Heating Zones and Controls: How to Heat Only the Rooms You Use

What are heating zones?

A zoned heating system splits your home into separate areas - typically upstairs and downstairs, or living spaces and bedrooms - each with its own thermostat. You can set different temperatures and schedules for each zone. For example, keep the living room at 20°C in the evening but the bedrooms at 16°C until bedtime.

How does it work?

Zone valves are fitted to the pipework that feeds each area. Each zone has its own thermostat (or a smart thermostat with multi-room support). When a zone reaches its target temperature, its valve closes and the boiler only heats the zones that still need it.

How much can you save?

Zoning typically saves 20-30% on heating bills compared to heating the whole house to the same temperature. The savings come from:

• Not heating bedrooms during the day when nobody is in them
• Keeping less-used rooms (spare bedrooms, utility rooms) at a lower temperature
• Reducing the total amount of time the boiler runs

What does installation cost?

Adding a basic two-zone system (upstairs/downstairs) to an existing heating system costs approximately £300-£600 including zone valves, a second thermostat, and wiring. More granular zoning with individual room control (using smart TRVs) costs £400-£800 depending on the number of radiators.

Is it worth it for my home?

If you have a property with two or more floors, rooms that are empty for large parts of the day, or different heating needs in different areas, zoning will save you money. It is especially effective in combination with a modern combi or system boiler and good insulation.

What about underfloor heating?

Underfloor heating systems are naturally zoned - each room or area has its own thermostat and manifold connection. This is one of the reasons underfloor heating is so efficient. If you are considering underfloor heating, zoning is built in.