Smart thermostats, Italians seek the balance between comfort and savings

The radiators have just gone out in much of Italy, but the relationship of Italians with domestic temperature continues to tell a lot about daily habits, family balances and the way technology enters the home.

It is in this context that the growth of intelligent thermostats fits in, increasingly presented not only as comfort tools, but as levers for cutting consumption in a phase in which the cost of energy remains a sensitive item for families.

Photographing this evolution is Tado, a European company active in home energy management, which announces that it has exceeded 5.5 million connected smart thermostats and is now supporting over a million homes in Europe in the management of heating, cooling and electricity consumption.

A very Italian profile of the relationship with heating emerges from research conducted by Tado: rather than chasing high temperatures, families seem to aim for a stable feeling of well-being.

“Most Italians set the temperature between 19 and 21 degrees, with 20 degrees being the most common setting; it is therefore not a question of overheating homes, but rather of maintaining a constant temperature,” Christian Deilmann, co-founder and managing director of Tado, tells AGI. A trend which, he adds, “reflects a mentality that aims for well-being, while remaining pay attention to energy consumption and bills”.

Raise the thermostat secretly

In short, the thermostat is not just a device, but a point of mediation in everyday life. It is no coincidence that 16% of Italians, according to the survey, admit to raising or lowering it secretly from family members. For Deilmann, “this highlights how central heating has become central to coexistence” and shows how “temperature is an aspect that people actively negotiate or silently ignore”.

Behind this dynamic there is a broader transformation: energy saving must become simple, almost invisible. “The challenge is to make saving energy a simple task. People already know that energy costs money and they don’t want to have to constantly manage it“, observes Deilmann. Hence the value of solutions that automate part of the choices: “The most effective solutions are those that optimize consumption in the background, helping families reduce costs without sacrificing comfort”.

It is no coincidence that the emotional dimension is becoming increasingly important. Almost a third of Italians, 29%, leave the heating or air conditioning on for their family pets. “People think about the well-being of all family members, including pets, and not just their own,” Deilmann says. A sign of how domestic comfort is perceived in an increasingly less standardized and increasingly personal way.

Warm English, cold Spaniards

In European comparison, Italy is placed in an intermediate range. “It is not as heat-oriented as Spain, where more households are above 22 degrees, nor as tolerant of cooler temperatures as the UK, where most homes are set at 16 degrees,” notes Deilmann. “What stands out is the right compromise: comfort is important, but so is costand people actively try to find a balance between the two.”

It is precisely on this balance that smart thermostats try to build their diffusion. Tado is now focusing on a broader platform that integrates domestic climate, dynamic electricity tariffs, heat pumps, electric vehicles and renewable energy. But to truly convince consumers, the promise of the smart home cannot stop at convenience.

“Consumers no longer buy smart home products just for convenience, they expect it clear and tangible savings”, underlines Deilmann “If a solution is able to reduce energy bills without compromising comfort, this is precisely what favors its adoption”.

After a winter season still marked by attention to household expenses, the issue therefore remains open even with the heaters turned off. Because the intelligent thermostat is a candidate to become more than an object to be used a few months a year a stable home management tool: less linked to the cold emergency and increasingly to the control of costs, habits and daily comfort.