Understanding Smart Controls & Reducing Carbon Emission

Why is the Nest Thermostat E 3rd Generation and other Smart Control Thermostats so much better for the environment and the fight against carbon? As we’ve discussed previously on Mr Central Heating, the government has set some pretty ambitious decarbonisation targets to hit in the next few years. Because of this, we should all be more aware of our carbon footprint and what we can do as individuals to help the nationwide crisis. Apparently, even swapping out your thermostat can contribute to the cause, but how? We know that central heating and hot water has a negative effect on the environment and can produce a lot of carbon, especially if you have an old or inefficient boiler. Therefore, it can seem a daunting task to start thinking about your contribution to the issue. However, even how your energy consumption is managed can have a huge impact. We should all be striving to live the most efficient way possible, in time, money and energy. Smart controls contribute to all three of these aspects of your life. By fitting a Nest Thermostat E from Google for example (now available in a bundle with any Baxi Megaflo, Duo-tec and Platinum boiler), you could save money, up to £75 and 330kg of carbon a year, due to its adaptable learning schedule. The great thing about the Nest Thermostat E is that it turns off when you’re not there and senses when you are. By working for you and your routine, heat and energy isn’t wasted and results in a highly efficient output. You can also use the Nest App on your smart phone which works with Nest products which will help you save energy when using your heating system. Using an app allows you to use remote control to run your home when you are home/away. Smart controls that can automatically switch on/off when you're not at home are much more efficient than old thermostats that rely on you to program in an auto-schedule. Smart controls can also work with traditional system boilers, condensing boilers and combi boilers. Another great feature of smart controls vs. traditional thermostat controls, is that their usage is documented. All information is stored in an app or a website, which will be hugely beneficial going into the future and looking at our usage habits. By seeing usage in black and white, we all become more aware of what and how we’re allocating our energy and whether it’s necessary. We also, like a smart thermostat, learn habits and routines which are sometimes hard to get out of. Having this data available allows better decisions to be made by us individually but also as a whole, which is sure to have an impact on our decarbonisation goals. One industry that smart controls and smart heating can really make a difference is property management. Increased connection between different systems as a more central control plan would make a big difference to businesses. It will help alert and allow managers to control the carbon released, monitor energy usage, as well as possibly diagnosing issues and the opportunity to fix them remotely, even reducing the number of physical visits that may be needed. By introducing a system such as the Nest Thermostat E, there also can be maximum control across different units resulting in less uncertainty and more personalisation. As the number of people in the U.K. with smart controls in their home increases year on year, it can only be a step forward in terms of technology and energy saving. It’s always a positive thing to be aware of your output and to be able to manage it remotely and responsibly is a massive contribution towards reaching those decarbonisation goals. Take a look at our smart controls here.