tado° and Panasonic launched two new smart features for Panasonic AQUAREA heat pumps on 5 September 2025, the first joint development to come out of the strategic partnership the two companies announced in 20241. The features are AQUAREA Sync, available now across Europe, and Hydraulic Balancing, available from November 20251.
AQUAREA Sync is an optimisation feature exclusive to Panasonic AQUAREA heat pumps. tado° says it can further reduce flow temperatures to increase efficiency by 10%, avoid short cycling by entering true standby, and dynamically boost power to underperforming rooms1. It is included free of charge for all tado° Heat Pump Optimiser X units connected to a Panasonic heat pump, and tado° says it will be activated automatically for existing bundle customers1.
Hydraulic balancing is described by tado° as best practice for optimising heat pump efficiency, though not a requirement for heat pump subsidies in the UK1. The company's approach uses tado° Smart Radiator Thermostats fitted onto existing valves rather than replacing them, which it says takes minutes and requires no plumbing1. Automatic hydraulic balancing will be free for tado° Heat Pump Optimiser X units connected to a Panasonic AQUAREA heat pump; for all other customers it will be available through tado°'s Auto Assist subscription at £3.99 per month1.
"This next chapter in our partnership with Panasonic is about building smarter features together. Because we're vendor-agnostic, our system already works with many heat pumps, but our deep technical access to Panasonic's AQUAREA models let us go further than ever."
The Heat Pump Optimiser X, launched in 2024, is the device behind both features. It works with a home's main heat pump controller to manage heating and hot water through the tado° app, and paired with tado° Smart Thermostats X or Smart Radiator Thermostats X it enables individual room control1. For households on dynamic energy tariffs, tado° says it can automatically shift heating and hot water usage to times when electricity is cheapest1. tado° states that its users already save an average of 22% on their bills1.
| Feature | Availability | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| AQUAREA Sync | Now, across Europe | Free with Heat Pump Optimiser X connected to a Panasonic heat pump |
| Hydraulic Balancing | From November 2025 | Free with Heat Pump Optimiser X connected to a Panasonic AQUAREA heat pump; otherwise via Auto Assist at £3.99 per month |
Why it matters for households
Heat pumps run most efficiently at lower flow temperatures, and how well heat is distributed around a home affects how low those temperatures can go. Hydraulic balancing addresses that distribution, and tado°'s version avoids the valve replacement that traditionally comes with it1. For a household, the practical effect is that a heat pump may run closer to its efficient range without plumbing work, which bears on running costs and on how much of a home's heating can be met from its own system rather than from higher-priced peak electricity. The ability to shift heating and hot water to cheaper hours on a dynamic tariff is a further lever on cost, though it depends on being on such a tariff1. The UK Government is targeting 600,000 heat pump installations a year by 20281.
What happens next
AQUAREA Sync is live now and activates automatically for existing tado° and Panasonic AQUAREA bundle customers1. Hydraulic Balancing becomes available in November 2025 to all customers with tado° X devices1. No further dates have been reported.