As of 13 August 2026, AI can only partly choose a smart thermostat for your UK boiler.

What to actually do

1. Hand it to a person

   The route this page recommends

   Someone with a licence or accountable authority has to sign this before it counts.

2. Use a tool built for this

   Second choice

3. Do it yourself

   The distant third

   A chat interface, chat-fluent skill, and roughly 30 minutes until you can act on the result.

   How to actually do it

   1. Open the boiler casing label, current thermostat or programmer, receiver and any heating-control manual, then record every make and exact model number without removing covers.
   2. Take clear photographs of the external labels, thermostat, programmer and receiver, and redact names, addresses, account details and any visible network credentials.
   3. Paste the recorded models, system details, desired features and photographs or manual extracts into the prompt, leaving unknown fields marked as unknown.
   4. Ask the chatbot to produce a shortlist only after it has asked its compatibility questions and to link each decision to the relevant manufacturer's current compatibility or installation document.
   5. Open the linked manufacturer pages and compare the exact boiler model, control protocol, receiver, zones and hot-water arrangement against the drafted recommendation.
   6. Send the shortlisted model numbers and the compatibility questions to a qualified heating installer, and buy only after the installer confirms that the device is suitable for the existing installation.

   Prompt

   Help me choose a smart thermostat for my UK heating system. Do not recommend a model until you have identified the information needed to establish compatibility.
   
   My details:
   - Boiler make and exact model: [insert]
   - Boiler type, if known: [combi, system, regular or unknown]
   - Current thermostat or programmer make and model: [insert]
   - Heating system controls and receiver details: [insert]
   - Photos or manual extracts I can provide: [insert]
   - Number of heating zones: [insert]
   - Hot-water control needed: [yes, no or unknown]
   - Desired features: [insert]
   - Budget: [insert]
   - Home internet and phone details relevant to the product: [insert]
   
   Use UK products and terminology. Separate facts from assumptions. If any detail is missing, ask me focused follow-up questions rather than guessing. For each candidate, state whether compatibility is confirmed, probable or unresolved, and explain exactly what must be checked in the manufacturer's current installation and compatibility documents. Check whether it supports my boiler's control method, heating and hot-water arrangement, zones, receiver and wiring. Do not tell me to install it myself, and do not give electrical or gas-work instructions. Recommend a shortlist only after identifying the checks, with a clear best-fit choice, reasons, drawbacks and what a qualified installer must confirm before purchase or installation.

   Open it prefilled in ChatGPT or Claude, or copy it into Gemini, which takes no prefill link.