Gadget review: i-temp Terrier Programmable Radiator Control

If there’s one thing I hate wasting money on it’s heating. Pennies spill out of the radiators in my house like a Las Vegas slot machine, especially if my girlfriend’s in charge of the controls. In a bid to prevent spiralling bills, I was eager to try out the i-temp Terrier which promised to save 30 per cent on my heating costs.

The premise is relatively simple – unless you’ve split your house into a multi-room bedsit, it’s pretty pointless heating rooms that you only occupy at certain times of the day. The i-temp Terrier fits onto a thermostatic radiator valve, providing time and temperature controls per radiator.

It is a bit of a fiddle to set up as I first needed to identify the species of radiator glued to my wall via the manufacturer’s website. Luckily I didn’t need an extra adaptor or assistance from a friendly local plumber, but make sure to check out the website before you buy.

After popping in the AA batteries and setting the time and date, I could choose either one of the pre-defined “lifestyle programs” such as “Bedroom”, or set my own heating schedule. The fiddle factor of this should not be understated and I craved an iPhone or Android App that could do all this for me, especially as I was fed up by the time I got to room number three. There is a basic USB PC Programmer with Dongle available for about £15 which I’d recommend as you can configure several in one go.

The manufacturer’s own field tests on a newbuild house provided savings of £1.73 per day (with a CO2 saving of 9.17kg), meaning that the £25 cost of the i-temp per radiator could be recouped relatively rapidly.

My girlfriend is now confined to the sauna-like second bedroom while I huddle in the living room shivering with delight at all the money being saved.

• Prices start from £25 at www.heatingcontrolsonline.co.uk; for more information see www.saveonheating bills.co.uk