Buying guide

Hubs and bridges: the hidden extra cost of smart heating

By COMANORA· Updated 6 November 2026· 5 min read

Draft for owner review — wording and facts to be checked against sources before launch.

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The short answer

Many smart heating products talk to your Wi-Fi through a small hub or bridge. If you don’t already own the right one, add its price before comparing. The figures below are from each manufacturer’s UK shop on 5 November 2026.

What each system needs

Product	Extra item needed	Extra cost	When you can skip it
Hive Thermostat Mini (£79)	Hive Hub	£80	You already have a Hive Hub
Hive Thermostat (£119)	Hive Hub	£80	You already have a Hive Hub
Hive Radiator Valves (£59)	Hive Hub (not the original Hub 1)	£80	You already have a compatible Hive Hub
tado° Wireless Smart Thermostat X Starter Kit (£159.99)	Nothing	£0	The Programmer X is itself a Thread border router
tado° Wired Smart Thermostat X 2nd gen (£109.99)	Bridge X or another Thread border router	£59.99 (on sale at £49.99 when checked)	You have the Starter Kit or another compatible Thread border router
tado° Smart Radiator Thermostat X (RRP £79.99; £59.99 on sale when checked on 6 Nov 2026)	Bridge X or another Thread border router	£59.99 (on sale at £49.99 when checked)	As above
Wiser 1 Channel or 2 Channel kit (£247.80)	Nothing	£0	The HubR is included
Wiser Radiator Thermostat 2nd Gen (£59.99)	Wiser 2nd Generation HubR	Included in Wiser kits	You have a Wiser 2nd Gen kit
Netatmo Additional Smart Radiator Valve (£79.99)	A Netatmo thermostat or the valve starter pack	Varies	You have a Netatmo system

A worked example

Upgrading a combi-boiler home with a thermostat and two radiator valves, starting from nothing:

Hive: Thermostat Mini £79 + Hive Hub £80 + 2 valves £118 = £277
tado°: Starter Kit £159.99 + 2 Smart Radiator Thermostats X £199.98 = £359.97 (no bridge needed)
Wiser: 1 Channel kit £247.80 + 2 Radiator Thermostats £119.98 = £367.78 (the 1 Channel kit was sold out when checked; Wiser also sells a room + radiator thermostat bundle)

Prices change, and subscriptions are extra if you choose them. Check each product page for the latest checked price.

Subscriptions are separate

Hubs are a one-off cost. Subscriptions such as tado° AI Assist (£3.99 a month) or Hive+ (£3.99 a month or £39.90 a year) are optional and recurring — see each product page.