Hive heating/hot water controller

That link was to an article dated 2015 - I am sure by now they have encrypted the data that could have told hackers that you were away from the house. Actually, having lights go on and off as though you were there could do the opposite and make it look as though you are still at home.

Moocow I would think you could control more than one system from the net. If you add on the multi-zone to control two separate systems in the same house (for a big house with two heating zones) you can control them both, so it ought to work. You could ask them.

Nellie It is not used for charging, so no credit card details are on it. It is just to control the operating of the boiler and whatever else you add to it.

I wonder how secure the signals are. Having had a credit card cloned without it leaving my pocket. I am feeling very wary of such things.

Some of the early models sent data
un-encrypted.

This problem was found about two yrs ago. stopsmartmeters.org.uk/british-gas-forced-to-change-burglars-dream-hive-smart-heating-app/

We have a hive, it’s great to sit and control everything from your phone,it’s great if you’re coming home and it’s a bit chilly, to put the heating on, a warm welcoming house. I havent touched the thermostat since BG fitted it.

Our present control (for heating) is in a place where it is getting increasingly difficult to read the timings so I think I'm sold (when the budget allows). I also like the idea of this for winter when we are away for the lighs. Does anyone know if it is possible for you to run two households on one phone or laptop? I'm a bit cautious about hacking so if there is a problem with wifi is it possible to regain manual operation ie and operate manually long term?

OP thanks for starting this, very interesting and informative discussion.

I suppose it's a case of each to his own really.

Last night we stayed up later than usual and thus the heating had gone off. When we started to get cold we just boosted the boiler for an hour without moving from our chairs. Lazy, but bliss!!

I cannot see what advantages a Hive system would bring. I already have a very efficient timed thermostatic heater and hot water controller.

Do you have an app that locks the front door too? However, when it gets hacked it leaves the door wide open and puts out a big sign saying, 'Burglars, please enter here!

Mercedes You shouild get back to them about the batteries. Among the Amazon reviews were several people complaining about batteries failing far too soon - they got replies saying that was a fault and to contact them about it, and after doing that they added to their reviews that they had been sent a replacement.

That explains it, Mercedes. In our house the heating always comes on before we get up anyway, we do not vary the temperature in the house so we always know whether the house will be warm or not and essentially the system is programmed so that, except in theabsolute coldest weather, the house stays close to the target temperature all day, that of course is the result of good insulation, we do not have a parrot and are not bothered about lights coming on and off in our absence as we have an alarm system, which makes an awful lot of noise inside and out if compromised.

We've had one for about a year and I love it. I've got it linked to my Amazon Echo so I can just ask Alexa to turn the heating on or ask what the current temperature is in the house.

I know it's just a gimmick but I am a gadget lover so I like having it. When OH gets up in the morning to make breakfast I can check what the temperature is in the house and if the heating hasn't already come on and it's cold I can just turn it on from our bed, which is much nicer than getting out of bed and going downstairs to put the heating on earlier than usual.

I also bought a few light bulbs and plugs. I was always forgetting to turn the light on in the parrot's cage, now through Hive the light comes on and off at the right times. It's also really useful when you go out as apart from being able to check on your phone what the temperature is in the house you can make sure the house lights come on and off.

Not sure about the batteries lasting 2yrs though, we are on our second lot already!

Monica
Like you I cannot see any thing from the comments here I haven't already in my property .I cannot wax lyrical about it as this is not new for me and all I can think of is that some enterprising person has jumped on the bandwagon by calling it Hive leading us to believe it the invention of 2017.I do have to personally alter my lighting come end of BST the rest is timed and temperature controlled by myself where ever I happen to be.

What's a gimmick, wombat?

It's a gimmick. Sorry.

I agree with you Monica. I have a similar system myself....can't be bothered to "wire myself up to any more technology"...."if ain't broke, don't fix it" as they say. And as for Black Friday, I think we should refer to it as the "Long Good/bad Friday", it goes on for weeks!

i've won one from british gas and it will be installed on monday - hopefully.
my understanding of things electric is just about zero - ok i can programme things like the washing machine and the sky+ box it's just that my understanding ends at the back of whatever item going along the cable to the socket!

Yes have a hive and love it. Easy to operate and also from my phone app. Can put on/boost heating even when away if necessary. It was fitted during a boiler service as I had no room thermostat. Intend to buy some lightbulbs soon.

We had it fitted by BG when they serviced the boiler earlier this year - it was on offer they said. I got an e-mail a few weeks ago saying it was noted my devices weren't connecting which I did know - they just put a booster in the post FOC and it works fine now.

We have a combi boiler so have constant hot water.

We changed our controller from the complicated one that came with the boiler, with instructions in such small print, that even the installer couldn't read them, to one like our daughter's, which is easy to operate and change.

Generally we only need to boost the temperature during winter freezes, which we define as an outside day temperature close to freezing and then, usually light our stove. If we do need to change the temperature, which is only when we are in the house anyway. We just press a button on the controller a couple of times and it reverts to the normal pattern at the next daily switch off/on.

We don't fiddle with ours Monica but we can if we want. When we had a new boiler fitted the new controller was so flipping complicated and guess whose job it was!!

As I said above, our house is weird and basically in two halves so we need to tweak it occasionally but we generally have it on 21 and leave it there. The ability to boost the heating or put the water on for a bath during an off period is worth the outlay.

We have seen and heard the Hive adverts, but really cannot see what it has to offer that is so special. We have a controller which adjusts for changes in time so we do not have to make adjustments for summer and winter time. Our heating comes on twice a day for hours we have chosen. We have a set temperature and rarely see any need to change it, either up or down. The hours and temperature are sufficient to keep the house comfortably warm all day.

When we go away we can easily adjust the timer to drop to a frost protector temperature while we are away returning to normal the day we return.

I cannot be bothered to be constantly fiddling with the central heating, which the Hive assumes people want to do. There are far more interesting things I can be doing.

Thank you. I was starting to worry about just what the cost was.

Sorry, forgot that bit! We bought it outright and it upgrades itself - unlike my car satnav!

Elegran You do not need to pay monthly as well. I think British Gas offer 2 different ways to get Hive heating - you can buy it, which is what is on offer at the moment, or you can pay for it monthly.