Energy IQ - Usage is not based on actual meter readings

We were away from home for about one week and wanted to try an experiment with usage data. Our heating was in away mode throughout and did not switch on.

I submitted regular meter readings within Energy IQ at the start of April, then on the day we left, and as soon as we returned, and on the following day. The meter readings clearly show zero gas usage for a 6 day period, and then only 4 m3 used on the next day, when we returned. Usage is now back to normal levels (around 4 - 6 m3 daily).

Despite this, the Energy IQ graph shows gas usage for the time we were away. Even though the gas meter readings show zero usage.

I queried this with Tado Support and was told:

"Please note that we are estimating the total energy consumed and not only energy consumed by heating. We do this by assuming a constant consumption of energy outside the usage for heating. This means we might show that energy was consumed even though you were not home during a certain period, or if your heating was completely turned off."

Surely this is wrong. It means the estimate takes no account of actual meter readings. If the readings show zero usage, where does the gas come from to supply this additional usage they speak about?

The methodology used for consumption in Energy IQ needs to be improved, to take better account of actual gas usage, from meter readings, as well as boiler performance via Tado.

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  • andyblac
    andyblac ✭✭✭
    edited April 2022

    I agree, IMO if we are using OpenTherm then they should be NO need for meter readings at all (assuming you don't have GAS Hob etc). There should be config option's to tell Tado what GAS appliances you have in your home so it can better work out the algorithm.

    Energy IQ needs a lot more work to be of any meaningful use.

  • In my opinion tado° should remove this from general distribution........possibly they could ask some customers that are Beta App users to trial this feature.....a broad sample range of customers would/could supply a "real time" usage data for tado° to work on their algorithm.....if indeed there is one.
    In it's current condition it is useless.
  • andyblac
    andyblac ✭✭✭

    tbh, my gas usage from Energy IQ is within 15 - 20 m3 at the end of the month, compared with actual meter readings.

  • @andyblac
    What is that as a % of your average monthly gas usage......and does tado° know how many other gas devices you have.....cooker/hot water etc
  • andyblac
    andyblac ✭✭✭

    @GrayDav4276 I only have a GAS hob other than the boiler, not sure how much that's uses. My smart meter does not work as I live in an area that has no signal, so it just acting as a dumb meter. Not sure I would use 15 units on the GAS Hob a month as that is quite a bit for a Hob.

  • @andyblac
    So can you tell me how tado° can possibly estimate your heating usage (or anyone else's) from purely the total gas used per month......I just don't get it.
  • andyblac
    andyblac ✭✭✭

    @GrayDav4276 TBH I do not expect it too, This is why I keep asking WHY Tado˚ is not using the data from OpenTherm as that knows exactly how much GAS the heating and hot water uses. There is just NO NEED for meter readings.

  • GrayDav4276
    GrayDav4276 ✭✭✭
    edited April 2022
    @andyblac
    I have no idea what information is available via Opentherm........or even if tado° is capable of "number crunching" this data tbh

    Commentary by tado° on how they are achieving their "estimated" usage is distinctly conspicuous by its absence.

    And also as I have now cancelled my "Auto Assist" subscription, I have no further need to look at the information that tado° is providing in this feature......so to quote a well known character from a well known comedy show...... "I'll get me coat" 😎
  • andyblac
    andyblac ✭✭✭

    @GrayDav4276 I am lucky I got my Tado when Auto Assist was included in the purchase price.

  • Unfortunately.....I was just too late.
    Having said that......because of my home situation, there is only the "geolocation" part that is useful to me, and I'm happy to "react" to a notification for this. So it's not worth the cost of the subscription for me.
    I actually wish I could remove the "unnecessary" additional tiles from my App Homepage......maybe then I wouldn't get wound up cos I wouldn't "see" it.
  • eezytiger
    eezytiger ✭✭✭

    Last month my actual metered TOTAL gas consumption was 995 kWh. Somehow, with daily meter readings provided to Tado, they managed to estimate my HEATING consumption to be 1,061 kWh. Say what?

    At least in April the Tado estimate for HEATING is running below my TOTAL so far and is flat-lining the graph when heating has been off for a few days. March was just a mess.

    But why does the tile explicitly say that the figures are an estimate for HEATING when Tado support says it's an estimate for TOTAL use? And if it's an "estimate" for total use then it doesn't need to be an estimate at all, because that's exactly what the meter readings include. It's just nonsense. My supplier gives me all this and more. I don't need to pay extra for Tado to guess at the numbers I already know.

  • I wondered about the data as my energy forecast had dropped by 10% at the supplier end and I'd also had a week away with no consumption. As of today from Octopus, I've used 92.17 cu m3 but Tado's energy monitor says 167 cu m3 😱. I've even given them meter readings which show that it's 92 cu m3.

    It thinks I'm using more gas although it's 4 deg warmer as well. They don't have any idea.

  • It's a real shame that Tado does not use the actual meter readings in its estimates of heating usage.

    If, as in my case and @mindstorm, there was a period of zero usage, and the meter readings support this, the usage graph should be flat.

    I do not see any reason or justification for it to be otherwise, or for Tado to assume there has been other gas usage for non-heating purposes. If this were so, where is the gas coming from?

    The meter readings, if supplied regularly, are the absolute proof of usage, and Energy IQ should be set up to take this data, refine it, compare it with heating data from Tado and present it in a user friendly format. Then Energy IQ would be a useful tool.

  • I have found the energy IQ forecast feature useless. I’ve given the auto assist subscription 3 months, providing meter readings each month, and just when you think it’s getting close to providing a reasonable forecast for each month, the feature does some sort of monthly reset that changes all previous month’s forecasts to a wildly inaccurate usage.

    I’ve cancelled the subscription now.
  • I thought that tado° would have sorted this totally inaccurate method of "estimating" Heating usage....they don't seem to understand the basic functionality of their own feature.....it's laughable.
  • Yep. I know it's it testing phase but it's well out of context. I provided meters everyday and some 90% of my gas consumption is actually heating. This isn't taken in consideration as you can't set ratio heating/cooking. I know some places that use 100% gas for heating. No hot water or cooking so those estates are not valid and may show massive savings whilst using tado which will not be true.

    I do not use tado to save more money. I use it to have warm room at the correct time without hassle of running up and down and turning on and off valves and hearing controlls.
  • Grrrr, my I'm fast falling out of love with tado - I've had so many issues with heating being on all night (waking me up because it's too hot!) when the timings on the app clearly show that it's set to frost between 10pm and 7am yet it's "heating to 20°" etc etc etc But the Energy IQ really grinds my gears- despite providing meter readings (which should therefore mean their calcs are precise and NOT estimated) it says I used 95.67£ of gas in January, but my consumption (from my Bulb app) is actually £280. How can they get it so very, very wrong? 🤷‍♀️
    I appreciate that it doesn't include the standing charge, but that's less than £10 per month.
    Am I doing something wrong, or is this the general experience? My gas rate is 10.43p per kWh so I've set it to 0.11£/kWh and provided a monthly meter reading going back a year....and I've double checked that the meter readings are set in m3......it (like many other tado features) doesn't make much sense
  • In my honest opinion...... None of the tado° subscription features actually work effectively enough to justify the cost. All they really are is clever sales teasers aimed at new customers who haven't any experience of tado°s methodology or customer service ability.
  • and the IQ does not take into account for Cooking or hot water, so if you have baths etc, that will be another reason it is way off.

  • GrayDav4276
    GrayDav4276 ✭✭✭
    edited February 2023

    I have downloaded the "Loop App" which reads the details directly from both my Smart Meters and uses the tariff information for the current "Price Cap" suppliers.

    Although this only provides total usage for gas and electricity and provides estimates based on your actual usage........the major difference between Loop and tado°s EnergyIQ is this........Loop is accurate and tado°s is "Mickey Mouse"

    Readings are available for Daily/Weekly/Monthly/Annual with the daily readings split into 30 min readings.......(tado° ?????)

    Plus Loop has access to the last 12 months usage figures.......so any comparisons I wish to make are actually relevant.

    And 1 final point........it's free......no subscription fee........go figure tado°