British Gas has launched its next generation Hive Active Heating™, a range of new app features, and a family of complementary Hive products, cementing its place as the UK's leading connected home technology provider.
- The products make it easy for people to control appliances and lights remotely, and be alerted to motion in their home from the Hive smartphone app
- Launch follows acquisition of internet of things company AlertMe in February
British Gas has today made the connected home a reality, announcing five products that can be controlled remotely via a phone, tablet or laptop.
Hive Active Heating™ 2
Hive Active Heating™ launched in 2013 to enable people to control their heating and hot water from their mobile, tablet or laptop. Over 200,000 people are already using the award-winning product, which comes with installation by one of British Gas’ 10,000 engineers included – though you don’t need to be a British Gas customer to buy it.
Hive Active Heating™ 2, launched today, includes an industrially redesigned thermostat by design entrepreneurYves Béhar. It features:
- Heating boost for up to six hours
- More heating and hot water schedule flexibility
- A holiday mode setting
- An intuitive LED display with on-screen guide
- Multi-zone compatibility
- Coloured thermostat frames to suit any home decor
Existing Hive Active Heating™ customers will benefit from new features in an updated version of the app and online dashboard. Customers buying Hive Active Heating™ 2 from 15th July 2015 will also be able to access the additional features on the new thermostat.
Family of Hive products
In Autumn, British Gas will introduce a family of complementary products to give people new ways to control their home through the Hive app.
- Hive Active Plugs™ give you greater control over your energy use by allowing you to switch devices on and off from wherever you are, and set schedules. So when you’ve left home in a hurry, you can check on your phone or tablet whether you remembered to switch your hair straighteners, iron or entertainment system off, switch them off, and not waste energy.
- Hive Motion Sensors™ enable you to detect motion in your home when you’re not there. For those times when your home’s empty, like when you’re off on holiday, you’ll get an alert if motion’s picked up. Or if you’re expecting someone to arrive home when you’re not there, you know they’re there safely.
- Hive Window and Door Sensors™ are wireless contact sensors which can be fitted to windows and doors and will notify you if they are open or closed. This means you can check that you’ve shut everything after you’ve left home, like when you’re in a cab headed for the airport.
- Hive Active Lights™ enable you to turn lights on or off in your home from wherever you are. They’re ideal for giving the impression of an occupied home when you’re not there or for reducing energy waste when you’ve forgotten to switch the hallway light off.
Nina Bhatia, Commercial Director of British Gas, said: “When British Gas established Hive in 2013, we set out to build a leadership position in the connected homes market. We started with Hive Active Heating™ to give people easier ways to control their heating and hot water.
“Today we’ve fulfilled our promise by launching five products that help people control their entire homes – not just their energy – from the palm of their hands. We’re making the connected home an easy and accessible reality by bringing the whole system to people from one, trusted provider. We’re the only UK company to deliver the complete connected home experience to our customers – from product development to delivery, installation, and ongoing support.
“But this is just the beginning. British Gas has been innovating for 200 years and we’re not about to stop. As our customers’ needs change, we’ll continue to maximise technology to help make their lives easier.”
All the products are underpinned by the technology platform acquired as part of British Gas’ purchase of AlertMe in February.
Visit hivehome.com for more information.