Genius Hub Reviews 

Had genius controls for our full house infrared heating system,coming up for 2 years....many niggling faults keep showing up on the app....not being an IT compliant 78 year old it can be over complicated!!!! After our garden room stat has now given up the ghost...the extender is always going off line and being at high level....Room is now without heat and phone support of no assistance at a cost.local heating firm not interested in this system...Brrrrr

There are lots of simpler systems out there that will do the job of controlling a small house heating system but if your requirements go beyond this then this really is a good system. To be clear, it does need some work to set up, making sure your hub is in the correct location, the repeaters are correctly located and everything is paired with the system. Yes there are some issues with pairing radiator valves and clearing out dead nodes but once you have it set up it really is an incredibly powerful system and the only one I've come across that can effectively control a large sprawling property. The level of control is very good, enabling radiator valve speed to be tweaked to correctly heat up your room at the right speed and not overshoot. To get it working correctly you won't just be able to use it without checking your heating system is correctly set up and working efficiently beforehand, and virtually all the problems I've had with the Genius Hub system have been due to the underlying plumbing. Once the radiators are correctly balanced, valve pins oiled and freely moving and radiators flushed you will find you have the perfect heating system but this is not going to magically solve poorly installed heating plumbing or one in need of some good maintenance. If you persevere (and the Genius Hub graphs will show you where your problems are) you will end up with the ability to perfectly control the heating in your house so the correct rooms are warm at the right times and you'll even find your heating is cheaper to run despite the house feeling warmer, simply because you only heat the areas you need at the times you need them.

UPDATED - I had an apparently faulty thermostat, out of warranty that was replaced free of charge, this didn’t work any better so I got an immediate refund. Since removing the faulty thermostat from the system I’ve had no more issues. Very pleased with customer service.

I had high hopes for this system. Positives: It has cut our fuel usage, and the system might ultimately pay for itself, and it’s good being able to adjust temperatures in each room separately and remotely, and it generally works ok. Negatives: the system is incredibly unreliable, there can’t have been a day in the last three years when it’s not had a fault or error that needs to be addressed. They’re mostly minor issues, but there are lots of them so it gets tiresome after a while.

I have run this system for several years in two houses and it is fabulous to be able to control individual rooms as and when you need to. One of my the houses had an older hub which did require a little tinkering to keep it running. The other property has a newer hub and works seamlessly. I have just upgraded the first house to a new hub and I am looking forward to seeing if that makes life easier. The support was excellent in getting me moved across from the old hub to the new.

As an smart home designers, we've installed a few of these systems and IMO they are fantastic when they work which is most of the time and we put our first system in about 2013/24 i believe. They've been a few big issues only this year which has surprised us but at least a fix was implemented (which took som etime) and hope such big issues don't happen in the future. I've had to rely on their technical support to move some customers to newer hardware (to future proof installations) and Akshay has been superb at assisting me technically. I do remember in the early days speaking to Alasdair (the owner) who was also very helpful. I like to support innovative British companies but as a business, we need to use robust products that work and apart from the issue this year i can't really fault Genius Hub at all. I do wish them success and the technical support expert Akshay, whose help was needed to transfer a client setup to the newer generation equipment.

Due to changes in the Geniushub environment I had to upgrade to a new hub for my heating system.
This involved resetting 40 devices to factory status and reinstalling them on the new hub.
Many devices were over 7 years old and not the current version.
I needed help with this process and Geniushub Technical Support provided the information and assistance needed promptly and professionally.

I bought Genius Hub for my HMO and told other landlords about it. They have fitted Genius Hub into their portfolio and started to save money on gas heating. Some of them have got it on their residential property too.
It can be retrofitted, no water needs to be drained.
The only manufacturer which offers room sensor. Makes your heating more sophisticated by turning off the radiator if no one is in the room. No one else offers this feature.
It is a UK based company and there is always someone to speak to.
Just like other tech it does need looking after, this is rare and most issues can be solved without calling Genius Hub e.g. battery removal and refitting.

I had a problem after Heat Genius upgraded system, so I called their helpline and was fortunate to speak to a very helpful technician by the name of Akshay. He suggested I return the Hub to them and they would download the software. The Hub was returned to me after a week and now the system is working fine.

Just like many phone companies, Heat Genius have removed updates for old equipment. My hub from 2014 is no longer supported and will no longer update and eventually stopped working. The response from Heat Genius is I need to buy the new hub - which I did. The problem is it needs reinstalling at extra cost. Shocking customer service. A shame as the system is great...when it works.

It took a while to get through to someone but Akshay was brilliant in sorting out my issues. Well done Akshay!

I recently installed the Genius HUB smart home control system in my home, and I must say it has exceeded my expectations in every aspect. This comprehensive system has transformed the way I interact with and manage my home's heating, cooling, and energy usage.

From the moment I began the installation process, I was impressed by the user-friendly setup instructions and intuitive interface. The Genius HUB seamlessly integrates with various smart devices, allowing me to control everything from thermostats to lighting with ease.

One of the standout features of the Genius HUB is its advanced scheduling and automation capabilities. I can effortlessly create personalized schedules for different zones in my home, optimizing energy efficiency and ensuring comfort at all times. The system adapts to changes in weather conditions and occupancy, providing an intelligent and eco-friendly solution.

The remote access feature has been a game-changer for me. Whether I'm at work or traveling, I can monitor and control my home's settings using the Genius HUB app on my smartphone. It offers a smooth and reliable experience, keeping me connected and in control no matter where I am.

The customer support I have received from the Genius HUB team has been outstanding. They have been responsive, knowledgeable, and committed to ensuring my satisfaction. Any questions or concerns I had were promptly addressed, further enhancing my overall experience with the product.

In conclusion, I highly recommend the Genius HUB smart home control system to anyone looking for a comprehensive and reliable solution. Its user-friendly interface, advanced features, and exceptional customer support make it a top choice in the market. With Genius HUB, you can transform your home into a smart, efficient, and comfortable haven.

Pros:

User-friendly setup and interface

Seamless integration with various smart devices

Advanced scheduling and automation capabilities

Remote access for convenient control on the go

Outstanding customer support

Cons:

None experienced so far

Overall, Genius HUB has truly elevated my home automation experience and made managing my smart home a breeze.

Lousy communication; repeated reminders asking for a reply are ignored.
I placed a significant order for a whole-house system at the end of February 2023 and was informed there was a problem in the supply of radiator valves. I'm still waiting to hear when these are ready to be shipped in the middle of April!
Considering cancelling and going somewhere else.

Don’t waste your money. As an update to last post. Following conversations with the company and our installer, neither could answer question as to why system not working efficiently or at times not at all. One of the receivers was 70cm from valve and rad still not working ? If can’t cope with that in a bungalow how is it going to work in a house ? We have had enough, given it enough time and have switched to Honeywell thermostatic valves which means we now have reliable heating when and where we need.

I'm using this system for more than 5 years with different issue every month. I've changed all 5 of my original radiator valves which cost me around £60 every time, some radiator more than twice changed. They simply say that radiator faulty we need to replace thermostat. Every month I need to replace the batteries as well, Amazon Basis 100 batteries ordered every year now to replace it. I purchased this system because it can control each room independently but end up monitoring this system daily is there any fault with battery or sensors. Only advantage is hot water controls properly, rest of the system need to monitored by you not automatically.

Now they have changed their radiators type which will not supported with existing system. So we need to replace the hub by paying full price for existing customer. Even for customer service we need to pay to contact them, such an awful product only you can purchase with them there is no 3rd party seller for this product. So you will end-up pay extra whenever you find any fault on your system. Every year they will increase the product cost then give discount price on there website. My underfloor heating system never turn on with timer, always manually override the system if you want it to work.

Be honest, DON'T SPEND YOUR MONEY on this system

I have a large house with quite a few rooms and with lots of rad valves, thermostats and motion sensors. Took some time to get it set up because my heating system is ancient. But once its set up it is great. really flexible and customisable for each room. Takes some time for the rad valves to acclimatise themselves. Had to use the email and call back facilities and the advisors were responsive and really helpful. Saving 25%+ on heating bills.

I bought this system a couple of years ago because I was fed up with my old upstairs/downstairs 3 times/day control arrangement that allowed the house either to freeze between on-times or maintain the thermostat temperature for the whole day.
Genius Hub actually does what it says on the tin. I have different temperature settings and durations in different rooms and some room sensors that warm up a subset of rooms when they start being used. The fact that these rooms have been kept above the outside temperature means that occupancy triggering works ok for me.
But the system is expensive (& I had to get a plumber to replace all my radiator valves to allow me to fit the actuators) even though I fitted it myself. To begin with I seemed to be chewing through batteries in the room thermostats, but this may have been because the originally supplied batteries were old or inferior quality. Or perhaps there was a software upgrade. Who knows. Anyway I have bought a number of Li-ion rechargeable and the battery problem seems to have gone away (ordinary rechargeable don’t deliver the necessary voltage to operate the devices). I’m certain the system has saved me a fortune, but you do have to be a bit geeky to find the best settings for your situation. However, today I’m a bit stumped by a room thermostat that seems to have died entirely even though the batteries at full output. I’ll be on the forum looking for answers after I hit send on this.
So far most of my comments just repeat points raised by others, but I do have an issue that no-one else has raised; that is boiler short cycling.
Modern gas boilers (though not oil) vary their output depending on heat demand. But they can only modulate down to a certain degree. If you carefully set your Genius Hub to deliver only the heating you need at any time, you may well find that your boiler’s minimum output is more than your radiators are calling for. In this case the boiler’s heat exchanger starts to overheat and the boiler switches off. When the excess heat dissipates, the boiler starts up again and the overheat/switch off cycle repeats. This is inefficient and causes excess wear on the boiler (Google “short cycling”) but it may be why your radiators are slow to, or don’t manage to, reach the proper temperature.
Plumbers seem to recommend putting in larger boilers “to be on the safe side”, but in practice it seems like an efficient control system may result in an oversized boiler failing to reach its target temperature and the house being cold. I discovered that my 40kW boiler spends a lot of time cycling around 45 to 50 degrees in spite of its thermostat being set around 60 (I’m geeky enough to stand and watch the boiler temperature gauge) . I’ve tried switching the whole system on on a cold day and my smart meter says I’ve used about 19kWh of gas/hour (ie 19 kW output). Since my boiler‘s minimum output is around 28kW, it’s clear my boiler is way oversized.
In summary, if fitting GeniusHub seems to leave your house colder the more radiators you turn off (assuming you’re still running the boiler to heat the areas you’re trying to keep warm), it may be a problem with your boiler size rather than the control system operation. I have no solution to this apart from buying a smaller boiler next time. But maybe gas boilers will soon be unavailable.

7.5 years in and my first rad valve (I have twelve) has died, everything else is original, so the hardware is holding up pretty well.

This is so nearly an amazing system.

My experience, like others, is that the system is buggy and don't expect a sensible conversation with support. My whole house thermostat still loses connection with the hub every few days which turns the heating off. You don't realise there's a problem until you're shivering away. The fix is (mostly) simple, take the batteries out of the thermostat, wait a few seconds and put them back in. You need to be careful not to roll the control wheel just before you take out the batteries because that can cause the state of the thermostat to fall out of sync with the hub which stops the system from working. Of course, geniushub know about these issues and have provided zero response to me when I reported them. I really don't get it. Who cares about Alexa integration features when the underlying system has a couple of basic, reputation damaging flaws which should be relatively easy to fix?

But here's the thing. The system has saved me a ton of money and has been good for the planet. I know how to fix it's two most serious faults. We're mulling a house move. So, would I take the system with me? Yes, I probably will as an interim solution before I invest in a heat pump, though I expect I'll upgrade the whole house thermostat and hope that it fixes the disconnects.

We have had this installation for 3 years replacing dumb thermostat, chosen after a lot of thought, nothing else seemed to give the options for room by room controls with all being able to call the boiler to the same extent and control. Our installation is 15 devices in 10 zones, with considerable interaction between zones. We had a few issues with loosing zones in the early days swiftly sorted by adding 2 smart plug boosters. I think that several of the negative comments are unjustified, or at least the attribution of problems to the system itself is unjustified.

It is a highly configurable system that certainly benefits from being happy to tinker, but all the errors that have been thrown up have been sorted by the doctor facility in the app. In the early days I did find myself fiddling about and changing setting a lot to get things just so, but then I can totally ignore it and it produces heat at the right level. Not overheating effortlessly and as a very considerable reduction in cost compared to previous usage. With the current gas costs the payback time will not be long and the ongoing benifit huge, for a little care and learning investment in the beginning. So many of the things we have taken for granted being simple are just not good for the climate. Making improvements from this often does need a bit of time investment to get the most out of and this is no different. But then effort free and ongoing month on month year on year superiority.

I am interested in all of the improvements mentioned elsewhere: audit trails, reporting, integration with OpenTherm, extensibility to non-HG devices such as heat pumps and other climate control devices - it should not be all about heat.

I have been running this system for over 5 years now without any major issues. The fact that I can control the temperature for each room independently was the major reason I went with Genius Hub. I can also set the system up so that if a room is not occupied then there is no heat in that room is even better. I cut my heating bills by 30% when I first installed it. The fact that the Genius Hub has a REST api means that I can set and display Genius Hub system using a program (Microsoft Power Apps) is an added bonus.

We have had this installation for 6 years, replacing two previous smart systems. Our installation is above average size (38 devices in 31 zones, with considerable interaction between zones) and we also link it to other z-wave and WiFi smart systems.
Some of the negative comments are unjustified, or at least the attribution of problems to the system itself is unjustified, and from my experience working with third party devices, a lot of the problems mentioned in comments are due to the vagaries of z-wave itself, and to changes in specifications of controlled devices. The system is complex in concept and scope, and it does require some interest in systems, and a large enough system to really justify the potential advantages. However, neither of my previous two systems worked as well as this, and both maintenance and installation cost more per device than Heat Genius.
I am interested in all of the improvements mentioned elsewhere: audit trails, reporting, integration with OpenTherm, extensibility to non-HG devices such as heat pumps and other climate control devices - it should not be all about heat.
There is a great and increasing mountain to climb within this growing market and I think this company may need to sell on to a larger organisation, however the fundamental principles and operation are at the forefront, and I do not see this product dying out.