How to Set Up a Smart Thermostat

Smart thermostats are straightforward to use — but most homeowners use only a fraction of their capabilities. Here's how to set one up properly from day one.

Step 1: Download the app and create your account

Before installation, download the app for your thermostat (Nest, Hive, Tado, or Vaillant vSmart). Create your account. The installation engineer will connect the hardware during fitting; your account is what you'll use day-to-day.

Step 2: Set your schedule

Input your actual weekly routine — not an idealised version. When do you actually wake up? When do you leave and return? Different schedules on different days are worth setting up properly. Heat should come on 30 minutes before you need it, off 30 minutes before you leave.

Step 3: Set your target temperature

Start at 19°C and adjust by 0.5°C per day until you find your comfort point. Most people find 18–20°C comfortable in normal clothing. Resist the temptation to set 22°C "just to be warm" — each degree adds approximately 8% to your heating cost.

Step 4: Enable geofencing

Geofencing is one of the highest-value smart thermostat features. The thermostat detects when your phone (and everyone in the household's phones) leave home, and turns heating to eco mode. When you return, it heats back up. Enable it for every adult in the household.

Step 5: Review energy reports

Most apps provide weekly and monthly energy usage summaries. Review these after the first month and look for days with unusually high consumption — these often correlate with habits worth changing (leaving heating on all day, very high temperature settings).

Step 6: Enable weather compensation if available

Some smart thermostats (particularly those with OpenTherm boiler connection) can adjust boiler flow temperature based on outdoor temperature. Enable this — it significantly improves efficiency in mild weather.