away from the radiators, and additional temperature sensors built into the powered radiator heads.

3. Does it keep your usage data private?

“Amongst the noise of rising energy costs, we shouldn’t forget the issue of our privacy,” warns Sam. With WundaSmart, your data, usage and preferences are always kept private. Your information is decentralised and there is no online database recording your every action that is then shared with tech giants. “Many companies that share your data will do so under the guise of improving your experience. But we believe that consumers should have access to money-saving technology and the best user best experience without compromising their privacy.”

4. Smart features that are actually useful and save energy

A Smart heating system is only worth having if you can retain full control when the internet drops out on the coldest day of the year. Uniquely, thanks to all your settings being stored in a physical central hub, if the WiFi goes down while you’re at home, you are still able to control your WundaSmart system via your LAN (Local Area Network). WundaSmart stays fully functional and accessible via its hardware or using the App allowing you to change the heating settings and schedules as normal.

5. Compatibility and ease of installation

“If you’re looking into a smart solution ahead of winter, you’ll want it installed soon to ensure it’s fully set up before the heating is switched back on,” explains Jump. Installation of WundaSmart can be carried out by a competent and DIY-savvy consumer in certain cases. However, Wunda recommend the main component – the HubSwitch – is connected to the heat source by a certified heating engineer to avoid any complications. Installation is quick and painless, typically taking less than two hours. The HubSwitch (pictured, below right) is retrofitted to the boiler controls. WundaSmart smart radiator heads work on 90% of UK radiators and fit most others with an adaptor. Then wireless smart thermostats and radiators are easy to fit by anyone and are placed throughout the house, paired with their rooms simply in the WundaSmart app.