Buying Guide
Smart TRV UK Buying Guide 2026: How to Choose the Right System
Updated August 2026
A smart TRV replaces the plastic knob on your radiator with a motorised head that follows a schedule and can be controlled from your phone. The hardware is simple; the decision isn't. Hub or no hub, which ecosystem, how many valves, and whether you need a smart thermostat too. This guide answers those in order.
Quick answer
Our top pick: tado° (best overall) / TP-Link Kasa KE100 (best value)
£35 – £90 per valve on Amazon
Whole-home zoning with a smart thermostat: tado°. Already on Hive or British Gas: Hive TRV. Cheapest credible route into smart heating: TP-Link Kasa KE100 with the required hub. Start with 3–4 valves in the rooms you heat differently.
Check Price on Amazon →How smart TRVs actually work
A traditional TRV is a wax capsule that expands as the room warms and squeezes the valve shut. It has no clock, no memory and no idea what time you get home. A smart TRV swaps the wax for a temperature sensor, a small motor and a radio.
- Schedules per room. Bedroom warm 6–8am and 9–11pm, off the rest of the day.
- Open-window detection. A sudden temperature drop closes the valve instead of heating the street.
- Geofencing. The system turns the heating down when the last phone leaves the house.
- Boiler demand. Paired with a smart thermostat, the boiler only fires when a room genuinely calls for heat.
For the detailed comparison against ordinary valves, see smart TRV vs manual TRV →
Hub vs hubless: the decision that matters most
| Hub-based (tado°, Hive, Kasa) | Bluetooth / standalone | |
|---|---|---|
| Remote control | Yes, from anywhere | Only in the same room |
| Boiler control | Yes, with a thermostat | No |
| Upfront cost | Higher (hub £50–£80) | Lower |
| Battery life | 12–24 months | 12–18 months |
| Best for | Whole-home zoning | One or two rooms, renters |
If you only want to stop over-heating a spare room, hubless is fine. If you want the savings, you need a hub and ideally a smart thermostat so the boiler modulates too.
Smart TRV systems compared
tado° Smart Radiator Thermostat
The complete system. Add the thermostat and tado° stops the boiler firing for a single warm room, which is where most of the money is saved.
Pros
- Best-in-class scheduling and geofencing
- Works with almost every UK boiler via the wired/wireless thermostat
- Open-window detection is genuinely reliable
- Multi-pack pricing brings the per-valve cost down
Cons
- Some features sit behind the Auto-Assist subscription
- Highest upfront cost
Who it's for: Whole-home zoning where you want the maximum saving
Check Price on Amazon UK →Hive Thermostatic Radiator Valve
If you have Hive, buy Hive. Mixing ecosystems for the sake of £10 a valve creates two apps and two schedules to keep in sync.
Pros
- Slots straight into an existing Hive setup
- Simple, well-supported app
- British Gas installation support available
Cons
- Needs the Hive hub
- Fewer advanced automations than tado°
Who it's for: Homes already running a Hive thermostat
Check Price on Amazon UK →TP-Link Kasa Smart Radiator Valve KE100
The best pound-for-pound entry point. Buy the hub plus three valves for less than two tado° valves and you'll still get proper room schedules.
Pros
- Roughly half the price of tado° per valve
- Fast, stable Kasa app
- Quiet motor — noticeable in bedrooms
Cons
- Requires the Kasa hub
- No boiler control on its own
Who it's for: Zoning several rooms on a budget
Check Price on Amazon UK →TP-Link Kasa Smart Radiator Valve KE110
Worth the extra on one or two radiators even if the rest of the house runs KE100s — the usage data pays for itself in insight.
Pros
- Reports how long each radiator has actually been open
- Makes it obvious which room is costing you money
- Same hub as the KE100
Cons
- Dearer than the KE100
- Data is indicative, not metered
Who it's for: People who want to see where the heat is going before optimising
Check Price on Amazon UK →SONOFF TRVZB Zigbee Smart Radiator Valve
In a Home Assistant house these are unbeatable value. Outside one, the setup effort isn't worth the saving.
Pros
- Standard Zigbee — pairs with Home Assistant, SmartThings and more
- No proprietary hub required if you already run Zigbee
- Cheapest per valve
Cons
- Assumes you already have a Zigbee coordinator
- Setup is not beginner-friendly
Who it's for: Home Assistant and existing Zigbee networks
Check Price on Amazon UK →Will smart TRVs fit your radiators?
- Look at the valve at one end of the radiator. If it has a numbered dial 0–5, it's a TRV and you're in business.
- Unscrew the knurled collar by hand or with light grips. The radiator stays full — only the head comes off.
- Measure the exposed thread. M30 x 1.5 is the UK standard and every valve here fits it directly.
- Danfoss RA, RAV or RAVL bodies need the adapter that comes in the box — check yours is included.
- A plain on/off wheel head (no numbers) is a lockshield or manual valve. A plumber needs to swap the valve body first, typically £60–£100.
- Leave one radiator — usually the bathroom or hallway — without a TRV so the boiler always has somewhere to dump heat.
How many smart TRVs should you buy?
| Home | Sensible starting point | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bed flat | Hub + 2 valves (bedroom, living room) | £130–£190 |
| 2-bed house | Hub + 3 valves | £170–£280 |
| 3-bed house | Hub + 4–5 valves | £220–£400 |
| 4-bed+ | Hub + thermostat + 6 valves | £350–£600 |
Prioritise rooms you heat unnecessarily: spare bedrooms, dining rooms, home offices used part of the day. For the payback maths, see smart radiator valve running costs and savings →
Buying advice
Pick the ecosystem before the valve
Tip
Fit in autumn, not January
Warning
Valves alone won't cut your bill much
Frequently asked questions
Bundle
Smart Heating Starter Setup — 3 zoned rooms
- tado° starter kit (thermostat + 1 valve)£150Amazon →
- 2 additional tado° radiator valves£140Amazon →
- Budget alternative: Kasa hub + 3 x KE100£160Amazon →