Heating Zone and Thermostat Schedule Planner

Who this is for

Every heating zone's timings on one page. Write down when each room comes on and goes off on weekdays and at weekends, the temperature it is set to, its frost setting and the hot water times, so the programme is not lost inside a controller menu or an app.

Households setting up a programmable thermostat, smart heating zones or radiator valves for the first time, and anyone who has to re-enter a heating programme after a power cut, a new controller or the clocks changing.

What this helps you track

• The on and off periods for each room on weekdays and at weekends
• The temperature each zone is set to in each period
• Frost or setback settings and the hot water timings
• Overrides, holiday mode and anything the controller does differently
• A copy of the whole programme to re-enter it from

How to use it

1. Write the heating system, the controller or app, the season and the date you set the schedule at the top.
2. Give each room or zone a row and write its weekday on periods as times, for example the first and last time the heating runs in each period.
3. Add the set temperature you chose for weekdays, then do the same for weekends.
4. Fill in the frost or setback setting and the hot water timings, and use the notes column for overrides and holiday mode.
5. Work through the checklist after entering the programme, then keep the sheet by the controller or save the browser version, which stays in your own browser.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

What temperatures should I set?

The sheet does not suggest any. Comfort, health, the building and your bills all differ, so the temperature columns are blank for the figures you choose or have been advised to use by someone who knows your home.

How many periods can I write for each day?

The on times column has room for up to four periods, written as start and finish times. If your controller allows more, use the notes column or give the zone a second row.

What if my rooms are not separately controlled?

Use one row for the whole house, or one row per radiator valve if each has its own setting. The planner works for a single thermostat as well as for full zoning.

Why write it down if the controller already stores it?

Because controllers get reset, replaced and updated, and apps change. A written copy lets you re-enter the programme in minutes and compare this season's settings with the last.