How to use a smart thermostat
At Hive, we launched our first ever smart thermostat back in 2013. Today it’s our best-selling product and we’re really proud of it. In this article, we’re going to look at how to use a smart thermostat and the clever ways it can make life a bit easier.
But let’s start at the very beginning, how do smart thermostats work? Well, they connect your boiler to your smartphone or tablet using your home’s WiFi connection. This means you can get the temperature at home just right from wherever you are.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Here are some more of our favourite benefits:
Set schedules and change them on the go
Like most thermostats, smart thermostats allow you to set schedules for your heating, based on who’s at home when.
The big difference between a programmable vs a smart thermostat, like our Hive Thermostat, is that you can set up to six time slots and then adjust them on the go through the app. So if your plans change you don’t need to heat an empty home.
Lots of ways to manage the heat in your home
Another benefit of using a smart thermostat is that it gives you lots of ways to control the heating in your home.
When you’re out you can use your phone or smart watch. So if you get caught in a downpour while on your morning jog, you can boost the heating and hot water ready for when you get back.
And at home, you can get hands-free help by linking it up to a virtual assistant like Alexa. It means anyone in your family can turn the heating up and down with their voice, even if they don’t have the app.
Alerts if you leave home with the heating on
Some thermostats, like our Hive Thermostat or Hive Thermostat Mini, also come with a geolocation function. This tracks your whereabouts using the GPS on your smartphone and sends you an alert if you’re no longer at home but have left the heating on. Then you can simply turn it off with a quick tap of the app.
It can also send you a notification if you’re on the way back and your home is colder than your set temperature. That way you can turn your heating on from your phone, ready for when you arrive.
Get your home working seamlessly around you
One of the things we love most about smart thermostats is that you can link them up to other smart devices to get your home working seamlessly around you.
For instance, you can link your smart thermostat to a motion sensor. Then if you’re on the way to bed the sensor will pick this up and turn the heating off downstairs. And the lights too.
With Hive this is done using Hive Actions. It’s a great way to make everyday life a little easier. If only it could brush your teeth as well.
A simple way to save
And we couldn’t finish without mentioning that smart thermostats are also a great way to save money on your energy bills.
A combination of remote control, alerts when you leave it on and features that allow you to only heat the rooms you’re using, means you’ll quickly find it’s on a lot less.
Find out more about our smart thermostats.
