Upgrading your heating controls is one of the quickest and most affordable ways to cut energy bills. This guide explains the options available to Birmingham homeowners.
Many homeowners in Birmingham and the West Midlands are focused on big-ticket energy upgrades — heat pumps, solar panels, new boilers. But one of the most effective improvements is often overlooked: upgrading your heating controls.
Better controls do not generate energy or change your heating system. What they do is stop you wasting the energy you already use — by heating only the rooms you need, at the times you need them, to the temperatures you actually want. For many households, this alone can deliver meaningful savings on gas and electricity bills.
Many homes across Birmingham still have the heating controls they were built with — a simple on/off timer and a single room thermostat, often in the hallway. This setup treats the entire house as one zone. When the heating comes on, every radiator heats up regardless of whether anyone is using those rooms.
The result is predictable: bedrooms are overheated while occupied living areas may not be warm enough, the heating runs longer than necessary, and energy is wasted heating rooms that nobody is in. Older thermostats may also be inaccurate, leading to further waste.
A smart thermostat replaces your existing room thermostat and connects to your home Wi-Fi network. It allows you to control your heating from your phone, set detailed schedules and — in many cases — learn your habits to optimise when the heating runs. Popular options include:
TRVs are fitted to individual radiators and allow you to set a different target temperature for each room. When the room reaches the set temperature, the TRV reduces hot water flow to that radiator, preventing overheating. Standard TRVs are manual — you set them by turning the dial. Smart TRVs connect to your phone and can be controlled remotely and scheduled individually.
TRVs are one of the most cost-effective energy improvements available. Building regulations require TRVs on most radiators in any new boiler installation, but many older systems in Birmingham were fitted without them.
A programmable timer allows you to set specific on and off times for your heating and hot water. While less sophisticated than a smart thermostat, a properly programmed timer prevents the heating from running when the house is empty. Many older systems still use a basic mechanical timer that offers limited control.
Zoning divides your home into separate areas — typically upstairs and downstairs — each with its own thermostat and independent heating schedule. This means you can keep the living areas warm in the evening while reducing heating in bedrooms, or vice versa. Zoning is particularly valuable in larger homes where different areas are used at different times.
Weather compensation controls use an outdoor temperature sensor to automatically adjust your boiler or heat pump output. When it is milder outside, the system reduces the flow temperature, saving energy. When it is colder, the flow temperature increases to maintain comfort. This is standard on heat pump installations and can also be added to modern condensing boilers for improved efficiency.
The savings from upgrading heating controls vary depending on your current setup, the size of your home and your heating habits. However, realistic estimates include:
These savings are achieved without changing your boiler or heating system. If you are also upgrading your boiler or switching to a heat pump, the combined savings are greater still.
If you are having a new boiler installed, building regulations require certain minimum heating controls. These typically include a room thermostat, a programmer and TRVs on most radiators. However, upgrading beyond the minimum — for example, adding a smart thermostat and smart TRVs — delivers additional savings and comfort that basic compliance controls do not provide.
At Eco Simply, we recommend discussing control options whenever a new boiler is being installed. The incremental cost of upgrading from basic to smart controls at the point of installation is relatively small compared to the long-term energy savings.
Heating controls are particularly important for heat pump systems. Heat pumps operate most efficiently when they run steadily at a lower temperature rather than cycling on and off at high temperatures. Weather compensation controls, which adjust output based on outdoor temperature, are essential for heat pump efficiency and are included in all our heat pump installations.
The best choice depends on your existing system, the size of your home and how you use it. Here is a general guide:
During your free home energy assessment, we assess your current controls and recommend the most effective upgrade for your situation and budget.
Most heating control upgrades can be completed in a few hours to a day, depending on the scope of the work. Smart thermostat installation is usually straightforward. Adding TRVs to radiators that do not have them takes a little longer. Full zoning system installation may take a day for a larger property.
We configure all controls during the installation, connect the app to your phone and walk you through how to use the system before we leave.
In most cases, yes. Smart thermostats and TRVs are compatible with most existing gas boiler systems. We check compatibility during the home visit.
Yes. Smart thermostats and smart TRVs connect via your home Wi-Fi to enable app control and remote scheduling. Standard TRVs and programmable timers do not require Wi-Fi.
Modern smart heating controls are designed to be simple. Most use a smartphone app with clear schedules and temperature controls. We set everything up during installation and show you how it works before we leave.
Yes. Heating control upgrades may form part of energy efficiency improvements supported by and other schemes. Check your eligibility to see what may apply.
Get a free quote for smart heating controls — one of the quickest ways to cut your energy bills.
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