Tado Balance could cut heating use by 38% – but there’s a catch

With fuel prices soaring and bills set to rise again, customers are looking for more ways to save money. A new feature from Tado may offer help – for some.

Today, Tado launches Tado Balance, which takes advantage of the fact that energy costs vary throughout the day. It works with any time-of-use tariffs and is available across Europe. Just go into the Tado app and you can find it under the skill section.

Balance is a background function that helps customers take advantage of shifting daily energy prices by pre-loading hot water tanks or pre-heating or pre-cooling rooms at times when the cost is lower so customers can ride out times of pricier energy. This is similar to the way EV (electric vehicle) chargers work, syncing to tariffs and only charging your car overnight or when it’s cheaper.

Tado reckons that, while its average customer can save 22% on bills in their first year, switching on this function could help users save far more – up to 38%, which is obviously a hugely significant amount.

There are two settings: Eco, which will deliver maximum savings, and Comfort, which will optimise the temperature in your home, according to your preferences.

But we mentioned a catch, and here it is: Tado Balance only works with air-to-air heating pumps and air conditioners. At this stage, only 5-7% of buildings globally are heated using air pump technology.

The other issue is that Balance isn’t free: it’s an add-on subscription service that’ll cost you £3.99 per month or £29.99 per year.

To see what we thought of the Tado smart thermostat, and to see how it measures up against its competitors, have a look at our round-up of the best smart thermostats we’ve tested.