Smart thermostats - Nest thermostat losing many features

[JohnMo]

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/04/google-ending-support-for-older-nest-thermostats-will-stop-selling-nests-in-europe/

 

[Super_Paulie]

Nest has been effectively ruined since it was taken over by Google. Thankfully I have the 3rd gen units but they still cant be fully controlled by Google home, you have to use the nest app. It's like they've been forgotten about.

[JoeBano]

Glad I changed mine to heatmiser neo stats now. Always got sick of nest changing my schedules 

[JohnMo]

8 hours ago, Super_Paulie said:

you have to use the nest app

Just seen this also about nest app.

 

https://www.androidauthority.com/nest-thermostat-scheduling-google-home-3548323/

[FuerteStu]

Whilst I understand that companies projects must eventually be discontinued, if you buy a smart thermostat you don't expect it to be bricked by a company that can afford server space to keep it running. 

 

Smart devices should be backed up with a service guarantee for at least 20 years. 

 

It should be written into consumer rights. 

Edited Saturday at 09:01 by FuerteStu

[JohnMo]

10 minutes ago, FuerteStu said:

Smart devices should be backed up with a service guarantee for at least 20 years

That's the issue, they aren't, and they come and go quickly.

 

At least you can still change settings locally. But you pay an expensive price, for a so called smart device that is as functional as £10 dump one, a few years later.

[FuerteStu]

Nothing will change as long as people keep spending money and nobody complains. 

 

Time to start drafting letters to MPs

[JohnMo]

27 minutes ago, FuerteStu said:

Nothing will change as long as people keep spending money and nobody complains. 

 

Time to start drafting letters to MPs

Or just stop using and paying stupid prices, for so called smart devices.

 

Have a system that is local first and foremost and if really required the ability to get external access. Then who cares if they support or otherwise.

[SteamyTea]

As Google is predominantly a data collection reseller, do you think that the Nest data was not useful to anyone?

[FuerteStu]

16 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

As Google is predominantly a data collection reseller, do you think that the Nest data was not useful to anyone?

Undoubtedly. 

 

But accountability is something we should be fighting for. 

 

Right to repair it's one thing, right to functionality should be in there too. 

 

Perhaps a legal precedent case, the public vs Google. Something sold as smart should remain so for the lifetime of the product (20 years seems reasonable) 

[SteamyTea]

7 minutes ago, FuerteStu said:

Undoubtedly. 

 

But accountability is something we should be fighting for. 

 

Right to repair it's one thing, right to functionality should be in there too. 

Should be the same with the deals that Octopus keep offering. I see they have an unlimited single car charging deal for £30/month.

At that price I would be tempted to buy an EV, but just know that the deal will be changed, after I have spent £15k on a qualifying car.

[Pocster]

19 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Should be the same with the deals that Octopus keep offering. I see they have an unlimited single car charging deal for £30/month.

At that price I would be tempted to buy an EV, but just know that the deal will be changed, after I have spent £15k on a qualifying car.

Could always lease an EV on a short contract ?

[SteamyTea]

36 minutes ago, Pocster said:

Could always lease an EV on a short contract ?

Could always keep you on a short leash, but I know that excited you.

Edited Saturday at 11:37 by SteamyTea

[MikeGrahamT21]

A piece of technology supported for 20 years??

 

For a starter it’s far too cheap at the point of sale, even with any subscription.

it’s highly unlikely to last 20 years physically. It’s inefficient to support older products, think about still supporting windows xp and windows 11.

 

I think you really need to set your expectations a little more realistic when buying into any technology 

[Super_Paulie]

In fairness, I never use them. The schedule keeps the underfloor running and the house is always 20 at night and 22 in the day, never changes.

Worked great when I was running rads though.

I only have the nests because I like the look of them and they double up as a clock...

 

Surprised no one has worked out how to hack the firmware yet so they can be used for other things. Turn the ring to dim the smart lights or something. I mean you can still do that with routines but the temperature shown on screen would be irrelevant to the situation.

[Andehh]

I'm the first person to despise big companies not supporting, and blocking right to repair etc... But a 10 year device, which is still functional just without remote control.... Doesn't seem totally unreasonable!!

 

We'd all be bemoaning it if they changed it to a subscription model to keep the support going... One way or another nothing lasts forever!

[JohnMo]

13 minutes ago, Super_Paulie said:

Surprised no one has worked out how to hack

Would be surprised if you couldn't get control from home assistant, if not now very soon.

[marshian]

I bought into Wiser system - pretty convinced that when I was running scheduled heating times with the old boiler with “smart” TRV’s it did a pretty good job of saving energy (I was manually compensating for outside temp )

 

Now with new boiler running WC and 24/7 I’m fairly convinced that Wiser and the “Smart” TRV’s aren’t making any saving the only functionality I’m finding really useful is the ability to control HW schedule remotely.

 

I’m pretty sure removal of 80% of the TRV’s and replacing with decorators caps is going to happen soon but for the remote control I’m pretty sure I’d go back to a simple on/off programmer and a wired thermostat on the wall in case of too much solar gain in shoulder seasons…….

 

so much for technology

 

 

[JohnMo]

13 minutes ago, Andehh said:

I'm the first person to despise big companies not supporting

Not really, just before our build I was set on smart everything, about a month before I started buying things, there were a couple of similar removals of support and web interfaces (can't remember the brands) so I made a positive move away from so called smart systems.

 

I do have home assistant but it's only used for nice to have things, so excess PV being diverted to heat pump or immersion and general monitoring. Did try home assistant battery charge management, but too hit or miss so gave up on that.

 

Don't trust any big company really, they are there, to keep share holders and share holders only happy.

[MrPotts]

Considering that Google will not be releasing the gen4 Nest in Europe I’m not surprised Google are removing other elements of the system. Below is a quote from Google Nest Community Blog……….

 

 

Nest thermostat updates for Europe

Heating systems in Europe are unique and have a variety of hardware and software requirements that make it challenging to build for the diverse set of homes. Therefore moving forward we’ll no longer launch new Nest thermostats in Europe. With our Google Home platform approach we are enabling a wide range of established smart thermostat companies to build energy devices and experiences that cater to these markets. The Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen, 2015) and Nest Thermostat E (2018) will continue to be sold in Europe while current supplies last. These models will continue to receive security updates and you can control them via the Nest and Home apps.

 

 

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Blog/Support-changes-to-our-earliest-generation-Nest-Learning-Thermostats/ba-p/713068

Edited Saturday at 18:28 by MrPotts

[SteamyTea]

24 minutes ago, MrPotts said:

Therefore moving forward we’ll no longer launch new Nest thermostats in Europe.

About time that Europe developed one, with decentralised connectivity.

I would suggest that The British developed one, but the ghost of Boris and his 'world class' software is still fresh in my mind.

Edited Saturday at 18:46 by SteamyTea

[JohnMo]

15 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

About time that Europe developed one

They have, haven't they?

 

But do you really need a thermostat? Good observations by @marshian on another recent thread about energy usage and steady house temperatures.

 

Would it better to design your heating system to do away with a thermostat all together - low temperature weather compensation. But the naysayers are determined that heating has to be zoned.

[SteamyTea]

1 minute ago, JohnMo said:

Would it better to design your heating system to do away with a thermostat all together

A new build, certainly.

The big environmental improvements are going to be in the 20+million older houses.

[JohnMo]

1 minute ago, SteamyTea said:

new build, certainly

Why doesn't weather compensation work on all houses? 

 

It's just energy in equal to energy out.

[SteamyTea]

5 minutes ago, JohnMo said:

Why doesn't weather compensation work on all houses? 

 

It's just energy in equal to energy out.

It possibly does.

Being an all electric house here, I don't have the opportunity to experiment.