Can AI really save you money on your heating bill? I spent two years testing to find out

Samuel Gibbs doubted he could cut costs and still keep warm by putting tech in control. The results surprised him

Can smart thermostats and AI reduce your heating bills? Every manufacturer claims the answer is yes, quoting average savings in the 25%, or 180 a year range. But all of these promises are heavily caveated and, with energy costs changing regularly, it can be very difficult to tell what is having an impact.

To find out if technology can really help, I spent the last two years comparing my miserly manual control and basic heating schedule to an AI-governed system. The results surprised me.