I first started experimenting with smart TRVs back in 2012 when I trialled Chalmor’s eTRV and found I could reduce my gas bill by 25%. I was quite shocked at the time and was so pleased. Indeed Chalmor used my home as a case study. However, that early version was a pig to programme through the use of a dedicated Bluetooth controller. Things are much better now, I understand.
I came across the first monochrome version of Honeywell’s Evohome system soon after in 2013 and jumped in because of its central controller. Surprisingly, that is only seven years ago! I became a fan immediately because it was so easy to control the temperature of each room in my house and experience the benefits we have all grown to love.*In those early years, we saw several significant hardware and software upgrades to the system that we are all now so familiar with.
I still love Evohome. It controls the gas central heating in my home with aplomb day in day out. The only task I have to undertake is to replace batteries from time to time which hardly takes much effort. Of course, when I go away, batteries always fail, leading to phone calls from my better half!
Yes, there are bugs that we are all aware of – the faulty charging of the controller batteries for one – which I have never really sorted in spite of the excellent guidance of fellow users on this site. But, we all know that no software-based system will never be bug-free and is the bane of our lives in the 21st century. But we do expect a prompt correction of such issues and if they are not it makes you wonder why.
So what has prompted me to write this post upon getting out of bed on the 1st day of January 202o I ask myself?
As I said, I can’t see being without the comfort and flexibility provided by Evohome in my home, so why do I have this feeling that the product has been virtually abandoned by Honeywell, though I can't believe this to be the case.? Of course, other users of this chat page have said similar things before in recent months, so this feeling is nothing new or unique to me. I have not considered changing vendors – why would I when Evohome works so well on a day to day basis and I'm comfortable with its workings.
However, the product seems to have reached its nadir of functionality, and it makes me wonder what is going on in the product development and marketing departments at Honeywell? The real indicator of this is the scarcity of software upgrades in recent years. There are so many improvements that could be simply made which have just not happened. Communications between its user base and the company seem to be minimal. I'm really sad about this situation which I guess was the main motivation for this post.
I was initially amazed that a staid corporation like Honeywell could create and launch an innovative product like Evohome, but what is happening inside the company in 2020 I wonder?
Perhaps there is a secret internal project going on inside the company, and there will be a grand announcement in the coming weeks? I live in the hope that this is the case rather than the product development and innovation malaise so well known in large corporations. Has the original team that developed Evohome been disbanded or dissipated through staff turnover I wonder?
This is not something Honeywell can afford to let grip the company if that is the case. There many competitors out there knocking at their doors with some success. Companies with big budgets such as Google, Apple and others that have decimated other industries are out there looking to expand their markets. Honeywell should not let their market lead dissipate and their loyal and believing customers disperse.
I want to see Evohome II, and I want to see it now cries the consumer in me!
Things can only ‘go up’ or ‘go down’ in business. Nothing can stay the same. Evohome can only be improved with Honeywell providing adequate development budgets to create the innovative Evohome products that we all want. If not, Evohome will go the way of many other products in the past which have lost their focus as competitors succeed in the burgeoning smart home market.
Please, Honeywell, tell us where things are going – up or down?
We really do want to know.
I came across the first monochrome version of Honeywell’s Evohome system soon after in 2013 and jumped in because of its central controller. Surprisingly, that is only seven years ago! I became a fan immediately because it was so easy to control the temperature of each room in my house and experience the benefits we have all grown to love.*In those early years, we saw several significant hardware and software upgrades to the system that we are all now so familiar with.
I still love Evohome. It controls the gas central heating in my home with aplomb day in day out. The only task I have to undertake is to replace batteries from time to time which hardly takes much effort. Of course, when I go away, batteries always fail, leading to phone calls from my better half!
Yes, there are bugs that we are all aware of – the faulty charging of the controller batteries for one – which I have never really sorted in spite of the excellent guidance of fellow users on this site. But, we all know that no software-based system will never be bug-free and is the bane of our lives in the 21st century. But we do expect a prompt correction of such issues and if they are not it makes you wonder why.
So what has prompted me to write this post upon getting out of bed on the 1st day of January 202o I ask myself?
As I said, I can’t see being without the comfort and flexibility provided by Evohome in my home, so why do I have this feeling that the product has been virtually abandoned by Honeywell, though I can't believe this to be the case.? Of course, other users of this chat page have said similar things before in recent months, so this feeling is nothing new or unique to me. I have not considered changing vendors – why would I when Evohome works so well on a day to day basis and I'm comfortable with its workings.
However, the product seems to have reached its nadir of functionality, and it makes me wonder what is going on in the product development and marketing departments at Honeywell? The real indicator of this is the scarcity of software upgrades in recent years. There are so many improvements that could be simply made which have just not happened. Communications between its user base and the company seem to be minimal. I'm really sad about this situation which I guess was the main motivation for this post.
I was initially amazed that a staid corporation like Honeywell could create and launch an innovative product like Evohome, but what is happening inside the company in 2020 I wonder?
Perhaps there is a secret internal project going on inside the company, and there will be a grand announcement in the coming weeks? I live in the hope that this is the case rather than the product development and innovation malaise so well known in large corporations. Has the original team that developed Evohome been disbanded or dissipated through staff turnover I wonder?
This is not something Honeywell can afford to let grip the company if that is the case. There many competitors out there knocking at their doors with some success. Companies with big budgets such as Google, Apple and others that have decimated other industries are out there looking to expand their markets. Honeywell should not let their market lead dissipate and their loyal and believing customers disperse.
I want to see Evohome II, and I want to see it now cries the consumer in me!
Things can only ‘go up’ or ‘go down’ in business. Nothing can stay the same. Evohome can only be improved with Honeywell providing adequate development budgets to create the innovative Evohome products that we all want. If not, Evohome will go the way of many other products in the past which have lost their focus as competitors succeed in the burgeoning smart home market.
Please, Honeywell, tell us where things are going – up or down?
We really do want to know.
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