Protected Tariff/Switching supplier/Storage Heating

macladd

Hi Folks,

I'm new here so please be forgiving...

I live in Scotland, my energy supplier is Scottish Hydro Electric and I have electric storage heating on a "protected tariff" called Total Heating Total Control + Domestic Economy

Basically, my domestic electric (non heat or hot water) has 1 rate for during the day and another cheaper rate for night. The heating and hot water is on a separate cheaper tariff 24/7

Problem is, that with all the price rises it aint that cheap anymore. I have tried to switch but none of the comparison sites I have looked at have anything like the tariff I am on to compare prices and switch. Even If I call Scottish Hydro they get confused with the tariff as when Southern Energy took over Scottish Hydro the customer services transferred south along with all the knowledge of the peculiar tariffs we have up here in the bitter North.

I tried to get Gas installed, Fulcrum Connections quoted £6500 just to connect me to the gas main 22 metres away from my front door!!!!!!! (Before Transco bit the dust a few years back the quote was £395......hows that for a price rise!)

I approached Energywatch who investigated the charge and Fulcrum Connections halved it, but it was still way too expensive just to get connected to the gas supply then have the actual cost of boiler etc on top.

So....my energy bills are rocketing, my house is cold, and I cannot seem to switch supplier...I'm stuck in a one bedroom Flat, built 12 years ago paying almost £85 per month for my electric, If anyone can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it very much. Thanks in advance

Cardew

It seems that an Economy 7 Electricity tariff is the only alternative to your current arrangement.

I would try to find out your total consumption in kWh for the last year.

Armed with that figure go to a comparison site and 'pretend' you have Economy 7. Enter 60% usage on Economy 7 rates and see who comes out cheapest. Just enter your current supplier as, say, BG dual fuel standard rate. It doesnt matter who you put down as you are only looking for the cheapest supplier.

If you can't get your consumption figure I would estimate a total of 15,000kWh pa and again 60%(9,000kWh) at E7 and 40%(6,000kWh) at normal daytime rates and see who is best. (this might be a little on the high side)

Then see if you can get a 'straight' E7 tariif from your current supplier and switch afterwards if it is cheaper.

peat

Scottish Hydro also do the economy 10 tariff which may suit your lifestyle but bear in mind during your calculations that there is a price rise due in January.

shona_2

We also have this heating system, and one problem is that the water gets heated (a lot!) during the night, but then by the time we get home the next day there is barely any water left so we need to put oon the booster to get hot water.
Does anyone know if I switch off the water heater at the tank would the booster still work?
Or failing that, how much would it cost to have a switch moved so we could do both switches from the kitchen (and not have to go into the attic to do the one at the water tank!)
Thanks

MichaelGlancy

Hi Im new to this too.

I have a THTC tarrif and there is a bit of a saga going on at the minute too.

Firstly it is someone in Perth (I think), Scotland who decides when our heating is turned on and off. I dont know how they do it, but it isn't done right.

We paid over £1000 in electricity bills, for the six month winter period last year. They hiked our DD from about £70 per month to £167 per month. I now take meter readings twice a day and I have found out some money saving gems.

Our water heater was always "on". It has two 6KW elements in it, in a cold attic. We fitted a booster switch and turned the main switch off. (it is insulated) This does for washing the dishes in the evening. This move alone has saved us a small fortune. (We use a shower to get washed).

I have been taking two readings a day, in the morning before work and in the evening before bed.

If I leave the heating alone, it uses 40-48 KW a day (@£2.50/day £225/quart). If I turn the heating off (at the fusebox) before I go to work and switch it on when I get in at night I save 20 units a day (@£1.24/day £110/quart) and there is absolutely no difference in the warmth in the house. The heaters are still hot when I get in. Why the people in Perth would want to swtich on my heating all day when the house is empty is beyond me.
I have very little control over my heating on a day to day basis. If the people in Perth get it wrong, the house is either chilly or like a sauna, and as we dont know when they will switch on/off its a guessing game as to how we have to position the outlet on the storage heaters.

I am planning to remove all the electric heating altogether.

In the end, it is the loss of the electricity companies.

Yours for now

michael

ps does anyone else agree that it is absolutely crazy that someone else should be controlling my heating ?

JimMcC_2

Yes, be careful! I am with Scottish Hydro, and was on this tariff. I believed it was both rather expensive, and a little difficult to control. I also thought it would prevent me changin suppliers. Last week, I got my meters changed (free of charge), and went on to Economy 7. If anything, my readings look higher, and the place has been freezing! I'm going to ask to change it back!

Pink_fluff

I think total heating times are dependant upon the weather forecast.

Pigzy_2

Hello all,
it loks like this topic has been looked at a few times but after reading the posts i am still not sure about this heating.
I moved into this house a couple months ago and have been trying to find out when this heating is supposed to come on and how it works.
I called Scottish Hydro and asked them and i was told that the heating comes on from 0330 to 0630 then again at 1100 to 1300 and finally 1945 to 2145. Now i have a radiator in the bathroom that seems to come on by its self and i took it to be that it comes on with the storage heating as there is no ther timer that i have found. Saying that i have checked on it through the day and evening and it is not on at the times i was told so i now have no idea what timesthis heater or if the times that Hydro says is correct.
I would also like to confirm that if i set ..ay my dishwasher to come on at 0330 does this use the cheap rate or rom what i think i read does it not matter as all sockets are on normal rate?
Thanks in advance for any advice given.

Cardew

Pigzy wrote: »

Hello all,
it loks like this topic has been looked at a few times but after reading the posts i am still not sure about this heating.
I moved into this house a couple months ago and have been trying to find out when this heating is supposed to come on and how it works.
I called Scottish Hydro and asked them and i was told that the heating comes on from 0330 to 0630 then again at 1100 to 1300 and finally 1945 to 2145. Now i have a radiator in the bathroom that seems to come on by its self and i took it to be that it comes on with the storage heating as there is no ther timer that i have found. Saying that i have checked on it through the day and evening and it is not on at the times i was told so i now have no idea what timesthis heater or if the times that Hydro says is correct.
I would also like to confirm that if i set ..ay my dishwasher to come on at 0330 does this use the cheap rate or rom what i think i read does it not matter as all sockets are on normal rate?
Thanks in advance for any advice given.

Welcome to the forum.

Can we assume you live in Scotland? As they have a number of historically 'weird' tariffs - far more than South of the border.

Even if you don't live in Scotland, nobody can give you a definitive answer as houses are wired differently.

Some houses have all sockets on 'day rate' 24/7, others have them at cheap rate, some have 3 rates.

All you can do is set your alarm and get up to check which meter is registering at various times of the day.

dunloadin

I can give you a definitive answer on THTC, it's the bain of my life.

First off, do you have one or two meters? If you have a key or token meter you'll have one meter, which has two metering elements to record usage simultaniously. If you pay by billing you'll have two meters (normally).

THTC is difficult to explain, but at it's most basic you have TWO seperate metering systems.

meter 1, is a single rate meter which supplies your domestic supply (i.e. lights, sockets, cooker etc); this is metered at the higher rate 24/7, so putting driers on in the early hours makes no difference at all.

meter 2, is a radio telemeter, which supplies ALL your heating at the cheaper rate 24/7. Normally a combination of storage heaters and panel/convector heaters are wired into the meter along with two immersion heaters in your hot water tank.

You can convert to eco7, but will have to work out the risks vs gains. You will get the benefit of cheap rate electric overnight for your tumble dryers etc, but your panel heaters and hot water boost through the day will be charged at the higher rate.