For years, we’ve been told the main way to save energy at home and lower our bills is to turn down the heating. But that means choosing between a colder home in winter or constantly worrying about high bills. And no one really wants to make a trade-off between comfort and affordability.
But does it really have to be this way? At Hive, we think that’s an energy-saving myth. We believe you shouldn’t have to choose.
Shop our smart home products
The energy saving trade-off
In the past, the only way to save energy was by controlling your heating manually. You’d need to do everything physically - set a schedule, change the temperature or turn your heating on and off - so it’s easy to see how energy costs could get out of control.
You might forget to switch the heating back off or down once you were toasty. And your heating would start on schedule in the evening whether you were there or not. If plans changed, you’d end up paying to heat an empty home unless you went back to switch it off.
The future of smart heating is here
Older heating systems didn’t allow smart control, but technology has changed the game to help you save energy at home. Our thermostats put you in control of your heating for smart home savings, so you can set and adjust your schedule to fit your lifestyle from wherever you are - all through the Hive app.
Smart control for real life
What if you had the power to only heat the spaces you’re using and still save? Hive has the answer. Our smart thermostats and radiator valves (TRVs) give you the power to decide how much warmth you want in each room - so you can keep the whole family cosy without wasting energy.
Room-by-room control means you can keep busy spaces comfortable, while empty ones can be at a cooler setback temperature. This is a few degrees lower and stops your home becoming too cold to avoid issues like damp and mould. And it can improve heating efficiency by avoiding costly reheating.
And with the Hive app, you get precision control of your thermostat and TRVs at your fingertips:
- Working from home? Keep your office at a comfortable temperature while bedrooms stay at a setback level.
- Arriving home late? Pre-heat the rooms you’ll use and keep others at energy-saving temperatures.
- Family night in? Warm the living room while the rest of your home stays efficient.
Even lowering it by a degree from 21°C to 22°C can help lower bills¹ - so you can stay warm and still save. Smart heating is a gamechanger, giving you the perfect balance of comfort, affordability and convenience
OpenTherm offers even smarter efficiency
Hive heating supports OpenTherm, which enables boiler modulation for compatible combi boilers. That means the power output adjusts automatically based how much heat is needed at that specific moment. Instead of running at full power constantly, your boiler slows down when only a little heat is needed.
The result? No overheating, balanced warmth, and less wasted energy with:
- Lower gas bills because modulation optimises your energy use, reducing gas emissions by up to 12%²
- Extended boiler lifespan due to reduced wear and tear from less cycling and thermal shock
- Increased comfort with steadier temperatures and enhanced heat transfer
Your system automatically matches your home’s needs, so you can set it, forget it and still save energy at home.
Why not join the millions of customers already enjoying smart home control with Hive? You could lower your energy bills with effortless efficiency because Hive smart heating gives you the power to stay warm, save money, and live smarter - all without compromise.
Learn more about Hive Smart Heating
1: https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/how-to-save-energy-and-money-if-you-rent-your-home
2: Save up to 12% on your gas bill using a class V directly modulating room thermostat compared to a standard room thermostat with a gas boiler.