Passiv UK
Passiv UK designs and sells the Passiv Smart Thermostat, a patented machine-learning control system purpose-built for residential heat pumps, alongside solar portfolio management and grid flexibility services for installers, homeowners, and institutional solar asset owners in the UK.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersBury Saint Edmunds, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Passiv UK does
Passiv UK Limited, founded in 2008 as PassivSystems and rebranded following its April 2021 acquisition by BUUK Infrastructure (backed by Brookfield Asset Management), is a UK-based energy technology company headquartered in Newbury with approximately 50 employees. The company designs and sells the Passiv Smart Thermostat - a control system purpose-built for residential heat pumps (rather than adapted from boiler controls) that uses patented machine-learning algorithms to build thermal models of individual homes and local weather forecasts to continuously optimize heat pump flow temperature. The product consists of a Hub (central processing unit), wall-mounted Thermostat (wired or wireless), Programmer with built-in push-fit wiring centre, and the companion Passiv App (iOS/Android), with the free Passiv Portal providing installer remote monitoring. Energy Saving Trust has verified a 17% COP improvement for heat pumps and 25% for hybrid systems using ecoHeat, with claimed bill reductions of up to 30% and 48% reductions in hot water bills through solar integration.
Passiv generates revenue through three principal streams: (1) one-time hardware sales of the Passiv Smart Thermostat through UK trade distributors (Wolseley/Plumb Centre with ~400 branches, City Plumbing with 350+ branches, UK Plumbing Supplies with 300+ locations, plus Secon Renewables and others) and direct-to-homeowner online channels, with no subscription fees; (2) managed services for solar PV portfolios through the PassivPro platform, PassivLiving App, and the Ofgem-registered Feed-in Tariff subsidiary arto.energy, alongside the Go-REGO green energy certificate registration service; and (3) usage-based flexibility revenue via Greener Grid Payments, where Passiv takes a share of DSR earnings from heat pump flexibility participation, scaled through the Voltalis partnership. The platform serves three primary segments - heat pump installers (the primary GTM target), homeowners with heat pumps, and solar portfolio owners (infrastructure investors, Local Authorities, Housing Associations).
Strategically, Passiv is positioned as the UK heat pump controls category leader: the Passiv Smart Thermostat is compatible with 17 leading heat pump manufacturers via RS485 Modbus or relay control, and the company is the largest installer of hybrid heating systems in the UK. The business benefits from substantial innovation-project activity (over 50 projects in three years with government, network operators, energy companies, and manufacturers), a flagship £989,691 Heat Pump Ready programme grant, and strategic partnerships with Haier, Kensa, Worcester Bosch, Samsung, British Gas, BOXT, E.ON Next, Octopus Energy, National Grid, and UK Power Networks. The 150,000-home solar monitoring dataset and 50,000 managed solar installations provide a proprietary data foundation for the company's optimization algorithms.
Passiv UK firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Passiv UK
- Legal name
- Passiv UK Limited
- Website
- https://passivuk.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Passiv UK designs and sells the Passiv Smart Thermostat, a patented machine-learning control system purpose-built for residential heat pumps, alongside solar portfolio management and grid flexibility services for installers, homeowners, and institutional solar asset owners in the UK.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Passiv UK industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Smart Thermostat / Heat Pump Controls
- SIC
- Auto Controls For Regulating Residential & Comml Environments (3822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Heat Pump & Smart HVAC Controller Integration (HSAOANAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Smart Climate & Air Quality (Thermostats, HVAC, Purifiers, IAQ Sensors) (HSAPAQAD), Smart Thermostat & HVAC Automation Integration (HSAHADAC), Residential Demand Response (Smart Thermostats, HVAC, Water Heating, Home Batteries) (EUAFAGAA), Demand Response, Load Flexibility & Smart Thermostat Aggregation (EUADAPAM), Smart Thermostat Installation & Integration (HSAOANAA)
Keywords
Where Passiv UK is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bury Saint Edmunds
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Passiv UK business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Passiv Smart Thermostat Hardware Sales: The Passiv Smart Thermostat is sold as a hardware product to installers through trade distribution channels (plumbers' merchants and renewable distributors). The product is sold in one-zone and two-zone kits with wired or wireless thermostat options. No subscription fees are charged - all features are included for free.
- Solar Portfolio Services: Passiv provides metering, monitoring, Feed-in Tariff administration, and green energy certificate registration services for solar PV portfolio owners. Through wholly-owned subsidiary arto.energy, Passiv is an Ofgem-registered Feed-in Tariff licensee offering fully automated FiT management. The Go-REGO service helps register small domestic solar installations for Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin certificates, improving returns by up to 10%.
- Demand Side Response / Flexibility Services: Through Greener Grid Payments, homeowners can earn money by allowing their heat pump to participate in grid flexibility programmes. Passiv takes a share of the flexibility revenue generated from these services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Passiv Smart Thermostat (No Subscription Required) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels13 records
Marketing channels5 records
Passiv UK product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Passiv UK designs, manufactures and sells the Passiv Smart Thermostat — a hardware control system purpose-built for heat pumps that uses patented machine-learning algorithms and local weather data to optimise flow temperature, with all features included under a one-time hardware purchase and no subscription. The company also provides the free Passiv Portal dashboard for installers, the Passiv App for homeowners, and complementary solar portfolio services (PassivPro monitoring, arto.energy Feed-in Tariff management, Go-REGO registration) plus the Greener Grid Payments demand-side response service.
Product overview
Passiv UK offers the Passiv Smart Thermostat system as its core product, a first-of-its-kind smart thermostat specifically designed for heat pumps. The system comprises the Passiv Hub (central processing unit running patented machine-learning algorithms), Passiv Thermostat (wired or wireless wall-mounted device), Passiv Programmer (in-home control with colour screen and built-in wiring centre), and the companion Passiv App (iOS/Android). This core hardware and software platform is complemented by the free Passiv Portal for installer remote monitoring, the PassivLiving App and PassivPro for solar portfolio management, arto.energy for Feed-in Tariff administration, the Go-REGO service for green energy certificate registration, and Greener Grid Payments for demand flexibility rewards. The platform uses patented ML algorithms with weather forecasting to optimise heat pump efficiency by 17% (verified by Energy Saving Trust) and reduce heating bills by up to 30%.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PassivPro: Asset management portal providing complete visibility of solar portfolios with system monitoring, forecasting, performance reporting, and O&M ticketing and fault management.
- Passiv Portal
- PassivLiving App
- Passiv App
- arto.energy
- Go-REGO
Products and services
- Passiv Smart Thermostat Hardware control system purpose-built for heat pumps that uses patented machine-learning algorithms and local weather forecasts to dynamically optimise heat pump flow temperature. Includes Passiv Thermostat (wired or wireless), Passiv Programmer (in-home control with colour screen and push-fit wiring centre) and Passiv Hub (central processing unit). All features included for free under one-time purchase, no subscription.
- PassivPro Asset management portal providing complete visibility of solar portfolios with system monitoring, forecasting, performance reporting, and O&M ticketing and fault management for solar portfolio owners (infrastructure investors, Local Authorities, Housing Associations).
- arto.energy Feed-in Tariff Management Ofgem-registered Feed-in Tariff licence operated under Passiv's wholly-owned subsidiary arto.energy, providing fully automated FiT management service for solar portfolios.
- Go-REGO Service Automated registration service for domestic rooftop solar generation for Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (green energy certificates), improving solar returns by up to 10%.
- Greener Grid Payments Flexibility service that rewards households for helping balance the electricity grid by intelligently flexing heat pump operation without affecting comfort; Passiv takes a share of the resulting flexibility revenue.
- Passiv Portal Free web-based dashboard for installers offering powerful insights into heat pump performance, with live and historic data on flow temperatures, energy use, and settings across all installations in a single location.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduces heating bills by up to 30%
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Passiv UK
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Passiv UK technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration28 records
AI capability4 records
Feature9 records
Passiv UK partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- BOXTcorePartnership offering nationwide installation of Passiv Smart Thermostat alongside Worcester Bosch heat pumps with £100 exclusive discount. BOXT installs within 4 weeks from £3,299.
- HaiercorePartnership enabling the Passiv Smart Thermostat to integrate directly with Haier heat pumps, with an exclusive bundle available through Plumb Centre branches. The combined solution improves heating efficiency by 17% as verified by the Energy Saving Trust and reduces installation complexity.
- KensacorePartnership to deliver smart controls for Kensa ground source heat pumps. Kensa is offering the Passiv Smart Thermostat as their first dedicated smart controls partner, compatible with Kensa Shoebox NX and Kensa Evo heat pump ranges.
- Worcester BoschcoreWorcester Bosch partners with Passiv UK to roll out intelligent heat pump control. Passiv Smart Thermostat included with Worcester Bosch heat pumps through BOXT and British Gas installations.
- VoltalisminorPartnership to pair 10,000 new heat pumps with demand response technology by end of 2025. Voltalis is European leader in demand response.
- Department for Energy Security & Net ZerocoreSTAT project funder - £989,691 funding as part of the Heat Pump Ready programme. Passiv developing new smart control hub for heat pumps to enable efficient, flexible operation.
- SamsungcoreCollaboration to design PAS 1878 and PAS 1879-compliant smart controls for Samsung heat pumps as part of the Interoperable Demand Side Response programme. Passiv and Samsung developed smart controls enabling demand response services.
- UK Power NetworkscoreHeatropolis project lead - collaboration to decarbonise heat networks while lowering energy bills and supporting electricity networks. Passiv providing smart control solutions for King's Cross heat network.
- MetropolitancoreHeatropolis project partner and sister company to Passiv. Managing King's Cross heat network where Passiv controls are being demonstrated.
- National Grid Electricity DistributioncoreEQUINOX project - one of the UK's largest domestic heat pump flexibility trials involving over 1,800 households. National Grid and Passiv exploring how heat pumps can provide flexibility to the electricity grid while reducing energy bills.
- Octopus EnergyminorEQUINOX project partner. Octopus Energy implementing insights from the EQUINOX flexibility trial into their business-as-usual operations.
- ScottishPowerminorEQUINOX project partner implementing insights from the heat pump flexibility trial into business-as-usual operations.
- SerominorEQUINOX project partner exploring domestic heat pump flexibility.
- SP Energy NetworksminorEQUINOX project partner exploring heat pump flexibility for grid support.
- EDFminorPartnership in the No Regrets project led by Passiv, with EDF offering hybrid heating systems fully installed with Passiv controls for £100 using the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.
- Western Power DistributionminorMADE project partner - led by Passiv, exploring smart control of multiple low-carbon technologies to reduce network demand. Project delivered 35-40% peak load reductions.
- Imperial College LondonminorMADE project partner providing analysis showing multi-asset control could deliver £200m-£500m in annualised network reinforcement cost savings by 2035.
- Wales & West UtilitiesminorFREEDOM project partner examining hybrid heating systems for decarbonising domestic heating.
- British GascoreUK's largest heating installer fitting the Passiv Smart Thermostat with Worcester Bosch heat pumps.
- E.ON NextminorEnergy supplier installing the Passiv Smart Thermostat alongside Worcester Bosch heat pumps.
- Wolseley / Plumb CentrecoreWolseley operates 400 plumbing and heating branches including Plumb Centre and Renewables Centre. Plumb Centre is exclusive partner for Haier and Passiv Smart Thermostat bundle. Wolseley is committed to supporting installers through the energy transition.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Passiv UK competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hive (British Gas / Centrica): UK consumer smart thermostat brand owned by Centrica and bundled with British Gas heat pump installations. Direct overlap in product, geography and installer-distribution via British Gas.
- tado°: German smart-thermostat company with EU-wide presence and explicit heat pump control support. Closest Europe-wide peer for thermostat-as-a-service hardware paired with time-of-use optimization.
- Heatmiser: UK-based smart thermostat maker focused on heating control including underfloor and zoning for installers and homeowners. Direct competitor to Passiv in the UK controls market with similar installer-led go-to-market.
- Mysa: North American smart thermostat purpose-built for electric heating including heat pumps and baseboard. Targets the same niche of climate-control optimization for heat-pump households, though focused on North America.
Broad incumbents
- Danfoss: Major European HVAC controls and hydronics manufacturer (Danfoss Icon, Ally). A peer as incumbent supplier of heating controls competing for installer specification in the same projects Passiv targets.
- Honeywell Home (Resideo): Established HVAC controls and smart thermostat incumbent via the Resideo spin-off. Competes head-on in the same installer/distributor channels Passiv uses, but with vastly broader product portfolio.
- Nest (Google): Global smart thermostat incumbent owned by Google/Alphabet with broad compatibility incl. some heat pumps. Offers overlapping functionality but is a portfolio product inside a hyperscaler, not a heat-pump specialist.
- ecobee: Smart thermostat manufacturer with utility partnership channels and multi-OEM integrations. Overlaps with Passiv in smart-thermostat feature set and time-of-use optimization, but is a broader portfolio player.
Emerging players
- Voltalis: European leader in residential demand-side response (DR) box and aggregator. Peer to Passiv's Greener Grid Payments offering, with whom Passiv already partners to pair 10,000 heat pumps with DR tech by end-2025.
- Mixergy: UK smart hot-water cylinder with optimization to solar, tariffs and grid signals. Adjacent to Passiv on hot-water and solar optimization, and a UK regional peer in residential decarbonization controls.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Passiv UK social profiles
Digital presencePassiv UK financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Passiv UK leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Passiv UK funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Passiv UK M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Passiv UK
What does Passiv UK do?
Passiv UK designs, manufactures and sells the Passiv Smart Thermostat — a hardware control system purpose-built for heat pumps that uses patented machine-learning algorithms and local weather data to optimise flow temperature, with all features included under a one-time hardware purchase and no subscription. The company also provides the free Passiv Portal dashboard for installers, the Passiv App for homeowners, and complementary solar portfolio services (PassivPro monitoring, arto.energy Feed-in Tariff management, Go-REGO registration) plus the Greener Grid Payments demand-side response service.
Is Passiv UK a public or private company?
Passiv UK is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Passiv UK founded?
Passiv UK was founded in 2008. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Passiv UK based?
Passiv UK is headquartered in Bury Saint Edmunds, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Passiv UK make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Passiv Smart Thermostat Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are solar Portfolio Services and demand Side Response / Flexibility Services.
Who are Passiv UK's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hive (British Gas / Centrica), tado°, Heatmiser and Mysa. Broad incumbents are Danfoss, Honeywell Home (Resideo), Nest (Google) and ecobee. Emerging players are Voltalis and Mixergy.
Does Passiv UK have an API?
No public API is recorded for Passiv UK.
What industry is Passiv UK in?
Passiv UK's product category is Smart Thermostat / Heat Pump Controls. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAOANAD, Heat Pump & Smart HVAC Controller Integration, with a secondary code of HSAPAQAD, Smart Climate & Air Quality (Thermostats, HVAC, Purifiers, IAQ Sensors). Its SIC code is 3822.