Google’s latest smart-home product is a cheaper smart thermostat that anyone can install themselves without the need for a boiler engineer.
The new £199 Nest Thermostat E is a two-part system consisting of a battery-powered heating controller called the Heat Link E, which replaces an existing wired thermostat or heating controller, and a smart thermostat that can be placed somewhere else in your home.
Lionel Guicherd-Callin, Nest’s head of product marketing in Europe, described the installation as being on the same level as swapping out a light switch or light bulb.
“We wanted to create a simpler, more affordable smart thermostat for the 85% of people across Europe who aren’t benefiting from the lower bills and smarter heating they can provide,” said Guicherd-Callin. “Anyone with a screwdriver can install it in under 60 minutes without the need for an electrician or boiler engineer.”
Nest’s learning thermostat is one of the first that can be installed by a bit of DIY, rather than calling a heating engineer. Two wires are taken out of an existing thermostat or heating controller and plugged directly into the battery-powered Heat Link E. There’s no need to actually get inside the boiler, although mains power still needs to be turned off before the wires are disconnected from the current equipment.
The Nest app on a smartphone or tablet will run through step-by-step instructions on precisely how to do it, with tools included in the box.
The Nest Thermostat E is then placed somewhere else in the home, normally in the room where most time is spent, plugged into a standard mains outlet and placed on a stand on a table top. The two temperature sensors, one in the Heat Link E and one in the thermostat, can then work together to ensure even heating.
A US version of the Nest Thermostat E was launched in August last year, with a similar, more subtle design than the original stainless steel Nest devices. However, Guicherd-Callin says that while it resembles the US version the Thermostat E has been redeveloped for Europe to enable this DIY installation.
The Thermostat E will also come with a simpler pre-programmed schedule, which has been developed using data from Nest’s existing European customers to be a best fit for most people. It will continue to learn over time, and includes Nest’s other smart features such as True Radiant that measures how long it takes for your radiators to heat up and adjust heating accordingly for a more even temperature.
The Nest Thermostat E is available for pre-order in Europe for £199 and shipping by mid-October.
