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Economy 7 & Powergen ... again!!!

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Curry_Queen
Curry_Queen Posts: 5,589 Forumite
1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
in Energy
I've just this afternoon had my pre-payment meter switched to a normal one so I take advantage of cheaper payments via DD. They have, however, installed an Economy 7 meter, which I never requested :mad:

There's been no end of confusion regarding my account for some time now as they have mine and my neighbour's accounts/meters the wrong way around and we've been receiving each other's statements, and had I not kept a watchful eye on the electric guy it would have been my neighbour getting the new meter and not me!!! :rolleyes:

I was all set to ring Powergen and demand an explanation from them as to why they had sent me an Economy 7 meter (I don't want/need one) until the electric guy pointed out that for some reason the new meter is charging me the night rate during the day :eek:

This is where I need some advice from other Economy 7 users here as I haven't a clue how these things work and the electric guy said it could just be a temporary fault due to just being installed and may right itself, so to keep an eye on it. He didn't want to meddle with it if it was going to give me cheaper electric ;) ... (I won't even go into some of the horror stories he was telling me about Powergen :eek:)

The meter he has installed is a little white box with a digital display which rotates between the different rates, numbered 1 & 2, but the number that is flashing is the rate currently being charged (in my case at the moment no1 is flashing which he said is the night rate) so can anyone confirm this for me please, or has the electric guy made a mistake? :confused:
"An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will"
~
It is that what you do, good or bad,
will come back to you three times as strong!
«1

Comments

  • Galtizz
    Galtizz Posts: 1,016 Forumite
    My MIL has an old Economy 7 meter and on hers 01 is the day rate and 02 is the night rate :rolleyes: .

    There is a black button on it which, if you press it gives you the different rates 01,02, and 2 others that I don't know what they are. Try putting the kettle on and see which rate changes.

    You could try ringing Powergen and telling them you don't what it and you don't understand it, can they explain how it works, when they say which rate is day and which is night, if it is charging you night rate in the day agree to keep it on a trial for 1 month (you will probably have had a bill by then), then if it re-sets itself tell them you don't want it anymore and can they replace it with a proper one that you ordered in the first place. At least that way you have told them it is wrong.
    When life hands you a lemon, make sure you ask for tequilla and salt ;)
  • Curry_Queen
    Curry_Queen Posts: 5,589 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    It's definitely the number 01 rate that is clocking the charges at the moment as I've just checked it again and the last 2 digits have increased. I just need to establish whether that is actually the day or night rate. I've a feeling it is the day rate and the guy has made a mistake :rolleyes:

    If that's the case I now need to work out if there isn't a cheaper tariff that I could be using as the majority of my electric is used during the day (several reptile enclosures needing heat/light) and the only things on at night are tv/pc if I'm in one of my usual insomniac modes. I only use the washing machine 3-4 times a week, so the usage on that is negligible, so I don't think I warrant the need for Economy 7 if there's a cheaper alternative.

    As far as I remember I did originally ask to be put on the Energy Online tariff and never even mentioned Economy 7 :confused:
    "An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will"
    ~
    It is that what you do, good or bad,
    will come back to you three times as strong!
  • Graham1
    Graham1 Posts: 445 Forumite
    If it says something like "Radio teleswitch" or "RTS" on the meter then the day/night rate switch takes place by a radio signal - in which case I would leave it until tomorrow morning to see if it sorts itself out.
  • Curry_Queen
    Curry_Queen Posts: 5,589 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Been on hold for the last 1hr 10 mins and counting .... call.gif




    update.gif over 2 hours later ........

    Totally bloody useless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! :mad:


    Every question I asked the woman on the other end of the phone said "I don't know" or "I can't really help with you that" ...


    Well what the hell DO you know then?????????? :mad:


    I need a drink drink.gif
    "An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will"
    ~
    It is that what you do, good or bad,
    will come back to you three times as strong!
  • cliffybc
    cliffybc Posts: 1 Newbie
    I'm afraid the meter installing guy was wrong.I read gas and electric meters for Powergen and rate 1 is always the day rate. The night rate can be either rate 2 or rate 4. Hpoe that helps
  • Curry_Queen
    Curry_Queen Posts: 5,589 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I've looked at the meter again and it actually has a sticker on it saying rate 1 = low and rate 2 = normal :confused:

    It was on rate 2 just before 7am this morning but I don't know what times the low rate is supposed to be on anyway. I'll check it again a bit later.


    Edit: Ok, just to confuse things even more the meter appears to be recording 3 sets of numbers, but the third set has no rate number.

    Readings at the moment (approx 17 hrs after installation) ...

    Rate 1 = 07.56
    Rate 2 = 05.51 (currently flashing and increasing)
    Rate ? = 13.07 (also increasing)

    I haven't a clue what's going on :(
    "An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will"
    ~
    It is that what you do, good or bad,
    will come back to you three times as strong!
  • markokeeffe
    markokeeffe Posts: 20 Forumite
    Don't worry too much about the third rate. It's just the other two added together.

    Mark
    :beer:
  • Curry_Queen
    Curry_Queen Posts: 5,589 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    markokeeffe wrote:
    Don't worry too much about the third rate. It's just the other two added together.

    Mark
    :beer:


    LOL! thanks ... I feel embarrased I didn't work that out for myself :o

    Graham1 wrote:
    If it says something like "Radio teleswitch" or "RTS" on the meter then the day/night rate switch takes place by a radio signal - in which case I would leave it until tomorrow morning to see if it sorts itself out.

    I think you could be right about that as it's still on rate 2 now at 9am, so I assume it's corrected itself at some point during the night, probably midnight or something.

    I need to get hold of a proper list of tariffs now and try to work out if I'm better off keeping it or reverting to a standard tariff. The figures the woman gave me on the phone last night sound horrendous and don't tally with anything I've seen posted here or on the comparison sites :confused:
    "An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will"
    ~
    It is that what you do, good or bad,
    will come back to you three times as strong!
  • Ickle_Steve
    Ickle_Steve Posts: 154 Forumite
    I've just had a new meter installed on Monday. Both the old meter and the new meter had Rate 2 as Day and Rate 1 as Night. Strange, as I would have thought it more logical the other way around.
    Steve
  • Curry_Queen
    Curry_Queen Posts: 5,589 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    cliffybc wrote:
    I'm afraid the meter installing guy was wrong.I read gas and electric meters for Powergen and rate 1 is always the day rate. The night rate can be either rate 2 or rate 4. Hpoe that helps


    Maybe you're one of the ones that helps Powergen to c0ck up the bills then if you get them the wrong way round ;) ... outtahere.gif
    "An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will"
    ~
    It is that what you do, good or bad,
    will come back to you three times as strong!
This discussion has been closed.
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