Can AI really save you money on your heating bill? I spent two years testing to find out
Source: The Guardian ·
Samuel Gibbs doubted he could cut costs and still keep warm by putting tech in control. The results surprised himCan smart thermostats and AI reduce your heating bills? Every manufacturer claims the answer is yes, quoting average savings in the 25%, or £180 a year range. But all of these promises are heavily caveated and, with energy costs changing regularly, it can be very difficult to tell…
From the source
Can smart thermostats and AI reduce your heating bills? Every manufacturer claims the answer is yes, quoting average savings in the 25%, or £180 a year range. But all of these promises are heavily caveated and, with energy costs changing regularly, it can be very difficult to tell what is having an impact. To find out if technology can really help, I spent the last two years comparing my miserly manual control and basic heating schedule to an AI-governed system. The results surprised me. I used my 1930s solid-brick house with a recent, insulated loft conversion as the test bed. In the winter of 2024 my heating system consisted of a 10-year-old Worcester Bosch combination gas boiler set to a medium heat, a Hive thermostat in a central hallway with its smart features disabled and 13 radiators equipped with standard thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs). To maximise energy savings, I set a basic schedule to turn the heating on for a couple of hours in the morning and evening, turned off…
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