The beginner’s guide to a smart home
You’ve seen the ads, you’ve heard your friends boast about theirs, and now you want a futuristic smart home of your own. And who can blame you? Smart lights that automatically switch on when you walk through your door and smart thermostats that allow you to adjust your heating from anywhere. All controlled from one smart app. It’s rather impressive.
But the reality is, many of us haven’t a clue where to start. The good news is, starting up a smart home is easier than you think, thanks to Hive.
I want a smart home. Where do I start?
Before you whip out the credit card and start spending, the first step is to sit down and decide what you want to be able to do: Control the lights? Use voice commands to turn the heating up? Once you’re a bit clearer on your needs, you can find the products to fit them.
If you’re only just starting out on your smart home, it’s probably not a good idea to go crazy and fill each room with every smart gadget you can find. Sometimes it’s better to start small – try a couple of basic devices like a smart plug and a smart light, and gradually build the kind of smart home that’s just right for you.
Which smart devices should I buy first?
Buying all your smart devices from one manufacturer has a great advantage: It ensures that all the parts of your smart home will be happy talking to each other, making your smart home experience seamless. But how do you know which are the right products for you? To take away the confusion, we’ve put together these two Hive starter bundles tailored to your needs – they come with all the basics to get you going.
Then all you need to do is download the easy to use Hive app and you can control your Hive Lights and Hive Thermostat. If you’ve got Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, you can sync them to your app so you can use your voice to ‘turn up the lights’ or ‘turn down the heating’.
A good place to start? The Hive Starter Pack
The starter pack includes, two dimmable smart bulbs, a smart motion sensor, and a Hive Hub – everything you need to dip your toe into the smart home world.
The light bulbs and motion sensor work together. Just choose where you want to put your sensor , then use the Hive app to set them to turn on when you walk past. You can go a step further and set your lights low in the morning for just enough light to find the bathroom, then dial them up in the evening when the sun goes down.
Not bad for three little gadgets eh?
Want to be smarter with energy? Go for a Hive Heating Pack
Our Heating Pack is a great way to get started on your energy saving journey – it includes our award-winning smart thermostat, smart lights, a smart motion sensor, and a smart plug.
With Hive, you can control your heating from your phone or even with your voice. So wherever you are, you can set schedules and get alerts if you’ve left the heating on in an empty house. That extra control of your heating can save you up to £311 a year.