Nest, the US technology company bought by Google in January for $3.2bn (£2bn), is launching its hi-tech version of the humble thermostat in the UK.
The device, which the company says learns how people use their heating at home and automatically saves energy for them, follows its launch in the UK of a smoke alarm last autumn that can distinguish burnt toast from a real fire, and detect carbon monoxide.
Nest is headed by CEO Tony Fadell, a former Apple designer who worked on the iPod. It claims US customers save on average about 20% on their heating bill.
The average UK household bill has risen by 28% in the past three years and now stands at around £1,400. Nest will partner with energy company Npower in the UK, which will market the thermostat to its 6 million customers.
Lionel Paillet, Nest's general manager for Europe, said the device was different to existing web-connected thermostats that have appeared in the UK in recent years, such as British Gas's Hive, and independent products such as Heat Genius and Tado.
"It's comparing apples and oranges. The Nest thermostat is really learning, it knows your preferences, it helps you keep comfortable, not sacrificing your comfort for energy savings."
The thermostat develops an automatic heating programme based on how people use it – when they turn the temperature up and down at certain times of day – and the device can detect whether a home is occupied and turn down the heat accordingly.
"You don’t have to programme it – programmes are cumbersome and don’t really work. The more you use it, the more it learns," said Paillet.
While the device looks the same as its US counterpart, Nest has had to "go back to the drawing board" to adapt its internal electronics to cope with mains electricity in the UK, which is much higher voltage than in the US.
The thermostat is on sale from Wednesday for £180 on its own, or for £250 with installation.
Google's purchase of Nest raised fears in some quarters over privacy concerns. In a blogpost announcing the sale, Fadell said: "I know that joining Google will be an easy transition because we’re partnering with a company that gets what we do and who we are at Nest – and wants us to stay that way. Nest will continue to be Nest, with its own distinct brand identity."