Hive · Hive receiver lights explained
Hive Receiver Lights Explained: Green, Amber, Red, White
Updated
A Hive receiver uses coloured lights to say what it is doing: pairing, working normally, or lost contact with the thermostat. Hive's installation guide lists what each one means. This guide sets them out, says what you can safely check yourself, and when to book a pro.
In short
On a Hive receiver, solid green is normal, flashing amber means it is searching for devices, flashing white means stand-alone mode, solid red means it has lost the thermostat, and a single red flash means OpenTherm mode with no data from the boiler. Hive says no lights at all usually means the boiler and controls have no power. On a solid red light the heating and hot water can be switched on with the receiver's own buttons.
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What you can safely check yourself
None of these need tools or opening anything:
- No lights: check the boiler's isolation switch and your fuse board, as Hive's support suggests
- Solid red: press the heating (and hot water) button on the receiver to run them manually, then check the thermostat's batteries
- Everything offline in the app: check the hub's light first; a red hub light means it cannot reach Hive's servers
- Restart: Hive's advice is to switch the boiler off at its isolation switch and back on; the receiver's light flashes, then goes green
If the receiver still has no lights with power on, keeps losing the thermostat, or the boiler will not fire when the receiver asks, book a pro to test the supply, the wiring and the signal. Faults inside the boiler itself are for a Gas Safe engineer.
Hive receiver status lights
From Hive's installation guide. The central heating light also flashes green when a command is queued: Hive says the receiver waits at least a minute before switching the boiler again.
| Light | What Hive says it means |
|---|---|
| Solid green | Normal operation |
| Flashing amber | Searching for other Hive devices, for example during installation |
| Solid amber or white | Search paused |
| Flashing white | Stand-alone mode (no hub), searching for a thermostat |
| Solid red | Lost its wireless connection to the thermostat; heating and hot water default to off but can be switched on at the receiver |
| Single red flash | Set to OpenTherm mode, but no OpenTherm data is coming from the boiler |
| Blue | Gravity-fed mode on a dual channel receiver; on an OpenTherm receiver, Hive says to contact support |
Hive Hub lights
Also from Hive's installation guide:
| Light | What Hive says it means |
|---|---|
| Solid green | Normal |
| Flashing green | Updating |
| Flashing amber | Pairing |
| Red | Cannot connect to Hive's servers |
| Alternating green and red | Internet works but something, such as parental controls on the router, is blocking Hive |
| Blue (Nano 3) | Bluetooth setup from the Hive app |
How Hive installation is priced
A vetted pro prices your job from photos of the boiler, your existing controls and the Hive kit, and the JACK app shows you that fixed price before you book.
Where the wiring already is matters more than the device. A receiver that goes where an old programmer was, on the same wiring, is the simplest job. Hot water on a cylinder, an old wired thermostat to take out of the circuit, a receiver that has to move, or several zones each add time. A photo of the boiler, the old controls and anything labelled near the hot water cylinder lets the pro price what is really there.
Several devices go on one booking for one price: the thermostat, the hub, and Hive Radiator Valves for each room. Other jobs, such as a smart doorbell, can go on the same visit. Where parking has to be paid for, it is added at cost and agreed before you book.
Prefer to pay for the pro's time? Hourly hire works too: as a guide, smart home installation is typically £45–£95 per hour.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my Hive receiver flashing amber?
Hive's guide says flashing amber means the receiver is searching for other Hive devices, which it does during installation or re-pairing. If it carries on and the thermostat will not connect, the devices may need re-pairing or the receiver may be out of range.
Why is my Hive receiver light red?
Solid red means it has lost the wireless link to the thermostat. Hive says the heating and hot water default to off, and you can switch them on with the receiver's buttons. Check the thermostat batteries; if the light stays red, the pro checks range and pairing.
Hive devices by type
Hive thermostat installation
The Hive Thermostat, the Thermostat Mini and older Hive thermostats: fitted, placed well and paired.
Hive receiver and hub installation
Single channel, dual channel and OpenTherm receivers, and the Hive Hub that runs the app.
Hive radiator valve fitting
Smart radiator heads for room-by-room control: adaptors matched, paired and scheduled.
Hive multizone installation
A Hive thermostat and receiver for each existing heating zone, wired, paired and labelled.
More guides
Who can install Hive?
Gas Safe engineer, electrician or DIY: what the rules in England say for each Hive job.
Does Hive work with my boiler?
Which boilers and heating systems Hive works with, and what each installation involves.
Where to put Hive
Hive's placement rules for the thermostat, receiver and hub, and moving them when the spot is wrong.
Switching to Hive
Replacing Nest, Honeywell, Drayton or an old programmer with Hive: what comes out and what goes in.
Hive vs tado°
How Hive and tado° compare to install: receivers, hubs, hot water, OpenTherm and radiator heads.
Hive installation cost
What moves the price of a Hive installation, and how the fixed price is worked out.
Hive in flats and rentals
Landlord permission, boiler cupboards, communal heating and range: Hive in flats and rentals.
Related services in London
Sources
The device facts and rules on this page come from these pages, checked on 31 October 2026.
Jack All Trades (JACK) is an independent London service. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by Hive, Centrica or British Gas. Hive product names are used only to describe the devices JACK pros install, and prices are set by JACK pros, not by Hive. JACK pros do not work inside boilers or claim Gas Safe registration.
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