A PLUMBER has revealed how one household found an ingenious way to turn a regular thermostat into a “smart” one.
Fraser Hoehle runs his own firm and also has a Tik Tok account where he shares money-saving tips to over 120,000 followers.
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In one of his most recent clips, he shared an Instagram video story posted by McQueen Heating LTD, which shows a customer who attached a SwitchBot device to their thermostat.
The devices are supposed to be used to flick light switches off remotely.
But the video shows how the canny customer uses theirs to flick their thermostat switch on from outside the room.
The Tik Tok video, which was shared yesterday afternoon, has already racked up over 22,000 likes and hundreds of comments, including from the customer who used the hack.
He joked: “This is my gaff. Glad everyone else can enjoy my crafty slash laziness.”
Another person said: “I don’t live…I love it.”
Meanwhile, a third person simply said: “Genius!!”.
You can buy new SwitchBots online relatively cheap – Amazon is selling one for £30 with free delivery.
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Meanwhile, Ali Express has one for £17.
If you have a bit more in your budget, SwitchBot the brand is selling a model for £85.
You just have to tape them next to the switch you want to turn on. Some operate via Bluetooth and others via Wi-Fi.
How does a smart thermostat work?
Smart thermostats let you control the heating in your home remotely.
They are different to normal thermostats as they let you change the heating at different times of the day, and based on the weather and who’s inside the home.
Plus, you can control your central heating via a smart phone or tablet too.
Crucially, they show you live information on how much energy you’re using.
So you can monitor how much you’re spending and limit your usage if you’re over budget.
Checkatrade says the cost of buying a smart thermostat can range between £120 and £220.
The cost to install one is usually around £30 to £80 as well.
That means if you bought the Amazon SwitchBot you could save yourself nearly £270.
Of course, you might not get as accurate a temperature reading in your home with the SwitchBot as you would with a smart thermostat.
Plus, you won’t get the live information feed of how much energy you have used.
How else can I save on my energy bills?
If you don’t have the budget to buy a SwitchBot or smart thermostat currently, you’ve got some other options.
Millions of households should be in the process of receiving a £400 energy rebate to help pay for bills.
The rebate has been split into six monthly instalments, starting from October.
The remaining two should be paid this month and in March.
In most cases, the rebate is being applied as a discount on customers’ bills.
But, prepayment meter customers have to redeem vouchers they are sent by text message, email or post.
However, all of the vouchers that are issued will have expired by June 30 this year, so you should redeem any outstanding ones as soon as possible.
Thousands of households can get help through the Household Support Fund too.
The money has been distributed to councils in England who are then dishing out help to those eligible.
But that means what you are entitled to depends on where you live, although help is usually offered to people on benefits or a low income.
Plenty of energy providers offer customers grants if they are struggling to pay their bills too, including British Gas, Scottish Power and Ovo Energy.
Beyond that, you might be in line for help through the Warm Home Discount scheme.
This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
