[ad_1]
In early 2022, Hive will be launching a new smart thermostat in the UK: the Hive Thermostat Mini. The Mini is touchscreen-only but there are few differences in features from the existing Hive thermostat.
As the name suggests, the Mini will be smaller and shallower than Hive’s current smart thermostat and the protruding dial and buttons have been nixed in favour of a simpler touchscreen. It still has the mirror-finish front panel.
However, although Hive says it “packs in all the benefits of our original thermostat at an affordable price”, it won’t be any cheaper than buying the existing thermostat.
What will the Hive Thermostat Mini cost?
The Hive Thermostat Mini will have an RRP of £119.
In the box, there’ll be a battery-powered Thermostat Mini (plus batteries) and a receiver. But that’s not a complete smart heating system: users will also need to buy a Hive Hub if they don’t have one (a Hub costs £80 from Hive).
Plus, Hive recommends professional installation for everyone except “DIY experts”, so buyers will need to factor in that cost as well.
An existing Hive thermostat, without a Hub and without installation, is available from Hive for £99, so the Mini would have to come down in cost over time to be a more budget-friendly option – whether or not you already have Hive products.
When is the Hive Thermostat Mini release date?
Hive has not yet announced a specific launch date but you can register your interest on its website. All we know is that it will be available in early 2022. This seems like bad timing to us: most people will be about to turn off their heating for spring and summer. At least you’ll be able to get one installed before winter 2022.
What features will the Thermostat Mini have?
Essentially, it looks as though the Thermostat Mini will contain the same features as Hive’s existing smart thermostat.
The Thermostat Mini itself will have an interactive interface that displays the temperature and shows whether the heating and hot water are on. Instead of using a dial, you’ll be able to change the temperature using the touchscreen.
If you download the Hive app on your phone – which you’ll need to do to make the most of the smart features – you can control your heating and hot water remotely as well as set up schedules. The Thermostat Mini will also support geolocation technology, so if you leave the house with your phone and location services switched on, it’ll send you a reminder to turn off the heating.
The Thermostat Mini also has frost protection, a mode which keeps the temperature a few degrees above 0C to stop pipes from freezing in winter. It’ll be compatible with existing multi-zone systems, so users can add more thermostats to create up to six heating zones. The current Hive thermostat can only control a maximum of three heating zones, plus hot water – so this is an upgrade.
It’s compatible with home assistants (Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri) and IFTTT. If you have other Hive devices, you can create groups, so you can, for example, set your smart lights and heating to come on together in the evenings, or switch off when you leave for work. There’s also a holiday mode: set the dates of your trip and it’ll automatically turn down the heating when you go and raise it for your return.
However, it doesn’t appear to have the intelligent features that some rivals do: for instance, it won’t learn your schedule or suggest ways to save money on heating. For that, you’ll have to pay for Hive Heating Plus, a subscription which costs £3.99 per month or £39.90 per year.
Which systems will Hive Thermostat Mini be compatible with?
The Mini should work with most heating systems. It’ll be compatible with most gas and LPG boilers. It should also work with electric boilers if they have a standard room thermostat or a programmer and oil boilers with a thermostat or programmer.
It’ll only be available in the UK, as Hive is no longer for sale in the US.
To find out more about Hive’s current system, you can read our review of Hive Active Heating 2 or to see how Hive stacks up against other smart heating systems, have a look at our round-up of the best smart heating systems we’ve tested.
[ad_2]
Source link