An included Heat Link, a new piece of hardware that has the same rounded-corner square appearance as the Nest Protect, attaches to your boiler, giving you control over your hot water. The thermostat senses the room’s temperature, and if it doesn’t match your preferred temp, it signals the Heat Link to turn the heat system back on. You can schedule it from your phone or thermostat, and the Nest will also go into energy-saving mode when you’re not home. If everyone’s showering around the same time in the morning, you can also amp it up so supply meets demand.
Compatible boilers can also communicate with OpenTerm, allowing Nest to determine the amount of gas needed to keep the temperature steady or raise or lower it a few degrees. This is useful and more efficient for boilers that only have two settings: on and off. “It’s like a dimmer for your heating system versus an on-off switch,” according to Nest.
One thing the Nest has in common with the U.S. version is Farsight, which senses when you’re nearby and lights up so you can see it from across the room.
The third-generation Nest, with its new features, is more expensive, too. The price is now £199, up £20. If you need help installing the thermostat, Nest charges £249 to include professional installation. Considering the Heat Link is necessary to operate the system and requires extra installation, making it a bit less DIY than the U.S. version.
U.K. residents can buy it through Nest starting today or pre-order through Amazon.
