Smart Home Heating

kah22

I’m in the process of redoing my home heating system, seven new radiators, a new boiler and a power flush. Now I guess is an excellent time to think of a smart system. There seem to be a few available: Hive, Nest and Todo, I had never heard tell of them until recently.

i live alone and I have a utility room, a large sitting room and a living room / kitchen it has a large log fire and two radiators, booth been replaced. An old 60s house with the kitchen / sitting room built on

Upstairs I have two large bedrooms, a box room and a bathroom. The bathroom is tilled so the is no heating there.
on a day to day bases I use only the kitchen, the bathroom and a bedroom. I’m wondering which system I should look at. 

Todo seems the better of the three system but considering the costs of their TVR’s it not a great option .

Nest and Hive seem to stand out but I’m trying to figure if the simpler Hive system would be best or and I’m been drawing towards Nest - it seems to offer more

Have any of you travelled down this road recently,  especially hose with Bus Passes, I’d like to hear your views

QrizB

I have a Hive Mini. It's an interesting toy but (unlss you like fiddling with smartphone apps) it doesn't really do anything that you couldn't do with a regular programmable thermostat. All the really clever stuff requires a subscription, which doesn't seem cost-effective.

And I very much doubt that "smart" TRVs from any of those brands will ever save enough money to pay for themselves.

MikeJXE

I live alone and used both systems

I prefer the Hive which I am now using 

On Permanent 24 hours at 18 degrees and switch it up or down as required 

Vitor

I'd always go with the thermostat/controller made by the manufacturer of the boiler to ensure proper modulation, not just call for heat on/off. Also you'll want weather compensation with the sensor mounted on a north facing wall so that the boiler can estimate the heat loss from differential between inside and outside temps and run the flow temp accordingly. 

tim_p

I’d be very wary of Nest.  They recently pulled all support for the first two generations of their smart thermostat. Who’s to say they won’t do it again moving forward. 

I recently replaced my Gen 2 with a Gen 3 I happened to have bought some years ago in a Prime Day / Black Friday event, but would have jumped ship were that not the case. Once bitten. 

MforumSManE

I use Tado and it works very well, yes the TRV can be expensive (Black Friday coming up so you may bag a bargin on Amazon) but you can get a very tight control of your whole house room by room with the TRV's by zoning each rooms temperature and time control.

Mister_G

I've had the Drayton Wiser system for two years now and have been very pleased with it.  Like most of the other systems, the TRVs can be a bit expensive but sometimes they offer packs of them at sensible prices (maybe Black Friday!)

Bendo

TRVs that work with a specific system are stupidly over priced ,  but if you run home assistant or similar, you can replicate their functionality with the cheapest smart trvs you can get.  I managed to pick up some cheap zwave ones a few years back for about £9 each and with some HA automations they boost Hive heating when needed, just like the overpriced hive ones.

Granted its a lot more setup and some expense on hardware,  but in the long run you get a lot more control.

giraffe69

I use Hive, have updated the thermostat about a year ago. It works reliably. Good for switching on heat or light remotely if away or getting home late!

kah22

Getting a new boiler + radiators through the NI Affordable Warmth Scheme (AWS). Standard controls included, but I can upgrade to Hive, Nest or Tado at my own cost (with approval).

• Hive – cheapest, simple, reliable. Not very smart unless you add TRVs.
• Nest – runs itself once set, ideal for a senior living alone. Concern: Google might drop support in a few years.
• Tado – cleverest, but £50 per TRV adds up fast and feels overkill unless fully committed.

I’m not fussed about per-room scheduling — just want a solid, reliable whole-house setup.

Which would you choose — Hive, Nest, or Tado — and why?

Also interested in experiences from similar grant schemes elsewhere in the UK. Did upgrading controls make sense for you?

tim_p

Have you not read all the previous posts commenting on your initial question?