Control and Save with Hive Active Heating

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Have you seen this advert on telly with the catchy theme choon, telling of all the wonderful things you could be doing whilst Hive Active Heating is controlling your heating at home? I’ve seen it lots of times now and it has me intrigued as to exactly what Hive is and how it works.

 

 

What is Hive?
Without getting too long winded about this new technology on my blog post (there is the website where there is a hive *ahem* of information), Hive is a little miracle that lets you control your heating remotely, whatever you’re doing, wherever you are.

So whether you’re on holiday, out for the day, or just being super lazy and don’t want to get out of bed to turn up the thermostat, you can control the heating (and hot water) in your home from your mobile, tablet or laptop!

Now that, right there, is convenience at its best.

Have you ever been out for the day and the rain has suddenly started to pour down? You’re without a brolly and you’re soaked through? I know we have! All you want to do is get home to a nice, warm, dry house and jump in a hot shower, but horror, you have to wait for the heating to do its work…but not if you have Hive, on the journey home you can turn it on and turn it up, all ready to be snuggly warm when you walk through the door.





Now, this photo of me is actually in Florida, in the middle of August – hardly freezing cold weather, but imagine if this was cold Blighty?! *Shudders* I’d be glad of having Hive at my fingertips to turn the heating on indoors!

Over the last decade or so, technology has become more and more part of our daily lives. To make our lives simpler and less stressful. From using our smartphones to check our emails, going online to do the shopping, video talking to someone across the world, using an app to control the heating….and that’s what Hive is doing for us, giving life simple solutions and working hard so we don’t have to.

How does it work?
There are four components to Hive:

The Thermostat with its sleek and modern in design is easy to use and even has includes automatic frost protection to help avoid frost pipes. And, because it is wireless, it can be placed anywhere appropriate in your home.

The Hub which plugs into your broadband router so that the thermostat can connect to the internet and be controlled remotely.

The Receiver which is installed close to your boiler so that it can communicate with the thermostat. (I hope that they become lifelong friends ^_^)

The App which you download for free for both iPhone and Android, enabling you to control the heating and hot water when you’re not at home.
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How much does it cost?
Taken directly from the Hive website, correct at time of publishing this post, 14/2/2014:
For only £199 your Hive Active Heating™ includes:

  • State of the art wireless thermostat, receiver and hub
  • Free app and online dashboard to remotely control your heating and hot water via phone, tablet and laptop
  • Professional Installation by a British Gas engineer (worth £80)

Yes, there is an outlay, but, because you can control your heating remotely, it means you’re not wasting precious energy – and money, but heating an empty house. Hive say that you could save £150 per year on your energy bills. So, you’re not only saving time by using Hive, but also money too – what a bonus.

So now, let me go back to the opening video telling us what we could all be doing whilst Hive is busy controlling our heating at home…this is a list of all the things you could also be doing!

There are things to do outside, things to do when it snows, things to do with kids, things to do on your own, things to do with the family, things to do as a couple! My list of 150 things to do should mean you’ll never be short of things you could be doing!
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  1. going on a nature scavenger hunt in the local park
  2. climb a tree
  3. go on a walking tour
  4. fly a kite
  5. visit a farm
  6. go on a bike ride
  7. make a daisy chain
  8. play pooh sticks
  9. go star gazing
  10. roll down a hill
  11. go geocaching
  12. hunt for mini-beasts
  13. visit a zoo
  14. play mini-golf
  15. watch the sunrise
  16. go bird watching
  17. ride a horse
  18. explore rock pools
  19. have a winter picnic with hot chocolate
  20. play football
  21. collect rocks
  22. go fishing
  23. go to a funfair
  24. play basketball
  25. build a snowman
  26. feed the ducks
  27. make snow angels
  28. go sledding
  29. walk along the beach
  30. play hide and seek
  31. dance in the snow
  32. collect conkers
  33. go on a treasure hunt with a metal detector
  34. pick blackberries
  35. explore a cave
  36. go to a museum
  37. collect seashells
  38. build a den
  39. walk around the block
  40. go for afternoon tea
  41. jump and splash in puddles
  42. go ice-skating
  43. skim stones on a pond
  44. go roller-skating
  45. find shapes in the clouds
  46. play hop-scotch
  47. look for tadpoles
  48. go to the theatre and watch a play
  49. bury a time capsule
  50. take photographs of nature
  51. walk your dog
  52. make tree bark rubbings
  53. go snowboarding
  54. listen for bird song
  55. take a night class
  56. go rock-climbing
  57. visit a friend
  58. go jogging
  59. watch the sunset
  60. visit a foreign country
  61. have a snowball fight
  62. go to the circus
  63. collect pine cones
  64. go to the park and play on the swings
  65. dance in the rain
  66. go and see your favourite band live
  67. visit a local farm shop
  68. go on a power walk
  69. follow animal tracks
  70. build a dam across a small stream
  71. play catch with a ball
  72. identify trees in the forest
  73. go to the cinema
  74. go surfing
  75. play rounders
  76. go sailing
  77. visit the local library
  78. play golf
  79. go swimming
  80. walk along the river
  81. get your hair done at the hairdressers
  82. sit under a tree and read a book
  83. go camping
  84. walk under the moonlight
  85. go bowling
  86. listen to the frog chorus
  87. go on a bus ride
  88. watch a local sports team
  89. go crabbing
  90. visit your parents/grandparents
  91. go on a sensory walk
  92. walk along a pier
  93. go paintballing
  94. watch a musical
  95. go on holiday abroad
  96. row a boat
  97. collect leaves
  98. go on a murder-mystery weekend
  99. have a meal in a new restaurant
  100. hike a trail
  101. visit a butterfly house
  102. go on a tour of your nearest city
  103. eat fish and chips at the seaside
  104. go on a hot air balloon ride
  105. walk around a local market
  106. go to the pub
  107. meet a friend for coffee
  108. visit a stately home
  109. play video games at the arcade
  110. go for a drive
  111. take a river cruise
  112. visit an art gallery
  113. go on a train journey
  114. play tennis
  115. visit a monument
  116. go skateboarding
  117. build a fire and cook outdoors
  118. watch a ballet
  119. walk around a city
  120. orienteering
  121. go foraging
  122. look for fossils
  123. go to the opera
  124. visit a castle
  125. go to the gym
  126. plan a treasure hunt in the park
  127. stay overnight in a hotel
  128. visit a theme park
  129. go shopping
  130. climb a mountain
  131. go skiing
  132. build sandcastles
  133. walk around a maze
  134. go to a spa
  135. visit a sushi bar
  136. go fruit picking
  137. volunteer at a charity organisation
  138. sell your old stuff at a car boot sale
  139. go on a photo-walk around your local area
  140. visit an aquarium
  141. go to a football match
  142. visit a vineyard and go wine-tasting
  143. go skydiving
  144. visit a historic landmark
  145. go to church
  146. ride a night bus
  147. go to a dance class
  148. ride a big wheel
  149. row a boat
  150. go to Walt Disney World

Download the list here!

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