Nest VS Hive VS Other smart thermostats

Danielreid98

Hi guys,

I'm new to the forum this is my first post, I'm looking for people who have had or still have the aforementioned smart thermostats, I'm looking at Nest in particular (mainly because is comes in copper colour ) if anyone could point me to any cheaper versions they know and also have any reviews that would be very handy!

CashStrapped

It depends on what you are looking for.

1) To save money

2) To have the latest fancy gadget

All Hive and Nest do is track where you are and pretty much turn on the heating before you get home, assuming you phone has battery left! (Programmable thermostats already have this function, a 7 day timer) The latest versions throw in a few smart plug sockets and wireless bulbs.

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/hive-active-heating-2-review

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/appliances/nest-learning-thermostat-1256380/review

Other than that, it is a glorified wireless digital thermostat.

If you have thermostatic valves on the radiators (and use them properly) and a decent digital wired or wireless thermostat (and use it correctly), then you will make little if any savings.

It is just a gadget you will play with for the first few months, then grow bored and then use it just like any thermostat.

The only system that is truly "smart" is the Honeywell evohome set-up which has wireless thermostatic controls in each room. They can dynamically control individual room temperatures throughout the day. But, again, the outlay (very expensive) will not cover the savings when compared to simple manual controls.

http://www.honeywelluk.com/products/Underfloor-Heating/evohome-Main/

If you want it because you like gadgets and don't mind spending the money.....go for it!

Any savings they claim, I assume, is when compared to a house with no heating controls.

But, like I said, in a house with all the correct controls in place, Hive, Nest or Evo home will make little if any savings, especially if you factor in the outlay of purchase and fitting costs.

csgohan4

+1 to Honeywell evohome, yes it's expensive, but it saves convenience.
Yes it is more expensive than just manual, but as above you set up times and manually set the radiators from your phone for example.

carguy143

The Nest offers weather compensation which is supposed to help the boiler adjust for changes in the weather as they happen.

As for the Evohome, the system looks perfect for me as the TRV's can be set to a specific temperature rather than the usual give or take a couple of degrees you get from the normal ones.

I'd say a well set up thermostat and TRV are more important than anything else.

My house has a combi boiler with TRV valves on each radiator except the bathroom. I don't have a room stat but I think my heating does pretty well as it gets my rooms up to temperature pretty quickly, then the boiler just cycles on for 30 seconds, off for 3 minutes, on for 30 seconds, off for 3 minutes and so on. My smart meter display shows the boiler costs 44p/hour for the first hour then 6p/hour after that. I know it's a subjective reading but when I first moved in to the house the previous occupants had set the boiler in such a way that it the meter indicated a cost of 50p/hour for the first hour then 25p/hour for the second before dropping to about 18p/hour after that.

CashStrapped

carguy143 wrote: »

As for the Evohome, the system looks perfect for me...

They may be, but as always, it is where your priorities lie. If you already have TRVs and a thermostat set correctly, the saving may amount to very little.

For the thermostat/monitor and 8 digital thermostatic controls the cost is around £570 + fitting. So maybe £650 - £700 all in.

If you already have the manual trvs and a digital thermostat correctly set-up the savings may amount to very little (maybe £20 a year or something).

This means it would take 28 years to make those savings back!

So, as always do the maths and work out your priorities.

Is it saving money? Or having the latest gadget? If your happy to spend the money then that is fine, but look at the facts first. Spending money to save money does not always add up.

----

I also wonder about the Nest weather compensation.

Weather compensation that comes with a boiler is usually a propitiatory device which I assume only works with that boiler manufacturer and can modulate the boiler output . So I assume it must have to work with the specific firmware on the boiler. I wonder if the Nest can really do this.

So I wonder if the nest weather compensation is again, just an advanced thermostat that just turns the boiler off and on....more research is required!

ChaunceyGardiner

I rent a Tado° system. The main benefit for me is that I now have a thermostat in the living room. However, I suspect it won't save me much, if any money, because a) I live in rented accommodation with primitive GCH (Baxi Bermuda, gravity-fed system with no TRVs, b) I live alone and c) I receive a *lot* of heat from the flat beneath mine. I've had the heating 'on' via Tado° since March and the temperature has never dropped low enough to trigger the heating. Not once. Still, I do love gadgets!

warrenb

I have a hive, love it.
Linked to Amazon Echo it is great. Feel a bit chilly, ask it raise the temperature.
Away from home it is great, can check door sensor for coming and goings, can turn on hot water after football for a bath.
The whole thing is great.