Category: Climate Control

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The Future Homes Standard in Kent: Why Smart Heating Control Matters

Loxone app interface showing categories

From 24 March 2027, new homes in England will have to meet the Future Homes Standard. For housebuilders and developers across Kent, it changes how homes are heated, powered and controlled. For homeowners, it shows where every home is heading. This post explains what the Future Homes Standard in Kent means in practice, and why smart heating control sits at the heart of it.

What is the Future Homes Standard?

The Future Homes Standard is the next stage of the Building Regulations for new homes in England. The Government has confirmed that the new regulations come into force on 24 March 2027. Projects where a building notice is submitted before that date and work starts before 24 March 2028 are covered by transitional arrangements.

Under the new standard, new homes will need:

  • Low-carbon heating, such as heat pumps, in place of gas boilers
  • On-site renewable electricity generation, such as solar panels
  • Proper controls for those systems, set up and commissioned correctly

The aim is for new homes to achieve around a 75% cut in carbon emissions compared with current standards.

Why does smart control matter for the Future Homes Standard?

Heat pumps, solar panels and ventilation systems are only as efficient as the way they are run. A heat pump that heats empty rooms, or solar power that is exported when it could be used in the home, wastes much of what the technology offers.

That is where smart control comes in. Loxone has developed a dedicated Future Homes Standard solution that brings heating, ventilation, lighting, shading, solar, EV charging and energy management together on one platform. As Loxone puts it, the last part of the journey for housebuilders comes from smart control. Loxone is also listed on the UK Government’s Energy Technology List.

How does smart heating control fit in?

Heating is the largest energy use in most homes, so it is where smart control makes the biggest difference. A Loxone system manages each room individually, using a few key parts.

  • Smart Heating Controller — sets the right temperature for each room, with comfort, eco and away modes.
  • Radiator / UFH Zone Controller — controls the radiators or underfloor heating in each room, so heat only goes where it is needed.
  • Smart Energy Optimisation — monitors energy across the home, so heating, hot water and appliances can make the most of solar power when it is available.

We cover room-by-room heating in more detail in our guide to smart heating control in Kent.

What does the Future Homes Standard mean for Kent developers?

For developers, housebuilders and M&E contractors in Kent and the South East, the Future Homes Standard means planning heating, renewables and controls together from the start, rather than as separate packages.

SimpliHome Automation designs, installs and commissions the smart control layer that ties these systems together, working alongside our electrical partner, Ryland M&E. One platform means one installer, one app for the homeowner, and a system that is properly set up at handover.

Will smart heating control save homeowners money?

Yes. Good control delivers real savings on running costs, not just compliance. According to the Energy Saving Trust, installing a programmer, room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves can save around £100 a year in Great Britain, and turning a thermostat down from 22°C to 21°C can save around £120 a year. Smart control builds on the same principles automatically, room by room. Savings in any home depend on its size, insulation and heating system.

Does the Future Homes Standard affect existing homes in Kent?

The Future Homes Standard applies to new homes, so existing homes do not have to change. But the direction of travel is clear: low-carbon heating, home-generated energy and intelligent control.

Installing smart heating control now gives you lower running costs today, and a system that is ready to manage a heat pump, solar panels or a home battery when you add them later. That is why we see Loxone as an investment for the future, not just a heating upgrade.

Why choose SimpliHome Automation?

SimpliHome Automation is a Loxone Silver Partner based in Kent, working across Kent and the South East. We design every system around the property and the people who live in it, and electrical installation work is carried out in partnership with Ryland M&E.

Next steps

Whether you are a developer planning for the Future Homes Standard in Kent, or a homeowner who wants lower running costs and a future-ready home, get in touch. We will talk through your project and give you a clear, no-obligation quote.

📧 info@simplihomeautomation.co.uk 📱 WhatsApp: +44 7868 110098

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Smart AC Control in Kent: Stay Cool Without Losing Control of Your Home

AC Indoor Unit in a residential setting

As another heatwave settles over Kent, more homeowners are asking the same question: how do you keep a home comfortably cool without a wall full of separate remote controls, or a cooling system that runs regardless of who’s actually home?

Smart AC control answers that question by bringing air conditioning into the same platform as the rest of your home’s automation — controlled from your phone, scheduled intelligently, and ready to expand as your needs grow.

Why Smart AC Control Makes Sense This Summer

Standalone AC units are simple to fit but limited in what they can do. Once cooling is brought into a smart home system, it gains the same intelligence as your heating, lighting and blinds:

  • App control from anywhere — check on and adjust cooling before you get home, or while you’re away.
  • Room-by-room zoning — cool only the rooms in use, rather than the whole house.
  • Automatic scheduling — cooling that responds to time of day and occupancy, not a unit left running all afternoon.
  • One system, not several — AC sits alongside heating and lighting control, rather than needing its own separate app.

How It Works

At the centre of the system is the Miniserver — the small central controller that manages automation logic and connects securely to your smart home app, whether you’re on-site or away. A wireless AC controller links to your existing air conditioning unit, giving the Miniserver the ability to switch and schedule cooling without any additional wiring runs.

Because the same Miniserver can also manage heating, lighting, blinds and access control, AC control is rarely fitted in isolation — it’s usually the first step for homeowners who already have a partial smart system in place, or the starting point for a wider whole-home upgrade.

Built for Kent’s Older and Newer Housing Stock Alike

Kent’s mix of period cottages, extended family homes and new-build developments all share the same summer problem: solar gain through south-facing glazing, and rooms that overheat well before evening. A wireless-first approach means AC control can be retrofitted into older properties without chasing walls, while fitting just as easily into new-build wiring during a renovation or extension project.

Stopping Heating and Cooling From Fighting Each Other

Adding AC control on its own can create a hidden problem: if radiators or underfloor heating aren’t coordinated with the cooling system, a room can end up being heated and cooled at the same time — wasting energy and money.

Radiator / UFH zone controllers solve this by bringing each room’s heating circuit into the same system as its cooling. The Miniserver can then ensure heating and cooling never run against one another, and can hand control between the two automatically as the seasons change.

Completing the Picture: Boiler and Hot Water Control

Bringing boiler and hot water control into the same system completes full house climate control — heating, hot water and cooling all coordinated centrally, rather than managed by separate, unconnected controls. Boiler and hot water upgrades are scoped and priced individually based on your existing setup, following a survey.

Sensing Without Extra Clutter

Radiator/UFH zone controllers and smart keypads can double up as temperature sensors, so many rooms gain accurate monitoring without any additional hardware. In some rooms — particularly larger or open-plan spaces — a dedicated temperature sensor may still be recommended for the most accurate reading, and this would be identified during a survey.

Get Started

The best way to know what’s right for your home is a survey. Get in touch to arrange one:

Download our AC Control flyer for a quick overview of the system.

For further guidance on reducing home energy use during periods of high demand, see the Energy Saving Trust.

Electrical works carried out in partnership with Ryland M&E. SimpliHome Automation is a Loxone Silver Partner.

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Smart Heating Control for Kent Homes: Comfort, Lower Bills, and No Thinking Required

smart heating control Kent thermostat app

Smart heating control is changing how Kent homeowners manage comfort and cost. Most homes are still heated the old way: one thermostat, in one hallway, deciding the temperature for the whole house. The spare room gets heated to the same degree as the lounge. The upstairs landing runs as warm as the kitchen. It works, in the sense that the house gets warm. But it’s a blunt, wasteful way to do it.

At SimpliHome Automation, we design and install smart heating control, room by room, across Kent. It replaces the single-thermostat approach with something far more precise, and far more comfortable to live with.

Why a Single Thermostat Falls Short

A single thermostat can only respond to the temperature of the room it happens to be in. Every other room is heated as a side effect, whether it needs it or not. As a result, most homes end up with:

  • Bedrooms too warm to sleep in comfortably
  • Rooms that are rarely used but heated anyway
  • Some rooms too cold while others are too warm, at the same time
  • A heating system that runs longer than necessary, just to satisfy one room

“A single thermostat treats a house as one room. In reality, every room has its own pattern of use, and its own ideal temperature.”

What Smart Heating Control Actually Does

Smart heating control divides your home into individually managed zones, typically room by room, though zones can also be grouped by floor or by use. Each zone gets its own target temperature and schedule, managed centrally through the Loxone platform.

In practice, this means the lounge can stay warm through the evening while an unused guest room holds a low background temperature automatically. Nobody has to remember to turn a valve down.

Key Benefits at a Glance

  • 🌡️ Room-by-room precision — every space sits at the temperature you actually want
  • 💷 Lower running costs — stop paying to heat rooms nobody is using
  • 🛏️ Better sleep — bedrooms run cooler than living spaces automatically
  • 📱 One app, whole-home control — check and adjust every zone from your phone, on-site or away

How a Zone Control System Is Built

A SimpliHome Automation heating installation rests on three elements, working together.

Smart Heating Controller. This is the central logic that manages schedules, target temperatures, and automation rules for every zone. You access it through the Loxone app.

Room sensors. Discreet temperature sensors sit in each zone. They give the system an accurate reading room by room, rather than relying on one hallway sensor for the whole house.

Zone Controllers. Compact devices fit at the radiator or underfloor heating manifold. They open and close each zone independently, based on what that specific room needs.

Whether your home has underfloor heating, radiators, or a mix of both, one platform manages all of it consistently, from a single app.

How Much Can Smart Heating Control Save?

Heating typically accounts for the largest single share of a UK household’s energy bill. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that turning a thermostat down by just one degree can cut heating costs by around 10%.

Zone control takes that same principle and applies it room by room, all day, without anyone thinking about it. Combine that with scheduling, so heating ramps up before you wake and eases off once you’re out, and the saving compounds significantly over a year, particularly in larger homes with rarely used rooms.

Does It Work with My Existing Boiler and Radiators?

Yes. Smart heating control doesn’t mean replacing your boiler or radiators. In most cases, it works alongside what you already have, adding intelligent control on top of your current heat source.

For period Kent properties, control can usually be retrofitted without extensive rewiring — see our guide to planning your smart home for how to weigh up wired versus wireless options. For new builds and major renovations, we design the system in from the start, working with Ryland M&E to deliver heating controls, electrical works, and programming as one coordinated project.

If you’re also planning lighting upgrades, both systems run on the same Loxone platform, so heating and smart lighting control can be installed together or added later without starting from scratch.

Comfort Without the Thinking

The point of a well-designed heating system isn’t that you interact with it constantly. It’s that you don’t have to. Zones reach temperature before you notice they were cold. Unused rooms stay economical without anyone remembering to turn them down. The system simply gets on with it.

That’s the same philosophy behind everything we install: the best smart home isn’t one you’re constantly adjusting. It’s one that simply knows.

Get Smart Heating Control for Your Kent Home

If you’re planning a renovation, replacing an old heating control system, or tired of one room running too hot while another stays cold, talk to us about smart heating control for your Kent home.

Get in Touch

SimpliHome Automation works in close partnership with Ryland M&E to deliver fully certified electrical installation alongside our heating and automation services. All electrical works are completed in accordance with BS 7671 and Part P of the Building Regulations, with full certification provided on completion.

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