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 and compatible thermostats.
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 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.
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 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.