{
  "id": 16214710,
  "title": "I let Home Assistant run my heating for a whole winter, and these are the automations that actually saved money",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/i-let-home-assistant-run-my-heating-for-a-whole-winter-and-these-are",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-23T17:00:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "XDA Developers",
    "slug": "xda-developers",
    "url": "https://www.xda-developers.com/home-assistant-run-heating-for-winter-these-automations-actually-saved-money/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Central heating systems utilizing gas boilers are effective, but they rely on fossil fuels that are becoming pricier. In the current scenario, our home is heated using electricity instead of gas or oil. Initially, we had outdated storage heaters, but we have since transitioned to oil-filled radiators and smart plugs to create a semi-smart heating system. Our objective is to eventually incorporate heat pumps and multi-split air conditioning, but for now, we aim to maximize the use of our existing setup.\n\nHome Assistant has been employed to manage heating for a full winter, leading to some financial savings. The main challenge lies in the high cost of electricity for heating purposes. Our energy provider offers low-cost electricity during the hours of 00:30 and 05:30 at $0.10 per kWh, while the price during other times is $0.60 per kWh. Therefore, it is crucial to optimize the use of cheap power.\n\nTo achieve this, various automations have been configured for the smart plugs controlling the radiators. When any of the radiator smart plugs are turned on, a 60-minute countdown starts. This provides ample time to heat a room comfortably while allowing each radiator to be set to maximum for rapid heating. By integrating Home Assistant with our electricity provider, heating can be activated when the batteries in our solar and battery storage system are fully charged. Additionally, the system can run heating throughout the house for an hour at 04:30 to ensure comfort upon arrival between 06:00 and 08:00. This approach optimizes the available heating capacity without incurring excessively high energy costs.\n\nRunning a single radiator for an hour costs approximately $1 at peak pricing. None of the radiators will activate if the outside temperature exceeds 10 degrees Celsius. Autumn and winter days may occasionally be relatively mild, so automations are only activated when necessary. Home Assistant utilizes temperature readings from both online providers and local sensors, which can be combined for optimal accuracy. The system prevents radiators from operating for longer than an hour to prevent overuse.\n\nHome Assistant's automations eliminate the need for manual management of radiators, ensuring that each radiator is only used when necessary. The system includes one-hour cutoffs to prevent overuse. The schedule allows us to focus on other tasks rather than manually turning on the heating. If you find yourself in a similar situation, investing in smart plugs rated for sustained loads can significantly improve energy efficiency. The automations do not need to be overly complex; simple temperature, time, geo-location, and motion/infrared sensors can determine whether a room requires heating. Starting with three time-driven automations, such as turning on all radiators at 04:30 and activating downstairs radiators at 17:00, provides a capable system similar to a conventional central heating setup but with reduced costs. Adding temperature control, external temperature data from online sources, and Alarmo integration to determine if the house is unoccupied further enhances savings. Home Assistant has proven effective in controlling our solar and battery storage setup, and this year has demonstrated the significant savings possible with well-designed automations. Until we can install a heat pump with air conditioning, this semi-smart system will be the most efficient solution given our current hardware and software capabilities. Smart plugs are the unsung heroes, allowing us to reduce daily power consumption for radiators from nearly 10 kWh to 4 or 5 kWh, depending on usage and outside temperature. This represents a substantial saving, particularly when some of the cost can be offset by the batteries that take advantage of cheap charging rates overnight. While some may assume that more complex automations yield the greatest savings, often the opposite is true.",
  "summary": "I didn't have to put on more clothes either.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}