Why Our Smart Controls Are More Cost-effective Than Insulation: MACC Findings Explained

Homeowners looking to improve heating efficiency may initially overlook methods like upgraded heating controls in favour of larger scale retrofits such as loft and wall insulation. However, the upfront costs of insulation mean they take significantly longer to pay for themselves.

Heating controls have come a long way, and smart heating controls have several benefits over traditional controls by offering remote access at home or away, better boiler modulation, energy-saving modes, and easier, more flexible scheduling to suit your lifestyle and minimise energy waste. In fact, upgrading a basic non-programmable thermostat to Wiser’s smart multi-room heating control could save up to 30% on annual energy bills.

Drayton, the brand behind Wiser, has looked at how different ways of saving energy compare in terms of cost and carbon reduction, with the help of a MACC analysis.

 

What’s a MACC?
MACC stands for Marginal Abatement Cost Curve. In simple terms, it shows which energy-saving methods give you the greatest carbon reduction for the lowest setup cost. We used this to compare Wiser’s smart heating controls with other popular options, loft and wall insulation.

A negative MACC, as shown on the graphs below, means these measures save money, because the energy bill savings over a products lifetime are greater than its upfront cost. The more negative the value, the more money it saves per tonne of carbon saved. Higher setup costs reduce the cost-effectiveness, and so reduce the negative MACC.

 

What We Found

For the average UK home, smart heating controls are one of the most cost-effective ways to cut carbon emissions and lower your energy bills.

Here’s how much carbon each option saves and how cost-effective it is:

• Full smart heating system (1 channel Hub, smart room thermostat, and 7 smart radiator thermostats)
• Saves 6.4 tonnes of CO₂ over its lifetime.
• Marginal abatement cost: -£252 per tonne CO₂e abated.
  
  
• Wiser thermostat Kit 1 (1 channel Hub, smart room thermostat)
• Saves 3.6 tonnes of CO₂ over its lifetime.
• Marginal abatement cost: -£268 per tonne CO₂e abated.

 

While data for total carbon savings for the insulation methods isn’t available due to the many variables affecting it – such as building type, size and age – the MACC for these has been calculated in the graph below.

 

 

What does this mean for you?
These systems pay for themselves quickly because they cut your heating bills while reducing emissions. The data indicates that smart heating controls are cheaper and more effective - per tonne of CO₂e abated - than traditional insulation measures like solid wall or loft insulation.

 

Why Upgrade Your Heating Controls?

• Lower bills - They reduce energy use immediately.
• Cut carbon - Helps you do your bit for the environment.
• Easy to install - Minimal disruption compared to insulation work.
• Smarter control - Lets you monitor and adjust heating easily, encouraging better energy habits.

 

Bottom line: If you want an affordable, quick way to save money and reduce your carbon footprint, smart heating controls are one of the best options available, being cost-effective and offering better convenience and comfort.

Ready for the smartest investment? Find the right kit for you in seconds with our product selector now.

 

 

Data assumptions:

Gas Price forecast and emissions sourced from DESNZ. Available at Green Book supplementary guidance: valuation of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions for appraisal - GOV.UK.

Annual gas consumption of a 3 bedroom dwelling: 10648 kWh. Source: National Energy Efficiency Data-Framework (NEED): consumption data tables 2025 - GOV.UK

Boiler Efficiency: 86%. Source: Methodology report – UK, Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland carbon budget advice

Proportion of gas used for space and water heating: 76%. Source: ECUK_2024_End_Use_tables.xlsx