Hive has released a new thermostat, the Hive Thermostat Mini, its first major update to the platform since 2018.
The Hive Thermostat Mini (below) offers a smaller, more compact wireless wall-mounted thermostat – which follows the same design language as the previous Hive. And it’s cheaper too. The thermostat will cost just £119 including the hub – but if you already have a Hive Hub set up, you can install it for just £59.
However, the Hive Thermostat Mini offers a step-up in smartness, which brings the Hive smart heating ecosystem closer to the likes of Tado and Nest.
First up is geolocation, for the first time, which can use your smartphone’s location to work out if you’ve left the heating on when you’ve gone out. It can also sync with the Hive Door Sensor too, and you can create schedules that include members of the household leaving home.
Scheduling has always been part of the Hive ecosystem, but the Hive Heating Plus subscription service will make the process smarter with new features. Those that take up the £3.99 subscription can get scheduling recommendations, which Hive says could save £10 a month on energy bills.
Hive has always held back on launching smart features for its system, preferring a simpler approach. Its position as part of British Gas, the UK utility giant, has led it building a large customer base among well tech savvy users – and it’s kept its offering free of features such as geofencing and AI scheduling.
That hasn’t stopped Hive from building on top of its heating offering, and the ecosystem includes cameras, smart lighting, door sensors and even home security.
Now it seems the time is right for Hive to offer more advanced smart functionality.
The Hive Thermostat Mini and new Heating Plus smart scheduling service will launch in February 2022.
