Advice needed on Storage Heaters

gemstars

Hi,

I know I've posted a similar thread but I haven't managed to get much of a response so I thought I'd try again with better wording.

I have overnight storage heating and my meter provides 3 readings - day, night and heat.

My energy company have told me that the 'heat' units are used to provide the boost on the storage heaters if I use it.

I am now using the heating for the first time and the 'heat' reading is whizzing up while the 'night' reading has hardly increased.

I know something isn't right but I can't figure out what.

One person I spoke to at my energy provider said my readings might be transposed, another said they think my meter timings might be wrong and they're sending an engineer out.

Can anyone offer and advice?

[Deleted User]

Hi,

sounds as though you are on comfort plus, so you will have day, night, and control (heat).

Your night rate is only fridge/freezer, anything left on standby and water heater, if set to come on at night, the control reading is for your heating.

gemstars

Thanks for replying.

What is comfort plus? I haven't heard of it. I'm not on a tariff called comfort plus if that helps?

[Deleted User]

Hi,

do you have this type of meter?

Electronic meters
Three rate electronic meter
The three rate electronic meter is used for the Comfort
Heat tariff. It has three different rates, Rate 1 (normal
period units), Rate 2 (low period units) and Rate 3
(comfort heat period units).
There is an electronic display screen on the front of the
meter with blue and orangebuttons just below it.
The orange button does not perform any operational
function; the blue button is used to read your meter.
The meter screen always displays your current tariff rates.
By pressing the blue button the electronic display screen
will show the following sequence:
Action Display Screen
Normal DisplayThe tariff rates currently being charged
Press onceThe current time
Press againTest display
Press againRate 1 units current reading
Press againRate 2 units current reading
Press againRate 3 units current reading
Press againBack to your current tariff rates
Note: The meter will always automatically revert back to
the main display showing the current rates 1 minute after
pressing the blue button.
The three rates can be read in the normal way, by reading
the numbers left to right and disregarding the last two
numbers after the decimal point (.00).

Viper_7

Yes, the heat rate is for the storage heaters/ (water heater if included on E7) - supply from about 1 am to about 6am
The night rate is for pretty much anything else other than the storage heaters and immersion heaters after around 23:30 to about 4am or similar.
Day rate is just the standard rate during the day.

Comfort plus maybe akin to Super Tariff or other fancy names for a secondary "boost" of the storage heaters in the afternoon for two hours.

You'd need to check with your supply verbally or on their website to see what the exact timings are as it does vary.

gemstars

Yes that is my meter, thanks.

I don't understand why my heat is on a separate rate (5.odd pence), I thought the whole point of overnight storage heating was that the heaters charged up at the cheap overnight rate (4. odd pence)?

Katie-Kat-Kins

That sort of tarriff is often known as Economy 10 and is relatively common in homes with electric heaters but it isn't always clearly communicated in bills and electric company staff aren't always very well informed about it either!

gemstars

Katie-Kat-Kins wrote: »

That sort of tarriff is often known as Economy 10 and is relatively common in homes with electric heaters but it isn't always clearly communicated in bills and electric company staff aren't always very well informed about it either!

Thanks. The tariff I'm on is an economy 7 one, maybe that isn't the best for me. I'll have a look on the internet and read up on economy 10.

Premier_2

gemstars wrote: »

Thanks. The tariff I'm on is an economy 7 one, maybe that isn't the best for me. I'll have a look on the internet and read up on economy 10.

As previously advised in another thread, I don't believe you are on E7 (despite what you may have been informed)

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2159397

gemstars

I saw your message on another thread but I don't understand why you think that.

I now see that economy 7 may not be the best for me but I'm told I'm on economy 7, my bill states I'm on economy 7 and the actual unit charges on my bill match up with the economy 7 unit charges on their website.

Viper_7

5p sounds about right for the storage heater (HEAT) rate charge.

Not long ago it used to be 2p :-(

and yes that is the point they charge up over night on the cheap tariff, and maybe a top-up in the afternoon on the same rate.