NIE Powershift time difference!!!

woofwoofwoof

Just got home and the lovely letter from NIE is here telling me about the 33.3% increase in electricity costs. Included with the letter is a leaflet with information about the pay-as-you-go meter I have.

I always knew that the most expensive time was between 4pm and 7pm (as it says on the letter) BUT I did not know that during the summer this time shifts to 5pm to 8pm because of BST (this is not mentioned on the letter). I always read the leaflets that arrive from NIE and have never seen this mentioned before. Granted, the letter says that 'all times are GMT' - surely the time difference during the summer should be spelt out in plain english. I've just spent the entire summer months waiting until just after 7pm to stick on the washing machine, etc so that I'm not paying the most expensive rate only to find that I have been. I am so annoyed.

Did everyone else know about this or is it just me?

Look forward to any replies.

PS Before anyone goes looking it does say on the pdf file on the NIE website that you need to add an hour onto the times listed but this is in very small print away from the prices. So you can just take this post as a moan and a warning from me!

miserly_mum

Thankyou for 2 reasons, firstly for drawing my attention to PowerShift and secondly pointing out about the time difference.

I've signed up for it today and i'm sure it'll make a big difference to our weekly usage.

doelani

Yes when I signed up for powewrshift a while back they told me but I had also noticed it on the leaflet. I was saving about £5 a week but decided to change back to normal tarriff but am going to go back to the powershift tarriff I think

smsmith

I agree, it is VERY SMALL small print. I only knew because I phoned NIE to talk it through before I switched.

kyral

I didnt know about the time difference thing until today!:mad:

I have also been waiting until 7pm before using different things and have been wasting my time!

I was also planning on doing a bigger top-up to beat the higher rate for a week or two only my letter, which I received today and was dated 16/9, tells me that as of yesterday any topups will have the 60 digit code........flipping raging!

miserly_mum

Having cheap leccy before 9am definately gets you off your butt doesn't it.

I've one load of washing out on the line and another washed and ready and its not even 9 o'clock lol.

Immersion heater on for an hour and everybody except me showered before the morning cheap rate finished.

Our electric consumption is ridiculous, some weeks its nearly £20. So i'm gonna try really hard to stick to the cheap rate periods, especially at week ends when the washing machine and dryer are on most.

doelani

miserly_mum wrote: »

Having cheap leccy before 9am definately gets you off your butt doesn't it.

I've one load of washing out on the line and another washed and ready and its not even 9 o'clock lol.

Immersion heater on for an hour and everybody except me showered before the morning cheap rate finished.

yes but I FORGOT lol Have been off it for a while so will take a few days to get back into it.

The best thing I did last time was a sheet that went in kitchen showering times that electricity was cheapest/dearest and worked out how much it was for washer/dryer/dishwasher during each tarriff. Alos changed my washer to 30 degrees and a shorter was which amazingly takes 63 minutes compared to 120 minutes on a normal cycle. I looked up instruction book for washing machine online and checked the timings. Have only ever had to rewash one. lol

My shower is alos a problem!!! I who took 45 minutes last week for a shower:eek: not only was she is bathroom that long, not a problem, but had shower running the whole time even when she was doing other things before and after acually getting into the water. I have threatened to turn shower off after 15 minutes next time as switch is outside bathroom lol I am so evil :rotfl:

miserly_mum

doelani wrote: »

yes but I FORGOT lol Have been off it for a while so will take a few days to get back into it.

The best thing I did last time was a sheet that went in kitchen showering times that electricity was cheapest/dearest and worked out how much it was for washer/dryer/dishwasher during each tarriff. Alos changed my washer to 30 degrees and a shorter was which amazingly takes 63 minutes compared to 120 minutes on a normal cycle. I looked up instruction book for washing machine online and checked the timings. Have only ever had to rewash one. lol

OMG i've almost finished doing a chart thing just like that to put up on the fridge. Glad i'm not the only one who does that sort of thing :T

OH thinks i'm mad but hey it keeps me out of trouble

doelani

miserly_mum wrote: »

OMG i've almost finished doing a chart thing just like that to put up on the fridge. Glad i'm not the only one who does that sort of thing :T

OH thinks i'm mad but hey it keeps me out of trouble

no your not mad, will amaze you the difference in washing machine etc if you work it out. Make sure you colour code it lol

I do it two sided and laminate , one side with summer hours and them on back winter hours ( allowing for 1 hour difference) and then can just turn it over.

Have to get up at 5am tomorrow to run somone to Belfast, I will eb able to have EVERYTHING done before 9am although not sure if neighbours would appreciate me hoovering lol

miserly_mum

I'd been thinking about using the quick wash( 30 degrees) on my machine anyway. For stuff that doesn't really get dirty but only needs freshening up. OH and my clothes, towels, bedclothes etc

The kids clothes would need a higher temp and washing powder with added dynamite to get the dirt out. Especially my 8 year olds boxers (but thats another story):rotfl:

I'm hoping shorter wash times, using cheap rate leccy and trying to line dry as much as possible will get our weekly cost right down. Especially now the price per unit has gone up.

Gawd I need to get out more don't I ? :rolleyes:

doelani

miserly_mum wrote: »

Gawd I need to get out more don't I ? :rolleyes:

Our machine ahas a quick wash but as it uses les water only suitable for half load, but we also have a " short" button which is normal wash but les time if that makes sense lol I do most washes on 30 now.

I should get out more too, I now have my chart finished and did you know a 15 minute shower in my house will cost 59p during higher tarriff but only 22p at low lol will have to get everyone up early in mornings :rotfl:

wonder how much leccy I have wasted finding all that out lol