Smart thermostat effectiveness
- 2017
Challenge
Smart heating controls aim to reduce energy wastage, but they have not been rigorously evaluated in the UK.
Insight
We can encourage people to behave in a particular way if we make it easy to do so. A good way to make processes easier is to automate them.
We predicted that people would find it easier to save energy if this process were automated.
Approach
We ran four studies to evaluate the Nest Learning Thermostat, including a randomised controlled trial.
Result & Impact
The studies found evidence of savings of around 6–7 per cent of heating-system gas use (4.5–5 per cent of total household gas consumption).
