Smart technology is helping homes around the country become more energy efficient in all sorts of ways. And perhaps the most popular is heating. So, in this article we’re going to look at how multizone heating works – and how it can help you save even more than a typical smart thermostat.
Browse our range of multizone heating products
What is multizone heating?
Multizone heating lets you divide your home into different areas or zones, so you can control the temperature in each room individually. This means instead of heating the whole house, you can just warm up the parts you’re using.
Think of it like this: you might group your kitchen and sitting room together as one zone, all the bedrooms as a second and bathrooms as a third. That way, during the day when you might be in and out of the kitchen and living room you can keep them at a cosy temperature. But the heating in the bedrooms and bathroom stay lower (or off entirely) while they’re not being used.
With the best multizone smart thermostat, you can stay comfortable without wasting energy (or money) heating rooms that aren’t being used.
How do multizone heating control systems work?
There are a couple of different ways to create zoned heating systems. If you have two thermostats in your home (one upstairs and another downstairs, for example) then you can use multizone smart thermostats – like Hive Multizone – and control the heating for each area easily, all from your smartphone.
If you want even more control, you can use smart thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) on every radiator to give you room-by-room control of your heating. Hive Radiator Valves are just the job for that.
Multizone heating vs single zone heating: what are the benefits?
Both single and multizone heating systems have their advantages. It all depends on your home and how you like to heat it.
Single-zone systems are simple and reliable. With fewer parts, they’re often easier to maintain. Plus, they can be kinder for the environment – less equipment means lower energy use . And, they even work really well in smaller homes or for households that like the same temperature throughout.
The drawback is that you have to heat your entire house, even if you’re not using all of it. Or go round every room turning individual radiators up and down all the time.
The best multizone heating control systems give you more flexibility so you can control your heating room by room. This can mean lower energy bills as you’re not wasting energy (and money) heating every part of your home.
They’re also really easy to control with a centralised remote or individual room panels. Or with the Hive app it’s even easier – it can all be done straight from your smartphone, tablet or smart speaker.
You can also get smart radiator valves, which mean you can control every radiator individually – just with a quick tap of the app.
Ultimately that means less wasted heat, lower heating bills and a lighter load on the environment.
A little extra tip: adding insulation boards to either system will help you keep the heat in and the bills down.
Does multizone heating work with underfloor heating?
Yes! Our smart thermostats work with wet underfloor heating systems. But you can also find ones that work with dry, also known as electric systems.
Underfloor heating is a simple way to create a multizone setup and it’s usually more energy efficient than traditional radiators. Instead of just warming the air, radiant floor heaters gently heat the room from the ground up, warming you and your surfaces. That means you feel cosy at a lower overall temperature, which can save energy, cut running costs, and even shrink your carbon footprint.
Electric underfloor heating kits are worth giving some thought to if you’re thinking of doing renovations. You can install them room by room, giving each area its own zone with a dedicated underfloor heating thermostat. That means your bathroom can be toasty in the morning, the kitchen warm for dinner prep, and unused rooms can stay cooler without wasting energy.
Does multizone heating make your home more energy efficient?
Yes – multizone heating can make a real difference to how energy efficient your home is to run.
And it can help tackle a much bigger issue too. All buildings contribute significantly to CO2 emissions. So tech that can help you avoid wasting energy isn’t just good for your bills, it’s better for the planet as well.
With a zoned heating system, you can set different temperatures for different parts of your home. It means you’re only heating the rooms you actually use, instead of wasting energy warming up empty spaces. It also helps you avoid overheating areas that don’t need it, which saves energy and keeps costs down.
If you’ve got underfloor heating, you’ll feel an extra level of comfort too. And according to sources like the Energy Saving Trust, homes with underfloor heating can be up to 30% more energy efficient than traditional central heating.
How do you install multizone heating?
If you want to create a multizone heating system using smart thermostats, we’d always recommend getting them professionally installed.
Here at Hive, we partner with expert engineers who can get you safely set up with Hive Multizone. They’ll advice you on the best place for each thermostat and run you through how to make the most of your new heating system.
On the other hand, if you’re looking to create multizone heating using smart radiator valves like ours then doing it yourself should be a breeze. Just unscrew the existing head, replace it with a Hive Radiator Valve and the app will guide you through how to get started.
Future proof your home with smart thermostats
What’s the best multizone smart thermostat?
Well, smart heating has come a long way over the last few years and there are lots of good multizone heating thermostats out there. But Hive has been there from the start. We made our first smart thermostat back in 2013 and we’ve grown to become the UK’s favourite smart thermostat brand.
So, if you’re looking for the best multizone smart thermostat, it will probably come as no surprise that we’d recommend our Hive thermostat!
Another great thing about choosing Hive is it opens up a whole world of smart devices. For instance, you can start using things like our Hive Motion Sensors to turn your heating up automatically when you walk into a room. And that’s when the smart stuff gets even smarter. Head on over to the Hive website to learn more about our smart heating.
Energy savings
Only heat the rooms you’re using, so you don’t waste energy on empty spaces.
Lower bills
Using less energy should mean you see a drop in your heating bills.
Easy to control
Adjust the temperature, set up schedules or turn the heating off entirely using the app on your smartphone, tablet or smart speaker.
Greener living
Using energy more wisely helps cut CO2 emissions.