Some advice on Storage Heaters

TotalDespair

Hi

Just moved into a private rented flat after relationship breakdown and took this flat as it was al I could afford due to circumstances at the time and have been here 3 weeks now.

I have taken over the Npower account from previous tenants all final and entry readings tally.

Now I understand the basics of how the storage heaters work but where I am confused is how the meter works.

Its a single phase kw/h meter and has two rates the day rate bieng 26p for the first two units and 14.11p thereafter and the night rate at 4.5p per unit.

My storage heaters are wired into a proper fused on/off switch(no timer) which is connected a double socket point, how does the meter know when the storage heaters are on as they are switched on all day, and heating up at night I assume and releasing the heat via the output switch on the storage heater. I dont see any timer controlling the in and out of the electricity consumption to the storage heater and am worried that it is charging up on the high day rate.

Also the Landlord has 2 bulbs burning all night on a time switch in the communal areas and 2 large security lights burning all night outside I think these are on timers but as there are 4 flats in this converted house each with there own meter box and proper fusebox in each flat who is paying for these communal lights to be on all the time.

I dont wish to stay with Npower as there prices seem high and will be doing a comparison after I have ran the heaters for a month to check my useage.

I have to be extremely careful on how much I spend on heating, all the water is heater by small individual heaters, electric at the sink in the kitchen and washbasin in the bathroom and I have an electric shower..

The windows are single glazed old sash type draughty and the main entrance door is not exactley fitted and theres going to be draughts in the winter, so will be searching for advice on how to keep the heat in during the winter, Im dreading a winter like last year.

So could someone explain how the meter differentiated between the different rates Id use.

Storage heaters are not realy for me Im out all day when the heats on and in all evening when I need the heat and most of it has been output in the day even thought the out put switch is switched to 1..

sorry Im wittering on here just worried that Im going to be handed a huge electric bill and cant pay..Im taking meter readings every week but the amount used so far doesnt seem fair in comparison to the usageie no storage heaters on and just a couple of showers and one light bulb on yet Im already seem to be paying £10 per week on my calculations and goodness knows what it would be if both storage heaters were on and I was at home all day running television cooker and lights on everywhere

Any advice would be helpful thanks...

L

Owain_Moneysaver

The storage heater should not be wired into the ordinary socket circuit but should have its own circuit back to an off-peak consumer unit.

The off-peak consumer unit will be turned on at off-peak times only by one of:
- a timeswitch, which also changes the meter rate
- a radio teleswitch, ditto
- the meter may have an internal timer/teleswitch and a separate off-peak output

If you turn your main switch off then your meter should stop recording anything - if it's still turning (or flashing) then the outside lights are running off your meter. There would normally be a landlord's meter for communal area lighting.

Dys_Tom

I have 2 separate single-phase [2006] digital meters; 1. standard connected to consumer unit for whole house, except storage heaters and 2. 7hr off-peak connected to old electro-mechanical Horstmann timeswitch and then storage heater consumer unit. This was originally set-up by SWEB.
How can I check the operation of the timeswitch and what different modes does the red light on the meter indicate; off, flashing & continuous?
Dys Tom

Plushchris

Personally I wouldnt wait until you have had the heating running for a month to switch, I know you want to find out your usage but you have to think that it can take 2 months to actually switch and thats after the month you have just paid for at the higher rates (if they are high) so you will be paying the high prices for three months of having your heating on!

Nows the time to instigate a switch so you are on the cheapest tariff by the time you need to put the heat on..