Electricity prices to increase by 20%. This seems to be a common news headline these days. With this in mind, how do we keep an eye on saving electricity in a small office? One of the biggest uses of electricity is heating and cooling. With this in mind, we look at the Tado smart AC control
WHY should you consider a smart AC control?
The Tado smart AC control V3+ is a wireless smart device that controls your air conditioner (AC) to help you save energy. This accessory is mounted in the same room as your AC and effectively replaces your remote control. The Tado has several smarts inside that allow a schedule to be set up of operation times and different temperatures. It can detect if anyone is in the room or if a window or door has been left open. It can even be set up to geo-fence, which means it will switch on the AC when you are getting close to your office in the car and switch it off if you go outside that area based on the location sent from your smartphone.
What is in the Box?
The Tado smart AC control is available from stores like JB HiFi and Officeworks for $143. Inside the box, you will find a 100mm by 100mm x 15mm panel available in both white and black. A 1.85m USB cable and an AC power supply. There is a quick start guide to download the Tado app to your Apple or Android smartphone.
The sensor is capable of measuring temperature and humidity. It has a LED matrix pattern on the front which can display basic words symbols and the temperature. The surface also recognises when it is touched.
Within your office, you could support up to 25 air conditioners with 25 Tado’s, and up to 100 staff could use the App.
Using the Tado controller
The setup was very simple. The unit comes with 2 sticky pads allowing you to mount the box easily to the wall. The rear of the unit has lugs enabling you to wind up any excess cable.
After registering the App, you scan the QR code on the removable front sticker or rear, point your AC’s wireless remote at the Tado and press on as if you were starting your AC. I was surprised that the Tado instantly recognised my AC. Other than customising settings on the App, I was done. Setting up a smart home is not normally this easy. Speaking of which, Tado works with Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit.
Humidity is a problem in some parts of Australia, especially Sydney, where the temperature may be comfortable, but the humidity is not. Tado is smart enough to change your AC to dehumidify a room rather than cooling it again to save electricity.
We did not like that although all the basic features are included in the purchase price, advanced features such as auto assist must be subscribed to via the App for $5 a month. The key features that will save power, like geo-fencing, are the auto assist features.
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The Tado smart AC control turns your dumb AC into a smart one that allows you to control temperature and run times to minimise your power bills.
Tado is so confident they offer a 100-day money-back guarantee.
This product will suit those businesses that run their AC whenever people are in the office and help you save money, especially for those forgetful staff members that forget to turn the AC off at night.