Hive is the smart heating brand owned by British Gas, and it is the most widely stocked smart thermostat system in the UK — available from Currys, B&Q, Amazon UK, and hundreds of independent plumbing merchants. If you have a gas boiler and want remote control, scheduled heating, and voice assistant support without switching energy supplier, Hive Active Heating is worth a serious look.
What is Hive?
Hive launched in 2013 as a British Gas subsidiary and has grown into a full smart home platform covering heating, lighting, plugs, and security. At its core, Hive Active Heating replaces your existing thermostat and boiler programmer with a wireless smart thermostat controlled via the Hive app, Alexa, or Google Home. The system runs through a small Hive Hub that plugs into your router; the thermostat communicates wirelessly with a receiver wired to your boiler.
Being a British Gas product matters for UK buyers: Hive thermostats are designed specifically for UK wiring conventions and UK boiler types, and professional installation is available nationwide through British Gas-approved engineers. There is no need to adapt a product built for US HVAC systems the way you sometimes must with American smart home devices.
Hive Active Heating kit contents
The standard Hive Thermostat kit for a combi boiler includes:
- Hive Thermostat — the wireless, battery-powered display unit you mount on the wall
- Hive Receiver — a small module wired to your boiler's terminals, replacing the existing programmer or junction box
- Hive Hub — a compact box that connects to your broadband router via the included Ethernet cable
- 4 × AA lithium batteries for the thermostat
- Wall fixings, USB power lead, and printed installation guide
The Hive Thermostat is priced at around £119 direct from Hive, with prices varying by retailer. Hive+ members pay a reduced rate of around £107. For homes with a separate hot water cylinder — system and conventional boilers — a hot water variant of the kit adds a second receiver channel to control heating and hot water independently.
Boiler compatibility
Hive Active Heating works with most UK gas and LPG combi boilers, system boilers, and conventional (heat-only) boilers. It also supports oil boilers where an existing thermostat or programmer is already fitted, and certain electric boilers with standard room thermostat wiring. Hive states compatibility with most major boiler brands — Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Baxi, Ideal, Viessmann, and Glow-worm — with the exception of some Worcester Intelligent Appliance models and a small number of Vaillant controllers that require proprietary controls.
Solid fuel boilers and heat pumps are not supported. If you are unsure whether your boiler is compatible, Hive's website offers a compatibility checker, and British Gas engineers can assess your system before installation.
DIY installation
Hive is one of the few smart thermostats that actively supports self-installation. If you are comfortable with basic DIY and following wiring diagrams, the full installation typically takes under an hour. The broad steps are:
- Plug in the Hive Hub and connect it to your router. Download the Hive app and create an account.
- Turn off the power to your boiler at the fuse spur — this is essential before touching any wiring.
- Remove your existing programmer or room thermostat and photograph the existing wiring before disconnecting anything.
- Wire the Hive Receiver into the boiler's heating terminals using the printed wiring guide. For combi boilers this is typically two wires; system boilers with hot water control require a second receiver.
- Mount the thermostat backplate and clip in the thermostat unit. Insert batteries.
- Restore power and follow the in-app pairing wizard, which discovers the Hub and Receiver automatically.
Hive's installation guide is clear and well-illustrated, and video walk-throughs are available on the Hive website for the most common boiler wiring configurations. The app setup wizard is straightforward enough that most users complete it without needing support.
Important: the Receiver is classified as a low-voltage control device under Part P of the Building Regulations in England and Wales, not as a notifiable electrical work item. However, if you are at all uncertain about your existing wiring, use a Gas Safe registered engineer rather than risk a fault.
British Gas engineer installation
If you would prefer a professional to handle the job, British Gas offers Hive installation packages through its network of approved engineers. The engineer brings the hardware, installs and commissions the system, and runs through the app with you. Professional installation typically costs in the region of £199–£249 all-in (hardware and labour), with prices varying by location — London and the South East tend to be at the higher end of that range.
Professional installation includes a complimentary year of Hive+ membership, which unlocks Saver Mode (budget-based heating limits), Schedule Assist (AI-optimised schedules), and priority customer support. After the first year, Hive+ is available as a paid subscription. British Gas also offers Hive installation as part of boiler service and annual cover packages, which can represent good value if you are already a British Gas customer.
The Hive app
The Hive app (iOS and Android) is the control hub for the whole system. From the app you can:
- Set and adjust weekly heating schedules by half-hour time slots
- Boost heating or hot water for a set period without changing your schedule
- View Heating History — a graph showing when your boiler was running and for how long
- Enable Holiday Mode to set a lower background temperature while you are away
- Receive alerts if a temperature drops unexpectedly (useful for detecting boiler faults)
- Control Hive TRVs for room-by-room temperature targets, if fitted
The app is generally well-regarded for its clarity and ease of use. Geofencing — which automatically adjusts heating when you leave or return home — is included as a standard feature, not locked behind a subscription. Hive+ adds more sophisticated automation, but the core remote control and scheduling works out of the box.
Alexa and Google Home integration
Hive integrates with both Amazon Alexa and Google Home, as well as Apple HomeKit. Once linked, you can use voice commands to control your heating:
- "Alexa, set the heating to 20 degrees"
- "Hey Google, turn on the heating"
- "Hey Siri, boost the hot water"
Heating and hot water control both work via Alexa and Google Assistant. The integration is handled through the Hive skill in the Alexa app, or the Hive action in Google Home — there is no need to configure IFTTT or write automations manually. Hive also supports IFTTT for custom trigger-based automations if you want more flexibility.
Hive vs tado° and Nest
Hive's main UK competitors are tado° and the older Google Nest 3rd Gen. Here is how they compare on the points that matter most to UK buyers:
Hive vs tado°: tado° X supports OpenTherm modulation — a protocol that lets compatible boilers run at variable temperatures rather than cycling on and off — which can deliver measurably better efficiency. Hive's current thermostat does not support OpenTherm directly. tado° also supports Matter over Thread, making it more future-proof for multi-platform smart homes. Hive's advantages are wider retail availability, a simpler app, and the British Gas engineer network for installation support. For a detailed head-to-head on features, efficiency, and price, see our Hive vs tado UK comparison.
Hive vs Nest: The Google Nest Learning Thermostat 4th Gen was never released in the UK — it was designed for US low-voltage HVAC systems and is incompatible with UK boiler wiring. The older Nest 3rd Gen is discontinued in the UK. Hive is therefore a more practical choice for most UK buyers who want a current, supported product with a strong local ecosystem. For a broader view of all the options, see our guide to the best smart thermostats in the UK.
Is Hive worth it?
For most UK households with a gas combi boiler, Hive Active Heating is a sensible and well-supported choice. The kit is competitively priced at around £119, installation is genuinely achievable as a DIY project in under an hour, and the app is one of the most user-friendly in the UK smart heating market. The British Gas engineer network gives you a reliable fallback if you want professional installation, and the Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit integrations mean Hive fits into most smart home setups without friction.
If you want OpenTherm efficiency gains or Matter compatibility, tado° X is the stronger technical choice. But if you want a straightforward, widely available smart thermostat that works reliably with UK boilers and has genuine UK support behind it, Hive is hard to fault at its price point.
Ready to buy? Hive Active Heating is available from Amazon UK — check the latest price on Amazon.
