My central heating is like a game of ping pong. I switch the heating on as I find it cold and my husband regardless of whatever the temperature, switches it off as he complains that the central heating should be out of use all summer round. In the end I just give up and let him do what he pleases as it is a pain having to take a trip to the thermostat to switch the heating when I need to.
However it looks like my heating woes could be over…well maybe not over but come to some sort of resolution with the introduction British Gas’ Remote Heating Control system. With being from Yorkshire, the summers have been almost none existant so when British Gas approached me to test out their Remote Heating Control system, I literally jumped at the chance. Why? Not only would I be one of the first in Yorkshire to try it out but also because Remote Heating Control is all about controlling your thermostat remotely. Music to my ears! No more of them painstaking trips to the thermostat to turn the heating on, my central heating could be controlled at a switch of a button on the internet or via my phone.
Installation of Remote Heating Control
The installation of the system took approximately an hour from start to finish. All the installer needed access to was our boiler, thermostat and internet. Firstly the wireless receiver was screwed onto the wall and connected straight to the existing boiler. Then the existing thermostat was replaced by a new digital one. I was a little concerned that there would be some paint damage or mess in the hallway after replacing the thermostat however the new one fit like a glove and there wasn’t even a speck of dust when everything was replaced.
How to Use Remote Heating Control?
Although the weather has been on our side, I know I shouldn’t wish for this but I hope things get a little cooler for us. Why on earth would I be thinking such a thing? Now, it isn’t because I don’t enjoy the lovely ‘tropical’ British weather but more because since the installation I have had relatively little opportunities to test out the Remote Heating. Instead, I intend to post at a later day the testing of the service however for now I will give you a brief overview into the two clever ways in which Remote Heating can be controlled…
Controlling My Heating Via the Internet
British Gas gives you a unique log in for you to access a range of features within their remote heating control. Apart from being able to control the obvious which would be of course your heating remotely, it has other functions which includes being able to check the temperature outside your home and also within your home and setting up a heating schedule at the comfort of your PC as well.
Another clever feature, which surprisingly my husband was the first to use was being able to set up SMS users on the account so alerts could be sent to him if the heating had been switched on throughout the day. Although this feature would come in handy I can’t help feeling like it is a bit ‘Big Brotherish’, especially as my husband will be able to find out when I have sneakily put the central heating on. This will definitely be something I will be looking into when I do my detailed review in my next article.
Controlling My Heating Via the App
The Remote Heating application is probably a feature which I am likely to use more often than the internet one as I am constantly on the go and as a gadget lover my phone might as well be glued to me. The app is very simple to use and offers a more condensed set of features to the internet service. Again, you can control the central heating system and check the temperature using the app, however more complex features such as setting up the schedule can only be controlled through the internet service.
Check out my next article as the weather gets a little cooler as I test out the Remote Heating Control in all it’s glory! Is this revolutionary service by British Gas going to make my life easier? Find out more later…
