Heating control manufacturer Drayton recently conducted a survey of heating engineers, plumbers, electricians, and renewable installers to understand what their customers are looking for from smart heating controls.
When it comes to the features that are most desired by homeowners, the survey found that a heating control that can be managed via a smartphone app (66%) and a system that offers room-by-room heating control (50%) were the two most requested solutions. Reflecting the ongoing rise in energy costs, energy-saving features – such as smart modes – came in a close third (48%). Additionally, the flexibility to include further connected devices at a later date was desired by just under a third of customers.
According to the survey, the most common issue that causes delays on the job was products that are hard to install (64%). Alongside this, product compatibility issues were another top cause of wasted time, cited by 44% of installers. A quarter of installers (25%) also said that they were unable to access support from the manufacturer or find the information they were looking for online.
Merlin Milner, product owner for water-based systems at Drayton, comments: “The results of our research highlight that in today’s market, customers are prioritising simplicity and convenience; they want the ability to control their heating remotely via a user-friendly app on their mobile and ways to improve efficiency. As such, it’s crucial that tradespeople have a go-to solution that they can trust to deliver all of these key features and doesn’t cause them delays when working.
“Our Wiser solution is incredibly easy to fit, as it is compatible with the standard UK backplate and can be set up without requiring the customer’s Wi-Fi details. Plus, should any issues arise, here at Drayton we have a number of different ways for installers to get assistance. Along with our UK-based customer support team, we also offer online training courses via Drayton Rewards+, video tutorials on YouTube, and technical documents can be found on our website. All of this helps ensure a smooth and speedy installation, so they can get on with the job and onto the next customer.”
For more information on Drayton’s range of heating controls, including Wiser, visit: www.draytoncontrols.co.uk
