Smart Thermostat Schedule

Setting up a smart thermostat schedule is one of the best ways to use less energy and lower your energy bill. A good temperature schedule helps you keep a comfortable home. It works with your heating systems like a heat pump or a condensing boiler. The system can read outdoor temperatures, meet needs for each room, and adjust if nobody’s home.

This guide gives you helpful temperature schedules, simple steps to set them up, and real tips to save on energy use and energy costs all year.

What is a smart thermostat schedule and why does it save energy?

A smart thermostat schedule is made up of set times and temperature settings that your smart thermostat sticks to each day. It is different from traditional programmable thermostats where you keep a fixed temperature. A smart thermostat can adjust using things like occupancy sensors, geofencing, weather, and temperature sensors in your rooms. This helps you use less energy and still feel the same comfort in your home. There can be good energy savings when you lower the temperature at night or while you are away. Your home can warm up again just before you get back.

Smart thermostat vs programmable thermostat: what’s the difference?

A programmable thermostat lets you set a fixed temperature schedule. You have to enter the times and temperatures yourself. A smart thermostat, like the Nest Thermostat or the Nest Learning Thermostat, gives you more features than a programmable thermostat.

• learning (the system changes itself based on your daily routine and the thermostat setting you like to use),
• geofencing heating on arrival (your phone tells the system when you are close to home so the heating starts),
• energy usage reports and alerts (get reports and updates on how much you use),
• integration with voice assistants (use the Google Home app or Alexa to work with it),
• remote control from a home app (use the home app to control things even when you are not there),
• open window detection heating pause (if a window is open in supported areas, the heating stops until you close it),
• multi-room zoning with TRVs (smart radiator valves let you set the temperature in each room).

The system is easy to use. It can also keep the temperature lower when it needs to. This way, it uses less energy. You will see lower utility bills because of it.

Heating systems 101: boiler vs heat pump (and why schedules differ)

Condensing boiler basics

A condensing boiler works best when the water coming back to it is around 55 °C or less. Weather compensation, which people also call heating curve control, helps by lowering the flow temperature on days that are not too cold. This makes the return water cool enough so the boiler can condense more and work better.

If you use a smart thermostat and set a schedule that keeps the temperature steady at a lower temperature, it helps even more. The smart thermostat can stop the boiler from turning on and off a lot, so you get the most from your boiler and save energy.

Heat pump basics

A heat pump works best when it runs for a long time without stopping. It also likes low flow temperatures, often between 30 to 45 °C. If you keep turning it on and off, you waste energy. With a heat pump, try to use smaller changes to the set temperature and give enough time for the preheat. Using weather compensation and a slow heating curve will help your system work well.

Recommended temperature ranges (UK typical homes)

These are starting points. Change them by each room and each part of your house. This way, you can reach the temperature you want and feel comfortable.

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Best heating schedule template (weekday vs weekend)

Weekday schedule (boiler example with TRVs)

• 06:00 Wake: living rooms should be at 19.5 °C. The bedrooms stay at 17 °C.
• 08:30 Away: set the whole home to 15.5 °C. If someone works at home, the home office stays at 17.5 °C.
• 17:00 Preheat weather compensation: set living rooms to 20.5 °C. If geofencing is used, heating turns on when you get home.
• 22:30 Night setback: whole home goes to 16 °C. The bedrooms stay at 17 °C to help with sleep.

Weekend schedule (family at home)

• 07:00 Wake: Set the living areas to 20 °C.
• 10:00 Day: Keep it at 19 °C. Let the bathroom warm up to 22 °C half an hour before showers.
• 17:00 Evening: The lounge should be 20.5 °C. Keep the kitchen and dining area at 20 °C.
• 23:00 Night setback: Drop it to 16 °C.

Heat pump variations

Use smaller setbacks, about 1 to 2 °C, and let it preheat for a longer time. Keep the flow temperatures low, and let your system run steadily instead of going quickly to a high fixed temperature.

How to set up a daily temperature schedule to lower bills (step-by-step)

1. Map out your daily routine. Think about when you wake up, leave the house, come back, and go to sleep. Be sure to include heating schedules for working from home.
2. In the home app, such as the Nest app, Google Home app, or your brand’s app, set up four heating blocks for weekdays. Make another set just for weekends.
3. At night, set the heater to a lower temperature. Lower it by 2 to 4 °C if you use a boiler and by 1 to 2 °C if you use a heat pump.
4. Turn on preheat and weather compensation features. These can help your boiler or heat pump start early when outdoor temperatures drop.
5. Turn on heating controls that work by occupancy and geofencing. If nobody’s home, the thermostat should go to the away setting automatically.
6. Use smart radiator valves to set heating schedules for each room. For your home office, try 09:00 to 17:00 at 19.5 °C. Keep the spare room at 15 °C unless you need it warmer.
7. Turn on open window detection so heating pauses when windows are open for fresh air. This helps you avoid using more heat than needed.
8. Check energy usage reports from the home app or google home app every week. If rooms feel too warm, trim each heating block by 0.5 to 1 °C.
9. For condensing boilers

What thermostat settings work best in each season?

Heating season (autumn–spring)

• Start with the heating set to 20 °C in the day and 16 or 17 °C at night if you have a boiler.
• If you use a heat pump, set it to 20 °C in the day and 18 or 19 °C at night. Turn on the long preheat to make sure the place warms up on time.
• Use the holiday mode thermostat when you go away. For a boiler, set it between 12 and 14 °C for frost protection. For a heat pump, set it between 16 and 17 °C.
• If your home is older and there is more heat loss, start a bit higher and bring it down slowly.

Cooling season (homes with cooling system or reversible heat pump)

• Keep spaces where people are around 24 to 26 °C.
• Set it higher, to 27 to 29 °C, when nobody is there or at night, but only if it does not hurt sleep.
• Use humidity levels control if you have it. A little dehumidifying can sometimes help, so you do not feel the need to lower the temperature.

Heating curve explained (and why it matters)

A heating curve helps your boiler or heat pump decide what flow temperature to set based on the outside air. If you use a flatter curve, the water does not get as hot, so you use less energy and lower your energy consumption. A steeper curve will give you hotter water. It is best to start with a moderate setting and lower it a bit at a time. Make sure your rooms still get to their normal temperature even when it is cold out. This way, you can use less energy and feel more comfortable in your home.

How geofencing and learning features optimise your schedule

• Geofencing: If your phone goes out of a set area, the thermostat will go into away mode. When you head back, it turns on to warm the rooms so they feel nice for you when you walk in.
• Learning: A Nest Learning Thermostat can know at what time you like to change the temperature. It uses that to make a smarter temperature schedule on its own.
• Sensors: Extra temperature sensors let the system focus on the rooms you use most.
• Reports: Reports show your daily energy consumption, so you can see what each small change does to your energy use.

Multi-room zoning with TRVs (smart radiator valves)

Smart TRVs let you set a schedule for each radiator by itself. You can heat the lounge and your home office during the day. At the same time, keep a spare room at a lower temperature. This helps stop one part of your house from getting too hot. The system can also save you some energy costs. TRVs stop short cycling because at least one circuit is open when there is a call for heat.

Avoid short cycling boiler (and other pitfalls)

• Use longer time constants. Try to have fewer but longer calls for heat instead of many quick, short bursts.
• Keep at least one radiator or a loop with low resistance open. Do not close every TRV at the same time.
• Do not create big swings in temperature. A large setback can make the system use high flow temps and waste energy.
• Make sure radiators are balanced. This helps have even flow, and makes return temps stay low, that is good for condensing.
• Do not run constant high fixed temperature. Try to keep a steady, lower temperature supply.

Work from home heating schedule (practical example)

• 06:30 Preheat to 19.5 °C in the kitchen and bathroom. Bedrooms be at 17 °C.
• 08:30 The home office needs to be at 19.5–20 °C. The rest of the home can stay at 17 °C.
• 12:30 You should boost the kitchen and diner to 19.5 °C for lunch. The office goes back to 19 °C.
• 18:00 Lounge is set at 20.5 °C. The office drops to 17 °C.
• 22:30 The whole home will be at 16–17 °C.

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Bathroom preheat schedule

Cold mornings feel good when you walk into a warm bathroom. You can make a plan to heat the bathroom to about 22–23 °C for around 30–60 minutes. After that, it can go back to the set temperature for the rest of the house. If you open the window, the heating can stop for a bit while the bathroom airs out. This can help save energy.

Smart thermostat schedule and privacy

Smart thermostats share data by using secure websites and apps. It is important to check what they ask to use, so your sensitive information, like your location and when you are at home, is only shared if you need it to be. Most brands let you turn off some data features. At the same time, you can keep the basic temperature schedule working.

Can smart thermostat schedules work with solar panels?

Yes. If you use solar panels and a heat pump or electric heating, you can move some heating to the sunny part of the day. Warm up your well-insulated home by a degree or two when there is a lot of PV power. This can lower the need for electricity from the grid in the evening. Later, let your home heat slowly drop to stay comfortable in the evening.

Is it better to leave heating on all the time?

No. Keeping the temperature the same all the time will cause more heat loss. This means the house uses more energy, even at night or when no one is at home. Setting times for your thermostat to go down will use less energy because the difference between inside and outside temperature is not as much. A smart thermostat will make sure your home feels comfortable before you feel the change. This helps your house lose less energy. A scheduled change helps save energy consumption compared to a fixed temperature.

How to customise when life changes

• Use quick “eco” or “away” modes in the app.
• Add short holds for guests to make it easy.
• If your plans change a lot, let the automatic features work for you. The learning and occupancy tools are better than trying to change every block yourself.
• Set up different profiles for weekdays and weekends. You can copy time blocks from one profile to another to save time.

Cooling schedules that actually lower cooling bills

With cooling systems, the same rules are good to follow. Set the thermostat higher when you are away. Keep it steady when you are home. At night, you can let the temperature go up a little, but not much. A fan and taking out some of the water in the air can help you feel cool. These steps let you feel fine even if you set the thermostat higher. A few small changes like this can lower your cooling bills.

Troubleshooting: rooms not meeting setpoint

• Check the flow temperature of the boiler or adjust the heating curve if you are using a heat pump.
• Bleed the radiators. Check that the pumps and valves work well. Make sure the TRVs do not turn off the room heat.
• Look at the outdoor temperatures. If it gets very cold, you may want to raise the heating curve a bit.
• Move or add a temperature sensor. Try not to put the main thermostat close to a draft or where sunlight hits it.

Quick templates you can copy

Boiler + TRVs (5-2 schedule)

• Weekdays: At 06:00, set it to 19.5 °C. At 08:30, bring it down to 16 °C. At 17:00, make it 20.5 °C. At 22:30, set it to 16.5 °C.
• Weekends: At 07:00, the setting should be 20 °C. At 10:00, make it 19 °C. At 17:00, set it to 20.5 °C. At 23:00, it goes down to 16.5 °C.
• Rooms: In the lounge during the evening, add 1 °C. The home office should be at 19.5 °C from 09:00 to 17:30. A spare room can stay at 15 °C.

Heat pump (7-day schedule)

• All days: At 06:00, it be 20 °C. At 09:00, it go down to 19 °C. At 17:00, it come back to 20 °C. At 22:30, it be at 18.5 °C.
• There be smaller setbacks. A long preheat is used. The heating curve be gentle.

Smart home integration

Most smart thermostats work with Google Nest, Nest thermostat, Nest Learning, and Google Home. Voice control helps you manage the settings. But setting up a schedule in the app is the first place you should start. You can make automations for your home too. For example, they can turn on bathroom heat when your alarm rings in the morning, or they can lower temperature when you lock your door with the smart lock.

Monitoring and proving savings

Use your smart thermostat’s energy usage reports, and check your smart meter to follow how many kWh you use. You can see the change between each month, and also between seasons. If you have changed your tariff lately, check your energy prices. Make sure you have a plan that gives you better rates when you use power in off-peak times. Then change your smart thermostat schedule so it saves you more.

I want to say it once again because it is key. Look at your energy prices often. The cheapest rate and a smart use of your schedule is what helps you get the lowest annual energy bill.

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Cooling system extras

If you want to feel cool in the summer, set targets for humidity levels, like keeping it between 50 and 55%. Keep air filters clean and close any gaps around windows. It helps to shade rooms that face south. Also, check your energy prices if you have a time-of-use plan. Try to cool your place a bit more when rates are low.

Common mistakes to avoid

• If you set a fixed temperature for the whole day, it does not help save energy.
• Very big changes in temperature can make rooms feel bad and force your system to turn on and off too quickly.
• Heating the whole house when only one room is used makes energy consumption go up. Remember to zone your rooms.
• A thermostat placed in the sun or near appliances can read the wrong temperature.
• Not taking care of the system, such as leaving dirty filters, not balancing radiators, or having poor insulation, will increase energy consumption.

“Smart thermostat vs programmable” in one sentence

A smart thermostat can keep your home comfortable for more time during the day. It can also lower the temperature and use less energy. You do not have to do much, like with traditional programmable thermostats. A smart thermostat can help you save energy and lower your annual energy bill. This means you will see a lower energy bill with less work.

Where “compare energy prices” fits into scheduling

Scheduling helps you win some of the battle, and the right tariffs help you win the rest. Look at your supplier choices and check the energy prices at least two times a year. If you move to a time-of-use rate, try to run your preheat and hot water at cheaper hours to save even more money.

FAQs About Smart Thermostat Schedule