Odd off peak times

AndyLaw

Hello I seem to have a strange electric tariff. My electric supplier SSE has told me that my offpeak hours are 4AM to 2.30PM which seems to be really odd. My offpeak rate is about 8p per kw/h which is high in comparison to some vendors, and suggest that perhaps this is compensating for the unusual hours. I also have two daily standing charges one for peak (14p/day) and one for offpeak (3p/day), which again I cannot see for any supplier. I cannot find any of these rates advertised on the SSE price lists. The tariff is called "general domestic and off-peak fx". which I cannot find on their website. Any ideas why this might be set-up in this way? Thanks

Aesop

http://www.southern-electric.co.uk/uploadedFiles/CoreMarketingSites/Assets/Documents/NonStandardRates.pdf

AndyLaw

Thanks for that - but, assuming the 5% vat applies uniformly across the whole bill, my numbers still don't appear in that tariff in my area (bh19 - southern or southwestern) - can/do the suppliers tailor tariffs to specific customers?

hecate20

From the sounds of it, you have 2 electricity supplies (or MPANs) where one supply measures your general usage, the other supply measures just storage heating. The 2 supplies can then run simultaneously. Its quite uncommon so it does not surprise me that SSE do not have a published tariff for it.

Normally it would be economy 7 or economy 10 where there is one supply that measures all of your usage, but has a time switch to separate day and night usage.

AndyLaw

Thanks - that's interesting to know. If I were to change to a new supplier (currently my off peak is 80% of the bill and SSE charge 8p+ per kwh - so I should get a significant saving) will I have to jump through a load of hoops , or can I just say I have a peak and off-peak meter and take their Economy 7 rates? Thanks.

AndyLaw

Confirming that I do indeed have two MPANs on the bill - one is "Domestic Unrestricted" and one is "Domestic Economy 7".

hecate20

You're gonna get different rates with each supplier..the supplier I work for would charge the general domestic rate for one mpan and the off peak E7 rate for the other (a lot less than 8p). Other suppliers may have specific tariffs for this type of metering...its definitely worth calling the suppliers and asking rather than get online quotes.

AndyLaw

many thanks for that - will give it a go

eurmalian

If you try to switch then you won't make a standard change. When there are two MPANs at the address there are extra checks and regulations on a change of supply. Thist firstly means that it takes longer and secondly means that the supplier will actually check what they can about the meter records and find out whether they can support the type of meter you have. This could mean that they decline to take over your supply, may mean that you get switched to just standard rates on each MPAN so that you pay the same as everyone else, may mean that they move you onto a form of Economy 10 tariff if they suppport that or can even mean that you start being charged at a premium. Great as it would be to just get the E7 rate as Hecate suggests, that's not how it works with 2 MPAN supplies I'm afraid.

AndyLaw

** puts phone back on hook and sighs **

Wondered if it were too good to be true...so would I be better just to get the supply architecture changed to a single mpan and a timed switch over to a normal E7 or E10 tariff? I am loathe to do this as my cynical side suggests that if suppliers don't want multi-mpan customers, then it's probably in my interests to remain as one (even at 8p per kwh). Or does it all depend on my usage: my 2011Q2 bill was for 1454 kwh at 11.5p (peak) and 6079 kwh at 8.0p (offpeak) with standing charges 12.8p per day (peak) and 3.5 p per day (offpeak) (all before vat).

hecate20

Your meter is not peak/offpeak..one of your mpans is measuring all of your electricity 24 hrs a day, the other just your storage heating. You would be worse off on an E7 tariff as your rate would increase from 11.5p (a general domestic rate) to about 15p (a peak E7 rate). Not all suppliers will accept your metering set up, but some will. I know Eon, EDF and Utility Warehouse do for definite