Hive - Experts & Thought Leaders

Hive has announced that pioneering technology company - Samsung is now part of the Works With Hive network. From now, Samsung Wi-Fi-enabled heat pump owners will be able to control their devices and gain insights through the Hive App, alongside any other Hive or Works With Hive devices that they own. Carbon footprint and costs Lisa Bunting, Head of Works with Hive, commented: "At Hive, we’re always looking for ways to make it easier for our customers to save energy, reducing their carbon footprint and costs. Works With Hive is about bringing everything together in one place, putting the customer first." She adds, "That’s why we’re thrilled to be collaborating with Samsung to expand Works With Hive. We hope to continue to grow the Works With Hive ecosystem with more like-minded partners. This is the future of simple, smart, and sustainable home energy management." Heat pump technology New data from Hive indicates a growing interest in heat pumps among UK homeowners New data from Hive indicates a growing interest in heat pumps among UK homeowners. Hive, who are part of Centrica, says compared to 2024, they have seen an 87% uplift in people registering their interest in a heat pump so far this year, ahead of expectations. Stuart Bell, National Heating Sales Manager at Samsung, said: "By bringing together our trusted brands, we're helping homeowners feel confident in choosing heat pump technology. It is great to see more and more consumers adopting heat pump technology, and we are proud to be part of that transition. The new 'Works with Hive' app and system will make it easier to manage and control home energy use." Number of heat pump customers Hive also reported that double the number of heat pump customers are now using the UK Government's Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), which offers grants of up to £7,500 to support heat pump purchases, in 2025 vs. 2024. Eco-tech industry pioneer - Hive attributes this rise to increased awareness of benefits and confidence in the technology's suitability for UK homes. Heat pump restrictions The one-meter boundary rule for air source heat pumps is no longer in effect Heat pump restrictions have recently been relaxed in England. Where the one-meter boundary rule for air source heat pumps is no longer in effect.  This means homeowners can now install heat pumps closer to property boundaries without needing planning permission–opening up access to low-carbon heating for many more homes. Costs and long-term savings of a heat pump Gav Murray, Home Heating Director at Hive, encourages all homeowners considering a heating system upgrade to explore their options, stating "There are eco-tech solutions for every property or budget, whether that’s a heat pump, smart thermostat, or something else." He adds, "With the popular Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant, the upfront costs and long-term savings of a heat pump can be greater than expected."

Eco-tech pioneer Hive and clean energy-tech champion, Aira have formed a long-term, strategic partnership to supercharge heat pump installs in the UK. Combining Hive’s legacy as a pioneering smart home solution provider and Aira’s intelligent products, the collaboration will see the brands dramatically increase adoption in the UK by making heat pumps more affordable and accessible. Clean energy revolution Hive already transformed home energy usage in over 2 million homes and saved over 1.6 billion kilos As an eco-tech company, Hive has already transformed home energy usage in over 2 million homes and saved over 1.6 billion kilos of carbon through its energy-efficient smart home technology, saving its customers over £490 million in energy costs. Pioneering direct-to-consumer clean energy-tech brand, Aira, offers customers an all-inclusive plan with affordable monthly payments and an industry-first 15-year Aira Guarantee. This partnership will help supercharge Aira’s ambition to drive a clean energy revolution one home at a time and to increase heat pump accessibility at scale. Aira’s intelligent and intuitive heat pumps Through the partnership, Aira’s intelligent and intuitive heat pumps will scale across the UK through Hive’s customer referrals, saving more people up to 29% on their heating costs. The partnership comes at a critical time. Although heat pump installations were at a record high in 2024, at 60,000, the UK is still far away from achieving the Government’s target of installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028. Innovative Scandinavian design With 25 million homes in the UK still heated with gas boilers, accelerating the shift to cleaner With 25 million homes in the UK still heated with gas boilers, accelerating the shift to cleaner, greener, and more affordable solutions is essential. Dan Rosenfield, Managing Director of Hive, commented, “Our partnership with Aira brings together the best of British tech and innovative Scandinavian design to provide customers with more choice in how they electrify their home heating." heat pump technology Rosenfield added: "Domestic heating is one of the largest emitters of carbon in the UK which is why we’re collaborating with other like-minded businesses to address this challenge and help customers make the switch to a lower-carbon future.” Martin Lewerth, Aira Group CEO, commented, “In some of the coldest parts of Europe, such as Scandinavia, heat pump technology has been widely used to heat homes for decades, and yet, nations like the UK are still in the very early stages of adoption." Funding for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme Lewerth added: "Building on Hive’s leadership in the smart home space, this partnership will help solidify heat pumps as a cleaner and more affordable heating solution for UK households, increasing awareness and accessibility - and ultimately supporting the clean-energy transition.” The announcement comes shortly after the Government’s relaxation of planning permission restrictions for heat pump installations in the UK and increased funding for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, taking the overall BUS budget for this financial year to £205 million. The partnership, therefore, is poised to help even more UK homeowners benefit from air-source heat pumps in their homes.

Hive has announced an upgrade to its smart thermostat technology, which now includes OpenTherm, delivering customers with OpenTherm-compatible Combi boilers a reduction of up to 12% in gas consumption. OpenTherm allows constant communication between the thermostat and the boiler, resulting in greater modulation of the flow temperature within a home heating system. OpenTherm-compatible heating kits The eco-tech brand will be rolling out its new OpenTherm-compatible heating kits The technology enables the boiler to adjust its output more accurately based on the current heat demand, making it run more efficiently and reduce household emissions. The eco-tech brand will be rolling out their new OpenTherm-compatible heating kits from 16th January.   Hive’s OpenTherm upgrade will also help to extend the lifespan of its customers’ boilers and has been designed to enhance the efficiency of central heating systems and provide homeowners with advanced control over their home's temperature and energy consumption. Innovative home heating solutions Gerry Fergus, Product Development Analyst for Smart Heating at Hive, said: "We’re on a mission to deliver innovative home heating solutions that benefit our customers and the environment, allowing them to save money on their bills, while reducing their carbon emissions." He adds, "Upgrading our thermostat technology not only aligns with our objective of making home heating smarter and more efficient for our customers."