Energy prices in Czech Republic have been volatile since 2021, and most households are now more aware of their consumption than they were a few years ago. Smart home automation offers some genuine tools for reducing bills — but the savings depend heavily on your current habits and the type of heating you have.
The Biggest Lever: Heating
In Czech Republic, heating accounts for the largest share of household energy costs — typically 50–70% of total energy spending for a flat with central gas heating. This means that even modest improvements in heating efficiency have a bigger impact than optimising electricity use for lighting or appliances.
The standard approach in older Czech buildings is central heating with radiators controlled by thermostatic valves (TRV). Replacing these with smart TRVs — devices that can be programmed and controlled remotely — is one of the most cost-effective smart home investments available.
Smart Thermostatic Radiator Valves
Smart TRVs replace the manual valve heads on radiators. Popular options available in Czech Republic include the Danfoss Eco (around 1,200 CZK), Shelly TRV (around 1,500 CZK), and various Zigbee-based valves from brands like Moes or Tuya (600–900 CZK from Alza.cz).
The key benefit is scheduling: setting the bedroom radiator to drop to 17°C at night and return to 20°C before you wake up, or reducing heating in rooms that are not used during the day. Studies from the Czech Energy Regulatory Office suggest that reducing room temperature by 1°C saves approximately 6% on heating costs.
For a flat with five radiators, replacing all valves with smart TRVs costs around 5,000–7,000 CZK. If the scheduling saves even 10% on an annual heating bill of 30,000 CZK, the payback period is under three years.
Smart Plugs and Standby Power
Standby power — the electricity consumed by devices that are switched on but not actively used — accounts for around 5–10% of household electricity consumption in a typical Czech home. Smart plugs that can be scheduled or controlled remotely make it easy to cut this.
The most impactful targets are usually: television sets and entertainment systems (often 20–40W on standby), desktop computers and monitors, and older appliances with inefficient standby modes. A smart plug with energy monitoring (Shelly Plug S, around 600 CZK, or TP-Link Tapo P110, around 500 CZK) lets you measure actual consumption before deciding whether to automate.
Czech electricity tariffs often include a lower night rate (D02d or similar). Smart plugs and timers can shift high-consumption tasks — dishwasher, washing machine, water heater — to the cheaper overnight period. Check your tariff with your supplier (ČEZ, E.ON, PRE) to see if you are on a two-rate tariff and what the time windows are.
Monitoring: Knowing Where the Energy Goes
Before optimising, it helps to know where energy is actually being used. Whole-home energy monitors clip onto the main supply cable in the distribution board and measure total consumption in real time. The Shelly EM (around 1,500 CZK) is a popular option that integrates well with Home Assistant.
Czech electricity meters are increasingly being replaced with smart meters (chytré elektroměry) by distribution companies. The LOGAREX Smart Metering meters, manufactured in Prague, are commonly installed by Czech distribution companies and can provide consumption data through the supplier's app. Contact your electricity distributor to check whether you have a smart meter or are scheduled for one.
Automated Shutters and Blinds
Roller shutters (rolety) are common in Czech homes and represent a significant opportunity for passive energy management. Closing shutters at night reduces heat loss through windows — a single-glazed window with closed shutters has roughly the same thermal resistance as a double-glazed window without shutters.
Motorised shutter controllers from Shelly (Shelly 2.5, around 900 CZK) or dedicated shutter motors can automate this: shutters close at sunset, open at sunrise, and close again on hot summer afternoons to prevent overheating. The automation can be based on time, sunrise/sunset calculations, or temperature sensors.
For existing manual shutters, retrofit motors are available that attach to the existing mechanism. Installation typically requires an electrician if the motor needs to be wired to a permanent supply.
What Not to Expect
Smart home energy management is not a magic solution. The savings are real but modest — typically 10–20% on relevant costs, not 50%. The technology works best when it automates things you would already do if you had the time and attention: turning down the heating when you leave, switching off standby devices at night, adjusting shutters with the sun.
If your home is poorly insulated, the most impactful investment is insulation, not smart devices. The New Green Savings programme (Nová zelená úsporám) offers Czech government subsidies for insulation, window replacement, and heat pump installation that dwarf any savings from smart home technology.
Getting Started: A Practical Order
- Install a smart plug with energy monitoring on your highest-consumption appliances to understand actual usage
- Add smart TRVs to radiators in rooms with variable occupancy (bedroom, home office)
- Set up schedules to reduce heating during working hours and overnight
- Automate shutters if you have motorised ones, or add a motor to the most-used manual shutters
- Consider a whole-home energy monitor once you have the basics in place
Each step builds on the previous one and provides useful data for the next. Starting with monitoring before automating is almost always worth the extra time.