Tado

A few months ago I read an article about a device - a "Tado" - that you can fit to your boiler and which then uses an app on your smartphone or tablet to detect when you're home and to regulate your heating. Since the hours at which I'm home are irregular to say the least, this seemed like a great idea, so I bought one.

Of course, there's no way something like this can work without some sort of installation involving the boiler but the website stated that 95% of people fitted the device themselves and, at the time, I think I was still flushed with the handful of minor DIY successes that I'd had under Dean's watchful eye. Anyway, the box arrived - before Christmas, I think - and has sat in the hallway ever since.

If I look back over my life, at school and at work, I've always worked better collaboratively than on my own. So, it shouldn't really have been a surprise that I wouldn't get around to fitting the Tado until I had someone to do it with. Today, the Minx navigated the Tado website and read out the instructions, talking me through the various steps of dismantling the boiler and attaching the Tado, which was surprisingly easy, although the excitement was high as I wasn't 100% sure that I'd completed disconnected the electricity*.

Mind you, it was a proper team effort as, firstly, I'd blundered off down the wrong track on the website and, secondly - and *crucially* - the Minx spotted when I put one wire in the wrong place. But I reckon it took us less then an hour to do completely and the website detected and then told us when we'd successfully completed major steps, which was really impressive.

Finally, all that was left was to download the app to our 'phones and marvel at the fact that the boiler knew we were both home!

*Obviously I'd turned the boiler off at the wall and at the fuse box but my low DIY confidence left plenty of room for anxiety.