When Anthony Cherry stepped into the Dragons' Den, he wasn't just pitching another smart home gadget. He was presenting a solution born from real frustration as an HMO landlord and it's a solution that's now saving landlords like me thousands of pounds every year.

From Problem to Product


Anthony's journey started 20 years ago when he accidentally became an HMO landlord. Like many of us, he bought his first house and rented out rooms to help with the mortgage. But it was during his second degree in podiatry that he really expanded his portfolio, buying multiple HMOs near his university.

The problem? Heating bills that were spiralling out of control.

"I was getting really, really big bills," Anthony explained during our recent podcast conversation. "It was becoming a major outlay, almost as much as the mortgage. Every single one of my houses had a different type of thermostat, and tenants would leave the heating on not through any fault of their own, they just didn't understand how to use them."

Sound familiar? I certainly recognised this challenge from my own portfolio.

The Dragons' Den Experience


Getting onto Dragons' Den wasn't easy. Anthony had been applying for years before he was finally approached by the show. The experience itself was intense what you see as a 15-minute pitch was actually an hour and a half of grilling from the Dragons.

"There was a lot of work involved before you even get in the den," Anthony recalls. "They want all the information because they don't want any surprises. But it's a very genuine experience what you see on TV is kind of what happens."

The preparation was crucial. Anthony had scripts, pitch notes, lists of potential questions and prepared answers. Yet even with all that preparation, the Dragons still surprised him with unexpected questions.

"The Dragons are really smart," he told me. "There's not much that gets past them, and they're nice. They put you at ease mostly."

Post Dragons' Den Success

The impact of appearing on Dragons' Den was immediate and significant. Website traffic went through the roof, sales increased dramatically, and awareness of TIME:O:STAT in the HMO and serviced accommodation sector exploded.

But perhaps more importantly, it validated what Anthony had discovered through his own experience that there was a genuine need for heating controls designed specifically for landlords.

My Personal Experience

I can personally vouch for the effectiveness of TIME:O:STAT. After installing the system in one of my HMOs a six bedroom property I saw an immediate 50% reduction in heating bills. That's not a typo fifty percent!

More recently, I retrofitted TIME:O:STAT in a four bedroom property that had previously been costing me 50% more to heat than the larger six bedroom house. The difference has been remarkable, and my tenants love the simplicity of the system.

What impressed me most was how straightforward the installation was. My electrician had never fitted a TIME:O:STAT before, but with support from Anthony's customer service team, it was done quickly just connecting to Wi-Fi, wiring to the boiler, and generating a code to link it all together.

Why TIME:O:STAT Works


The genius of TIME:O:STAT lies in its simplicity and landlord-focused design. Unlike domestic thermostats like Nest or Hive, which are essentially "toys" designed for homeowners, TIME:O:STAT is a tool built by a landlord for landlords.

The system saves money not by making tenants cold, but by eliminating waste not heating empty houses and not heating properties when tenants aren't actually feeling cold.

As Anthony puts it: "Just because you're moving around doesn't mean you want the heating on. If you're sitting down watching TV with no motion, that's probably when you're most cold."

Looking Forward

Anthony's success story is far from over. With nearly 15,000 TIME:O:STAT units sold and exciting developments on the horizon including wireless versions, enhanced app features, and integration with booking software for serviced accommodation this Dragons' Den success story continues to evolve.

For landlords struggling with heating bills, TIME:O:STAT represents more than just a product it's a solution that addresses a real problem with real results.

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