Twin-rate tariffs - where and what?

sghughes42

I've seen twin-rate tariffs mentioned a few times in posts on here but I'm struggling to find them from any supplier. SWMBO needs to sort out her tariff - she is on a standard tariff but needs to be on E7 as she has storage heaters. The twin-rate tariffs that offer heat in two periods, one at night and one during the afternoon sound ideal for her as she is out at work during the day so they would make E7 more cost-effective.

Can anyone suggest who does these and how to find them? I thought British Gas and Scottish Power (she is in the ManWeb area) did them but I can't find any details on their websites.

Cardew

All companies offer Economy 7. Are you sure that she isn't on E7 with storage heating?

The tariff that offers an afternoon boost at cheap rate is generally known as Economy 10 although there are variations of this tariff - particularly in Scotland(Heatwise etc)

Very few companies offer a E10 tariff and then only if the metering/wiring in the house is capable of accepting the tariff. I doubt any company will change your metering to E10.

sghughes42

She's only just moved in and the agent told her she was just on the standard tariff. Not had anything from Eon yet though to confirm this. I'd some some tariffs mentioned on here that were still 7 hours but 4 at night and three in the afternoon but can't find these shown on any energy supplier websites...

spiro

sghughes42 wrote: »

I'd some some tariffs mentioned on here that were still 7 hours but 4 at night and three in the afternoon but can't find these shown on any energy supplier websites...

That will not be E7 and very few suppliers offer tariffs. The afternoon boast was primarily for people in Scotland who suffer from shorter days and colder weather than down south, that is why very few suppliers support it. It is also about 10-15% more expensive for the night rate than E7.

sghughes42

The extra cost won't really be a problem - I would imagine it would still be cheaper than using other heating in the evening. The storage heaters seem to have lost a fair amount of their heat by the time she would be getting in from work so in effect she is wasting a lot of their heat. That said, they should keep the house warmer than it would be otherwise and the tenancy agreement also bans her from using any heating other than that supplied...

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

sghughes42 wrote: »

She's only just moved in and the agent told her she was just on the standard tariff. Not had anything from Eon yet though to confirm this. I'd some some tariffs mentioned on here that were still 7 hours but 4 at night and three in the afternoon but can't find these shown on any energy supplier websites...

Hi sghughes

Have we been told responsibility for the property has changed? If not, let us know and, if possible, tell us the meter readings on the day you took over.

An account can then be set up and a welcome pack will be sent out with details of the tariff etc.

The agent you speak to will be able to tell you the tariff straight away.

I would also have a look at the meter. See if it is a one or two rate.

Properties with storage heaters generally have two rate Economy 7 meters.

If the meter is two rate but the tariff is set up as a single rate, then this can be changed to Economy 7 very quickly. The agent can do this whilst you are on the phone.

However, if it is a single rate meter, it will need changing to a two rate before you can go on to Economy 7.

Other metering set ups (Economy 10, Economy 18, Heatwise etc) tend to be confined to specific areas. As Cardew says, they are also dependant on whether or not the wiring in the property can accept the metering. For these reasons you will not find these tariffs on our website.

Hope this is useful. Give me a shout if you need any more info as will be happy to help. Drop an email to the address in my Profile if you prefer.

Malc

dogshome

Hi sghughes42 - There might be some confusion here with the word "Standard" as it is commonly used to describe two different things:
STANDARD Electricity is supplied thro' a single meter and charged per unit with either a Daily Standing charge, or a higher price for the first XX units used each Quarter
A STANDARD Tariff can apply to Standard or ECO 7 meters, and is the most basic tariff offered, ie most expensive, as it does not have discounts for D/Debit payments or Online billing.

Estate & Letting Agents do not have a good reputation when dealing with details that don't directly earn them money, so your particular SWMBO should quickly check her meter set-up directly with Eon.
She should also report her moving in meter readings and get onto a tariff that has a discount for D/Debit payment, and also online billing if possible.

Be aware that ECO 7 is not cheap and requires carefull management to get the best out of it.
Depending how big and how well this flat is insulated, her bills could run to app. £1200 a year.
All the best

sghughes42

How soon should she get something from Eon regarding the change of account details? The agent has taken readings and sent them off to Eon and a letter from them addressed to the agent arrived at the property a few days back, but so far SWMBO hasn't had anything in her name from Eon.

The house does have a two rate meter - it is one of those digital ones that cycles through several readings. The wiring appears to be separate also as the storage heaters can't be charged during the day, only at night. (Not sure how this division works though as the immersion heater can be on at any time)

dogshome

Hi again sghughes42 - There is a strange smell about all this - There is circumstantial evidence of late that Letting/Estate Agents have been doing deals with Utility compananies for commission payments, to Switch the supplier at the time of a change of tenant.

This is fraught with problems for the new tenant, as not only are they initially denied direct access
to the new supplier, but if the previous tenant left owing money to the previous supplier, the new tenant will have the devil's own job sorting out the mess.

It's important that your SWMBO contacts Eon NOW , giving them her address, the Meter number
and asking what readings they have as her Day & Night start readings - If these are not the same as her moving in readings, she write to Eon refusing responsibility for any power used prior to her moving-in date

sghughes42

She is supposed to be phoning Eon today to find out what tariff she is on. I'll get her to ask about the moving in readings also. I must admit we forgot to take them but did take ones a week in. (She had only stayed one night at that point as she is only moving a short distance from her family home) The agent also sent the readings they had taken - I was surprised that she had used nearly 150 units in a week of very little occupation though!

We had been told the property had been empty for a while before she moved in but I must admit we are now a little suspicious of anything the agent tells her. They claimed the property had been reposessed and bought at auction, sold on and refurbished before being let. A neighbour tells a different story - the previous owner needed a bigger house due to a growing family...

(Either way she is the first tenant via the agent)

As you may see from another thread I posted, the agent gave (sold?) her details to a company called iammoving.com who tried to transfer her to Scottish Power but failed to ask simple questions like 'is it economy 7?' so signed her up to a single rate tariff... We've cancelled the change but are now trying to find out what is the best to move to.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hello again sghughes

Welcome packs are sent out within 28 days of the start of an account.

Dogshome has given some excellent advice. Make sure the account is set up in the right name using the meter readings the agent took when responsibility for the property changed.

Send us a copy of the Tenancy Agreement if there is any dispute with the agent about start dates.

As the meter is two rate, it will be very easy to set up on the Economy 7 tariff if this has not already been done. It can be backdated to the start of the tenancy if necessary.

Once the account is up and running correctly, I would check out all the options both with us and other suppliers. Pop your details on to one of the comparison sites to see what is best.

There are also extra discounts for paying with a Monthly Direct Debit and for managing the account online.

Hope this helps. As before, give me a shout if you need any more info as will be happy to help further.

Malc