Landmark partnership between eco-tech pioneer Hive and Scandinavian superpower Aira

News

12

February

2025

Eco-tech pioneer Hive and clean energy-tech champion, Aira have formed a long-term, strategic partnership to drive energy transition and supercharge heat pump installs in the UK.

Combining Hive’s legacy as a leading smart home solution provider and Aira’s intelligent products, the collaboration will see the brands dramatically increase adoption in the UK by making heat pumps more affordable and accessible.

As an eco-tech company, Hive has already transformed home energy usage in over 2 million homes and saved over 1.6 billion kilos of carbon through its energy-efficient smart home technology, saving its customers over £490 million in energy costs.

Leading direct-to-consumer clean energy-tech brand, Aira, offers customers an all-inclusive plan with affordable monthly payments and an industry first 15-year Aira Guarantee. This partnership will help supercharge Aira’s ambition to drive a clean-energy revolution one home at a time and to increase heat pump accessibility at scale.

Through the partnership, Aira’s intelligent and intuitive heat pumps will scale across the UK through Hive’s customer referrals, saving more people up to 29% on their heating costs.

The partnership comes at a critical time. Although heat pump installations were at a record high in 2024, at 60,000, the UK is still far away from achieving the Government’s target of installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028. With 25million homes in the UK still heated with gas boilers accelerating the shift to cleaner, greener and more affordable solutions is essential.

Dan Rosenfield, Managing Director of Hive commented, “Our partnership with Aira brings together the best of British tech and innovative Scandinavian design to provide customers with more choice in how they electrify their home heating.

Domestic heating is one of the largest emitters of carbon in the UK which is why we’re collaborating with other like-minded businesses to address this challenge and help customers make the switch to a lower-carbon future.”

“In some of the coldest parts of Europe such as Scandinavia, heat pump technology has been widely used to heat homes for decades, and yet, nations like the UK are still in the very early stages of adoption.”

Martin Lewerth
Aira Group CEO

Martin Lewerth, Aira Group CEO, continues: “Building on Hive’s leadership in the smart home space, this partnership will help solidify heat pumps as a cleaner and more affordable heating solution for UK households, increasing awareness and accessibility – and ultimately supporting the clean-energy transition.”

The announcement comes shortly after the Government’s relaxation of planning permission restrictions for heat pump installations in the UK and increased funding for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, taking the overall BUS budget for this financial year to £205 million. The partnership therefore is poised to help even more UK homeowners benefit from air source heat pumps in their homes.

Notes to Editors

Aira 29% heating cost saving scenario:

29% heating cost savings over a 20-year period when switching from a gas boiler (including product cost, maintenance, standing charge and gas for heating) to an 8kW Aira Heat Pump and 100L Indoor Unit with the £7,500 BUS and 5 standard radiator upgrades (including product cost, Aira all-inclusive plan and electricity for heating).

Gas consumption and cost: 15 000 kWh per year at 6.34 p/kWh and 31.65p/day standing charge across 20 years. Electricity consumption and cost: 3,375kWh per year at 20.30 p/kWh. 20.30 p/kWh is average from 39.79% base rate á 26.22 p/kWh, 52.21% dip rate á 12.86 p/kWh, 8% peak rate á 39.34 p/kWh. February 2025.

For further questions

Gabrielle Irvine, Aira Group Head of PR

press@airahome.com

Amber Heavisides, Group Senior Manager, Engagement and Communications

amber.heavisides@centrica.com

About Hive

Hive is an eco-tech company on a mission to make zero carbon living simple and affordable; and indoing so build a greener, fairer, future for all. Part of the Centrica family, we have helped millions of customers around the UK take a step closer to achieving their eco-energy potential. Looking ahead, our range of pioneering technology delivered in partnership with manufacturers from around the world – like solar panels, electric vehicle chargers and super-efficient heat pumps – is ready to make home energy even greener, cheaper and easier to use.

About Aira

Aira provides clean energy-tech solutions to consumers and is set to become Europe’s number one direct-to-consumer brand within the industry. Aira accelerates the electrification of residential heating with intelligent clean energy-tech to enable the net zero future we all need. With Aira, consumers across Europe have a go-to-provider for complete home energy saving solutions, with intelligent heat pumps at the heart. Aira's vertically integrated model, combined with our consumer-centric monthly payment plan that requires no upfront cost, enables best-in-class consumer economics and cost leadership. Aira’s mission is to empower people to join the clean energy revolution, one home at a time. Founded in Stockholm, Sweden, by Vargas Holding and backed by climate and innovation investors including Altor, the Burda family, Collaborative Fund, Creades, Kinnevik, Lingotto, Nesta Impact Investments, Statkraft Ventures, and Temasek.

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