• Over a quarter (26%) of Brits admit to leaving their heating on when they are not at home which can have a huge impact on their bill and carbon footprint
  • As we move into Spring and spend less time at home, Hive is encouraging Brits to be kinder to their wallet and the planet, by turning off the heating when they are not at home
  • Following a successful trial with Smart Meter customers, now Hive Heating Plus is launching for any customer with Hive Active Heating making it easier for them to track their heating efficiency, reduce their heating bills and lower their carbon footprint

As lockdown eases and people begin to spend more time away from home, smart home expert Hive is reminding Brits to turn off their heating when no-one is at home – to help save money on their heating bill and lower their carbon footprint. This follows new research from the brand that found over a quarter of Brits (26%) admit to leaving their heating on when they leave the house.

The research found that over two fifths (43%) of Brits don’t feel in control of their heating and are looking for ways to not only reduce their bill but also their carbon footprint (42%). Remembering to turn the heating off when no-one is at home is a good place to start. In fact, heating an empty home for just two hours a day could add up to £115 to an annual heating bill and result in 0.7 tonnes of CO2e being emitted – that’s the same as two economy return flights to Venice.

Additionally, Brits are also falling victim to common pitfalls when it comes to heating their home efficiently with 27% admitting leaving a window open when the heating is on – releasing heat and impacting how quickly a home heats up, and almost a fifth (19%) admit to leaving the heating on during the summer when temperatures in the UK are on average a balmy 18 degrees Celsius.

Helping to take out the guesswork when it comes to heating, Hive has launched Hive Heating Plus, an innovative new subscription service that helps customers easily track their heating spend, reduce bills and lower their carbon footprint all via the Hive app.

Working alongside Hive Active Heating, the new service has an integrated budget tracker and heating efficiency monitor, to provide customers with personalised money-saving recommendations based on their usage, as well as alerting them when their home is not heating up as efficiently as it should. Hive Heating Plus also provides energy-saving tips and advice – ideal for those looking to lower their carbon footprint.

Americo Lenza, Portfolio Director for Service & Solutions at British Gas commented: “We all have a desire to have greater control over our heating, but it can be difficult to track this. Hive’s new smart subscription service Hive Heating Plus makes it easier than ever before to track our heating usage – enabling you to set monthly targets as well as providing hints and tricks to help you stay on track. With lockdown easing and the weather getting warmer, there are a number of ways that we can ensure we’re heating our homes efficiently which is kinder to your wallet and the planet. With our award-winning Hive Active Heating thermostat you can save up to £120 per year. Combine this with Hive Heating Plus and this could go up by an extra £40****.”

To help Brits gain control of their heating, Hive also shares their top hacks for reducing your heating bill and lowering your carbon footprint.

  • Turn down your thermostat: Simply turning your thermostat by 0.5 or 1 degree will not only save money on your heating bill but also help to reduce your carbon footprint. According to The Energy Saving Trust, adjusting the temperature by just one degree could save you as much as £80 a year whilst also reducing your overall carbon emissions.
  • Be guided by the weather: When the weather is sunny, be sure to let the natural light in. This will help to warm up your home more quickly meaning it will warm up more efficiently and retain the heat. Additionally, when the weather takes a turn for the chilly, lock the heat in by shutting your blinds and curtains.
  • Make sure to keep your windows closed when the heating is on: An open window can impact how quickly your home warms up which could have an impact on your overall heating bill. Hive Heating Plus comes with a smart Heating Efficiency Monitor. This monitors your heating 24/7 and notifies you if anything is out of the ordinary.
  • Use heat that is already there: Throughout the day we generate loads of heat around the home that we then waste. But little things like leaving the oven door open when you turn it off is a simple way to help keep your home warm. This won’t cost you a penny but will save you some overtime.
  • Use Ready By mode: With Hive Active Heating, you can use the Ready By mode which will determine when your boiler should be turned on so that your home is at your desired temperature when you want it to be e.g. when you get out of bed. Hive will learn how quickly your home warms up and uses this to decide when it needs to switch the heating on to be warm when you want it, so you don’t end wasting heating that you don’t need, helping to lower your carbon emissions.

Hive Heating Plus, which works alongside Hive Active Heating will be available to purchase from hivehome.com from April 2021 for £3.99 a month.

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