The flush-mounted thermostat is tailored to meet the demands of various heating systems. Its diverse functions enable optimal management of energy resources: The optimum start function allows the thermostat to save heating energy autonomously by "learning" how much lead time is necessary to reach the desired temperature at the set time. This way, unnecessary and costly preheating is avoided. If the residents are away for several days, the temperature can be lowered during this time and increased back to a comfortable room climate right on time for their return using the vacation function. However, if one is only away for a few hours, the temperature can be adjusted to meet specific needs with the party short-term timer, without requiring any changes to the program. If the temperature is typically lowered during the day on weekdays, the user can increase it on a vacation or sick day using the home function.