Scottish Power is the latest energy provider to offer its own smart thermostat

Not to be outdone by British Gas and nPower, Scottish Power has become the latest energy supplier to jump aboard the smart thermostat bandwagon. While its rivals are either pushing their own controls or have teamed up companies like Nest to help customers automate their heating, Scottish Power is doing a bit of both by spinning off a white-label version of the Climote thermostat. Unlike nPower, which part-subsidises the cost of the Nest, Scottish Power is offering the Climote under its own "Connect" branding, starting at £10 per month for two years (with a £66 upfront payment). The thermostat lets customers set up heating schedules or control temperature in real time using an app, browser or even by SMS. Good news if you're looking to make your home smarter, but aren't keen on switching providers or letting Google into your place of rest.