Choosing the right thermostat for your home can sometimes feel confusing.
This guide explains it in a simple, practical way — so you'll know exactly which type suits your heating system, even without asking an installer.
The Three Main Types of Home Heating Systems
Most homes today use one of three heating systems:
- Hydronic (Water-based heating) – water is used as the heat-transfer medium.
- Electric heating – powered directly by electricity.
- Air heating – air is used as the heat-transfer medium.
1. Hydronic Systems
Hydronic systems typically use underfloor heating or radiators, powered by a boiler or heat pump.
A. Water Underfloor Heating
This type is becoming more popular in new-build homes due to its higher energy efficiency.
A manifold distributes the hot water from the boiler to each room.
When combined with wiring centres and room thermostats, you can control the temperature in every room individually — heating only the spaces that need it.
Because underfloor heating usually runs at a lower water temperature (around 40–50 °C, compared to 70–80 °C for radiators), it consumes less energy overall.
(water underfloor heating)
(manifold)
Homes with this type of system require a wiring centre (click here to check) and compatible thermostats (click here to check).
B. Radiator Systems
This is the most common heating setup in UK homes.
The boiler heats water and distributes it through valves to radiators or a hot-water cylinder (the latter is common in houses with system boilers).
Radiator systems are typically built in one of two piping layouts:
S-plan – uses zone valves (two-port valves)
Y-plan – uses a mid-position valve (three-port valve)
If your home uses one of these, you'll need a thermostat (click here to check) compatible with the corresponding valve type.
If your system controls only the boiler and not the valves, you can still use the same type of thermostat (click here to check).
Note: As long as your heating system matches one of the above types, you can use these thermostats regardless of whether your heat source is an electric boiler (dry-contact control), gas boiler (combi or system type), or heat pump.
2. Electric Heating Systems
Electric systems usually take one of two forms: electric underfloor heating or electric radiators.
A. Electric Underfloor Heating
These systems use heating mats or heating films beneath the floor surface.
(heating mat)
(heating film)
They're simple to control — you just need a thermostat (click here to check) designed for electric heating.
B. Electric Radiators
These are oil-filled radiators, available as portable or wall-mounted units, powered by electricity.
Most electric radiators have their own built-in thermostat, so an external one is usually unnecessary.
3. Air Heating Systems
These systems use fan coil units to distribute heated air to each room.
For this setup, you'll need a thermostat that supports fan-coil control.
Note that fan coils come with two common motor types:
0–10 V motor control
3-speed motor control
When choosing a thermostat, make sure it's compatible with your fan type.