One of the UK's most successful manufacturers of flexible smart home devices, this British Gas-owned company makes installation easy and offers plenty of ways to save. But before you customise your home in any way, check out this hotukdeals buyer's guide, which contains all the information customers need to know.
Owned by the energy giant Centrica, Hive is one of the country's biggest smart home providers. While its origins date back to 2011, the company has only been trading under its current name since the advent of Active Heating in 2013. Since then, it’s added security devices via the acquisition of AlertMe in 2015, updating its thermostats regularly, and introducing handy equipment like the Active Plug, in 2016.
Now, the company offers a comprehensive suite of smart products, all based on the Honeycomb architecture – meaning that there is plenty of scope for the introduction of third-party additions in the future. All of this is backed by Centrica BG and its army of professional gas engineers. Not many smart brands can match that.
There are several excellent reasons to make the Hive Hub the basis for your smart home arrangement. However, it's also worth pointing out that alternatives like Nest and Apple HomeKit are worth exploring if you need a second opinion.
First off, the Hub benefits from the support infrastructure that Centrica BG provides. When you make a purchase, you don't just receive the Hub. You'll also enjoy lengthy warranties and the in-person support delivered by BG engineers. So, if you have any worries about connecting smart devices to older boilers, you can bring in the experts.
Then there's the quality of the brand's design, which is always at a very high level. For instance, the next generation Thermostat was designed by Swiss legend Yves Behar, one of the tech sector's most prestigious designers. And it manages to combine impressive aesthetics with functionality.
Finally, there are plenty of general benefits associated with going “Smart”. You can save on heating bills by heating your home only when occupants are at home, or soon to return. What’s more, you can install cameras to check whether deliveries have been made or to record who visits. There are even smaller (and cheaper) accessories like smart plugs to control kettles on your commute home from work.
A hub is part and parcel of any smart home. This is where your various devices will connect to in order to communicate with each other, while also allowing other smart home devices a point to connect to your Hive devices. Hive currently offers two hubs, with one being slightly more powerful than the other:
The Hive Hub – Although you can install devices like Active Heating without one, most buyers will feel the need to make the Hub the lynchpin of their smart home setup. When you get to grips with the features it's easy to see why. The Hub makes it easy to connect different devices together, knitting lights, heating, cameras and much more into a holistic setup encompassing every room. It can also deliver notifications as required, alert users to suspect sounds like broken glass, and connect to third-party services like Alexa.
360 Hub – The more advanced version of the Hub, 360 comes in a retro-style black and gold casing, and generally takes everything the standard hub can do up one or two notches. The standard hub is great for linking together lights and cameras, but the 360 is much more powerful, offering instant event notifications (such as smoke detection), and offering greater scope to expand your smart systems in the future.
Hive Active Heating could revolutionise the way you use energy. Based around the Yves Behar-designed Hive thermostat, Active Heating allows you to control the heat in your home via any smartphone. It also does one thing that all British homeowners are interested in – it saves you serious money on your heating or gas bill. If we’ve awoken your curiosity, read on to see a breakdown of the features available on board:
Heating Schedule – You can schedule in up to 6 different time slots on the Hive App, allowing you to come home to a warm home when you come back from work.
No Need To Switch – There’s zero need to switch energy supplier or upgrade your boiler to use the Hive system. It works with exactly what you’ve got. BG can even send a certified professional to your home to install the device for you.
Geolocation – If you give the Hive App permission to know your location, you can have your heating switch on and off as you leave your home. Using smart tricks like this could save you up to a £130 on your heating bill.
Voice-assistant compatible – The system is compatible with both the Google Home and Amazon Alexa smart home systems, so you can ask either of these to change your heating with ease.
The Active Plug is essentially a plug with smartphone connectivity included, allowing users to turn connected appliances on or off from wherever they happen to be. So, you can engage the toaster to deliver perfectly crisp slices while you doze in bed or have a kettle full of piping hot water ready for your return from walking the dog. Plugs also incorporate scheduling features, providing a degree of automation, and you can use them to turn off appliances like irons or presses – avoiding any worries as you rush to work.
They can be purchased individually, but are best bought in packs of 3 or 5, as this will deliver the best possible value thanks to bulk discounting.
Home security cameras are becoming more and more common in British homes. Aside from the obvious protection against break-ins, they also offer a way of keeping watch on your home when you’re away (great if you have pets). Hive currently offers 3 cameras:
Hive Camera – This camera comes with HD-quality video, wide angle lenses, night vision, and precise zooms, so you can get a great picture of what's happening at home – even from the other side of the world. They can be customised with various alarms, intended to alert occupants and ward off intruders, users can transmit via voice to anyone near the camera, and each device has the capacity to store up to 128GB of footage.
Hive View – A step up from the standard camera, the Hive View will cost you slightly more, but comes with some added features. Able to record in 1080p, these tiny cameras are fitted with advanced recognition systems – so they can ignore your family members (including pets) and focus on strangers. They can also live stream to your smartphone, as well as store footage for later use.
Hive View Outdoor – The outdoor version of the Hive View comes with much the same features as its sister-product. The main difference between the two is that the Hive View Outdoor is weatherproof. This lets it continue to record footage during poor weather conditions.
While video is one way to provide for home security, sensors give you the option of protecting your home by detecting movement. This can be a far more cost-effective way of getting home security, with Hive’s products offering additional smart benefits over traditional home security sensors. Hive currently offers 2 security products:
Window Or Door Sensor – Place this sensor on a window or door to instantly know if it’s been open or closed. Not only does this alert you if someone is trying to break in, it also lets you know if you yourself have accidentally left a window or door open once you’ve left home
Motion Sensor – While the first sensor protects against people trying to enter your home, the Motion Sensor lets you know if anybody is moving around inside your home. It’s also great for non-security purposes – you can use motion input from the device to control your other Hive devices (say your lights) when you enter or exit a room.
Smart lighting allows it to fulfil fantasies we only thought possible in science-fiction. All of Hive’s light currently offer features like voice-control, the ability to control all your smart lights in tandem, as well as smart schedules that can have your lights turn off or on at pre-set intervals. One really interesting feature is the ability to simulate your presence when you’re no longer home by having your lights turn on and off randomly while you’re away on holiday. It's also worth noting here that the Honeycomb-based Hub system can accommodate Phillips Hue bulbs, which will be good news for people who have already embraced smart lighting technology.
Hive currently offers three different versions of their smart lights:
Hive Light Dimmable – Hive’s cheapest light is the perfect light for creating relaxing atmospheres within your home. The light can be dimmed down to varying light intensities, letting you chill out on a Friday evening with dimmed light. The Hive Light Dimmable can be purchased in E27/B22, E14 and GU10 formats.
Hive Light Cool to Warm White – The perfect smart light bulb for anyone who’s energy is sensitive to particular lighting conditions. You can change the white-light colour of the bulbs to be warmer or cooler, with the cool light giving you a much-needed energy boosts for the times when you need to get stuff done. It’s also available in 3 formats – E27/B22, E14 or GU10.
Hive Light Color Changing Light Bulb – Color light bulbs help to improve the overall atmosphere of your house. Hive’s Light Color Changing Light Bulb can switch to any colour of the rainbow, with all the same smart features as it’s other products. Only an E27/B22 version of the bulb is available.
Everything described above works via standard home wifi networks, so there's no need for elaborate installations. Users can get up and running, provided they have a dependable internet connection, and BG engineers will provide whatever support you need if there are any technical hitches.
While the Hub is the physical core of most smart networks, it is generally used in conjunction with the company's App. This allows you to customise all of your smart devices, setting schedules and turning on appliances or determining how warm you need your home to be.
The network itself runs on wifi but is self-contained via a system called Honeycomb. This allows the various smart devices to talk to each other without conflicting with other electronic appliances while minimising hacking risks. But it does mean that adding some third party services can be tricky.
Hive also offer accessories for their products. These enhance the look & feel of the product or boost overall performance:
Thermostat Accessories – Hive currently offers two accessories for its flagship heating controller. Their Thermostat Frames lets you match the heating controller to its surroundings (with 12 different colours available). Meanwhile, the Thermostat Stand lets you stand your thermostat on a table and move it more easily throughout your home.
Hive Signal Booster – This accessory is a good shout for anyone who lives in a multi-story home or who plans on buying multiple Hive devices. The Signal Booster strengthens the signal in your home, letting the devices communicate with each other more easily.
What about purchasing these advanced smart products? When it comes to purchasing, customers have a couple of options at their disposal:
Firstly, you can buy a Hive Thermostat or camera on its own, and use it in isolation from the Hub and app. That's likely to be the cheapest option, but misses out on the full functionality offered by the brand's other devices.
The second option is to purchase Active Heating via British Gas. In this case, customers can purchase the Hub, a thermostat and receiver. They receive a 12-month guarantee, and free installation (which costs up to £70 otherwise).
However, there are ways to purchase this bundle for less. Importantly, members of the BG Rewards scheme can get started for much less, with £100 discounts commonly offered for loyal customers. This will often feature a free Amazon Echo speaker, which is a nice touch. Those BG customers who aren't members of Rewards can also save compared to newcomers, with £50 discounts and free installation regularly available. So check for offers on the company's website and the hotukdeals listings, and take advantage of customer perks if you have access to them.
Finally, we need to mention the Live service. This subscription-based service costs a few pounds per month and is available to all Hive light, thermostat, camera, or heating owners. Members can claim special offers, enjoy an ongoing warranty, free deliveries, and SMS alerts – so there are some good reasons to add it to your package. But it's very much optional, and not all smart home buyers will feel the need. Still, if subscription deals appear, it's foolish not to consider giving it a try.
Many customers will already use smart systems like Amazon Alexa or Google Home, so a key question will be does hive work with Alexa? Fortunately, the answer here is a resounding yes. Hive Hub devices can be connected to any Amazon Echo or Echo Dot, enabling you to use Alexa's voice activation features to control the appliances in your home.
Getting started is pretty simple. Just engage the Alexa App and head to “Skills.” Find your favourite smart tech brand and enable the relevant skills. Then, enter your user name and password to establish a connection, and command Alexa to “discover devices.” It shouldn't take more than 5 minutes.
Things are almost as positive when it comes to Google Home. Setting up the smart tech brand with Google Assistant should be within anyone's reach. Just use the Google Home App, head to Devices, and add whatever smart tech you need Google to communicate with. When that's done, you should be able to use the “OK, Google” command to toggle your heating or lights as the need arises.
Apple Homekit is a more sensitive subject for the brand, as Hive Light, plug, cameras, and thermostats currently do not work with the smart home infrastructure. Some assume that you can add the brand's bulbs or thermostat to an Apple-managed household. In that case, you'll need to choose a supplier from Apple's own third-party partners.
Finally, what is the situation with Samsung SmartThings? Although it's relatively less common, the US smart tech company has a devoted following in the UK. And there's good and bad news here. While Smartthings users can hook up their systems to a Hive Camera or heating system, they will need to refer to the Smartthings Community boards for a workaround. The best option is to contact SmartThings support and ask them for the best way forward.
If you're excited by the potential for smart technology in the home, you're not alone. Smart devices are populating kitchens, dining rooms, bedrooms, and offices all over the country, with Centrica's Hive heating, lighting and security products in the vanguard.
However, as you'll find out when you try to put your plans into action, buying smart equipment can be fairly costly. Bulbs, hubs, cameras, thermostats, and support subscriptions all add up, potentially negating the windfall from reducing your gas bills. So saving money should always be a priority.
Thankfully, there are ways to purchase cheap smart devices and shave huge amounts of the cost of benefiting from this transformative tech. The first thing to do is to check the hotukdeals listings for promo code deals. Whenever you want to upgrade your home, you'll find discounts from merchants like Argos, Amazon, Wickes, British Gas, and the BT Shop.
Look out for multi-buy deals and bundles. Hive regularly sells hubs and bulbs together, which is a great option for creating advanced lighting setups. And as we discussed earlier, you can often buy thermostats and hubs together as well. This is definitely a case of finding ways to buy multiple items at once, instead of buying separately.
Finally, time your purchase to take advantage of the best deals. Smart devices tend to be heavily discounted around Black Friday in November, which is always a good time for deal hunting. But Amazon Prime Day in mid-summer could be worth a look, and the New Year is associated with home improvement sales as well. And, when the sales roll around, be sure to check back with hotukdeals – your number one source for smart tech discounts.
Whether you want to create futuristic multi-coloured dimmable lighting setups, or you love the idea of being able to change your home's temperature from a Caribbean beach, smart technology is the way to go. From Hive plug deals to Active Heating bargains, you'll find all of the smart home tech you need for less at hotukdeals.
