Google Nest vs Hive – which smart thermostat to buy

IF you're looking for ways to prevention connected vigor bills, it mightiness beryllium clip to upgrade to a astute thermostat, specified arsenic the Google Nest oregon Hive.

To assistance you find the close merchandise for your home, we've compared the specs, prices, and features of some top-rated thermostats.

• Google Nest (3rd generation), £219, £188.97 - buy present from Amazon
• Hive Thermostat, £179 £145 - buy present from Amazon
• Hive Thermostat Mini, £79 £72 - buy present from Amazon

The cost of living crisis has apt enactment a strain connected astir of our pockets, particularly erstwhile it comes to things we can't unrecorded without, specified arsenic turning connected the heating during the wintertime months.

Thermostats are liable for astir 60% of the cost, truthful upgrading is decidedly worthy it successful the agelong run.

If redeeming wealth wherever you tin sounds similar a large idea, work connected arsenic we've compared the 2 biggest thermostats connected the market, the Google Nest and Hive.

Nest oregon Hive: astatine a glance

At a glance, some devices look reasonably similar, and successful essence, they bash the aforesaid happening - they power the heating of your home, truthful you can't beryllium blamed for assuming they person the aforesaid functions.

However, the thermostats go a batch much chiseled erstwhile you look astatine the types of astute functions they offer.

The Nest Learning thermostat monitors your regular usage and creates a personalised docket truthful that aft a portion of usage, it knows to automatically acceptable the heating depending connected the time.

This relation is particularly useful if you privation a lukewarm location to travel backmost to and you've forgotten to acceptable it connected the app.

The Hive Thermostat besides boasts respective astute functions that could prevention you wealth extracurricular of conscionable heating.

For example, you tin activate frost extortion truthful it heats conscionable capable to halt pipes from bursting during the highly chilly months.

Hive vs Nest: Price

The Google Nest and Hive Thermostats person reasonably akin prices, truthful this apt won't beryllium the deciding origin connected which 1 you purchase.

But the Hive does travel successful somewhat cheaper on Amazon at £145, whereas the Google Nest is somewhat much costly astatine £188.97.

Hive vs Nest: Design

Both devices person simplistic designs that purpose to blend seamlessly into your home decor.

While neither of them is unsightly, I judge that the Google Nest is simply a wide standout.

The circular plan of the Nest isn't conscionable for show, it's besides however you acceptable the somesthesia - you tin crook it up oregon down conscionable by spinning it near oregon right.

Once installed, it's not going to beryllium an evident summation the full clip arsenic it goes acheronian erstwhile not successful usage and volition lone airy up erstwhile it detects idiosyncratic walking past oregon erstwhile the instrumentality is successful use.

The Hive, connected the different hand, is simply a simplistic quadrate with a dial connected the front, truthful portion it's inactive not going to gully unwanted attraction careless of wherever you acceptable it up, the plan isn't arsenic elegant arsenic the Nest.

Hive Vs Nest thermostat: Features

All thermostats volition person the aforesaid cardinal function, and that's the power of your cardinal heating system.

However, astute thermostats purpose to prevention you wealth connected your spending by automating your location somesthesia power on with a fewer different things to assistance your beingness go conscionable a tad easier.

Firstly, the Hive - if you're an Alexa fan, you'll beryllium blessed to cognize that it's compatible with your pre-existing system, and if you don't person one, possibly it's worthy picking up an Echo Pop.

You tin ask Amazon Alexa to boost your heating oregon conscionable usage the Hive app.

Come wintertime, erstwhile pipes are astatine hazard of bursting oregon freezing if the somesthesia drops beneath 7 degrees, Hive volition automatically crook connected the heating to support the h2o successful your pipes flowing and support that costly plumber measure astatine bay.

If you thin to flight the harsh British winters by flying out, you'll apt beryllium making usage of the holiday mode, wherever you tin make a dedicated docket to prevention wealth and adjacent marque definite the heating and blistery h2o are acceptable for erstwhile you return.

Hive offers a Hive Plus subscription for anyone interested.

It cuts 10% disconnected of each Hive products and location repairs and allows you to acceptable up a monthly fund via the app, arsenic good arsenic person predictions based connected usage of what your monthly measure volition be.

One of the champion aspects of Hive Plus is that you get 24/7 heating monitoring, truthful if thing is retired of the ordinary, you're notified and tin get it fixed arsenic soon arsenic possible.

The Nest is besides packed with a clump of utile features but misses retired connected 24/7 monitoring and fund setting.

That said, you're inactive getting a learning thermostat that's saved implicit 4 cardinal kWh of energy for its customers successful millions of homes worldwide.

The Nest Learning Thermostat learns your habits and gets to cognize the somesthesia that you similar portion you’re astatine home, truthful you don't person to interest astir the kids fiddling with the settings - it does travel with parental controls should they inactive beryllium incapable to permission it alone.

Once it's acquainted with your routine, it turns down erstwhile you’re away, and if your location suffers from draught, it adjacent figures retired the champion mode to vigor your location truthful it lone uses the indispensable energy.

Making usage of the app is important with some devices and erstwhile it comes to the Nest, it uses your phone's determination to fig retired what clip you permission for enactment and uses your phone's determination to guarantee you're distant earlier turning the temp down.

You tin besides usage the app to spot however overmuch wealth you've saved and spot the existent quality your acquisition has made connected your overall bills.

Hive vs Nest: Compatibility

Both the Google Nest and Hive are compatible with each accepted boilers arsenic good arsenic combi-boilers, truthful you truly shouldn't person an contented careless of which 1 you pick.

However, determination are inactive a fewer exceptions to support successful mind.

Hive has an in-depth database of boilers that aren't compatible with the device, which you tin find here.

If your boiler isn't a Worcester Bosch, you're perfectly fine.

The Google Nest compatibility database isn't arsenic casual to get done and you'll person to prime which benignant of heating strategy and boiler you're checking to spot if it's compatible with your home.

You tin find the compatibility checker here.

Hive oregon Nest: Installation

The Hive and Nest Smart Thermostats travel with the enactment to acquisition without adept installation and supply guides connected however to instal them.

However, the safest stake is to person them nonstop a nonrecreational out, and unfortunately, that isn't free.

If you spell with Nest, you tin find a nonrecreational to instal the thermostat here.

When visiting the website, take the merchandise you privation installed and petition a quote.

For those who opt for a Hive thermostat, you tin expect to wage a £109 installation fee.

Hive vs Nest: Verdict

Choose Google Nest if…

• You privation a strategy that learns your habits
• You privation a thermostat that tin besides power your blistery water
• Your location has rooms that are hard to heat

Choose Hive if…

• You privation cheaper installation
• You privation to acceptable monthly budgets for your bills
• You person pipes that are astatine risk

Where to bargain Nest thermostats

If you've decided connected a Nest thermostat, we urge buying astir to guarantee you're getting the champion deal.

Here are respective retailers worthy heading to erstwhile buying for a Nest thermostat:

• Google Store
• Amazon
• Screwfix
• B&Q
• Currys
• Argos

Where to bargain Hive thermostats

For those who are acceptable to acquisition a Hive thermostat, you tin find banal astatine respective stores specified as:

• Hive Home
• Amazon
• Screwfix
• B&Q
• Currys
• Argos

If you're aft much ways to support your location lukewarm during winter, we tested the champion electrical heaters, immoderate of which outgo little than moving your cardinal heating.

Winter besides brings with it unsavoury conditions that let dampness and mould to prosper, truthful if you don't privation uninvited guests successful your home, we've rounded up 14 of the champion dehumidifiers that'll assistance support your location safe.

Saving wealth wherever you tin is ever a bonus, truthful we've got each the latest and champion ways implicit connected our energy bills hub.

Searching for much astute tech?

Check retired tech writer Tom Tyers' Blink vs Ring explainer to spot which astute doorbell is champion for you.

• Google Nest (3rd generation), £219, £188.97 - buy present from Amazon
• Hive Thermostat, £179 £145 - buy present from Amazon
• Hive Thermostat Mini, £79 £72 - buy present from Amazon

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