Supplier and tariff for RHT meter

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Sorry I wasn't around yesterday guys.

Hybrid meters like RHT/Economy 10/Economy 18/Heatwise etc were installed at the request of the builders/developers of particular properties.

They were originally a way of offering people without the benefit of gas a cheaper way of heating their properties. As such, the wiring is more complex than the more conventional meters.

Often, multiple registers are involved particularly where a boost function is available. In some cases, there's more than one meter.

This complexity stems from the need to measure the amount of electricity being used for heating purposes only.

With Economy 7 meters, the entire electricity supply is switched over to off peak rates during the specified times. This makes it relatively straightforward to add the day and night usage together and charge as a single rate.

This isn't so easy with the RHT type meter as there are different times involved during each 24 hour period and only certain usage (heating) needs to be measured. Hence, the need for multiple registers or a second meter.

As Helena said yesterday, RHT meters are designed to suit the heating system at the property and are wired directly into these circuits. They are also linked into our billing set up in such a way so the multiple registers can be billed correctly.

Our billing system is automated and tampering with these arrangements will inevitably lead to billing difficulties.

Many customers actually benefit from this type of meter as it fits in with their lifestyle and patterns of usage. It enables them to take advantage of off peak rates lower than our standard prices for chunks of their electricity.

I do understand the frustration it can cause if the metering no longer matches the requirements of the individual but, as it stands at the moment, there are no plans to change this as the demand isn't great.

However, at no time has either Helena or I said this is the only arrangement available. What we've said is there's only one tariff available from us for this type of meter.

If customers feel they aren't benefiting from their set up then by all means consider changing the meter for a more conventional type. Just be aware of the possible pitfalls I mentioned previously.

In these circumstances, we usually charge to change the meters as the decision to install them in the first place wasn't ours but those designing and building the properties concerned.

Not sure if you're aware but we're currently examining all relationships with our customers as part of the Reset Review announced recently by our new CEO. I'll happily feed back the concerns raised on this thread as part of this process.

Malc

Cardew

Malc,
Thanks for the above, however unless I have missed the point, I can't see that your explanation clears matters up.

I have a Economy 7 meter; the meter has two displays. You simply added the readings from both displays e.g. 1,000kWh on off-peak and 3,000kWh on peak was treated as 4,000kWh on a single rate tariff with normal Tier1/Tier2 charges.

I could understand the difficulty if he had three different rates, but from the OP's post he only has two rates RHT @ 9.387p and normal @ 13.22p. So what is the differnce between that and my Economy 7 meter from the charging aspect. Why can't you add his two readings together?

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi Cardew and sorry if I haven't been too clear.

RHT is a generic name covering a variety of multi-rate meters. In some cases, there's one meter with several registers. In others, there's two meters but again with possibly several registers.

As well as registers covering day and night usage for all consumption, there's others recording the amount of electricity going through the heating circuits at particular times. These can be further broken down into registers covering afternoon and evening usage.

Matters may be further complicated by the existence of a boost facility with its own register recording usage.

Sometimes one rate covers several registers. Therefore, although the OP states only two prices, these may cover different registers. Difficult to say without seeing the actual set up.

There are multiple combinations and possibilities. Historically, I know of at least 150 different types of RHT meter and there could well be more. None of which exist in any numbers compared with conventional meters.

Our billing system is fully automated and designed to handle the vast majority of meters (the more conventional single rate and Economy 7).

The RHT meter is more complex and the costs involved in supplying electricity at the times of day the customer requires it are different to those for conventional meters.

Therefore, we've built into our billing system a facility for unconventional meters like the RHT that adequately reflects these costs. This has been standardised to cover the many different types of RHT meter.

RHT meters form an extremely low proportion of our total metering database and, as such, altering our billing system to accommodate the many various possible combinations RHT might throw up is, at the moment, just not cost effective.

Not saying this will always be the case and we'll happily review this decision should demand change. However, at the moment this is the situation.

Hope this is a bit clearer Cardew. Give me a shout if still unsure.

Malc

jd87

If I want to have the choice of a tariff that treats all units equally, then neither I nor the supplier should care whether a unit has been used at night or for heating. In this case a kWh is a kWh is a kWh, so just add up all the ones I've used, on whatever meter, on whatever register, and charge me for them.

Computer system limitations are often understandable, but when it means a customer has to pay 25% over the odds (maybe more?) it is totally unacceptable.

Malc, I want to escalate this into a formal complaint. Please advise how best I can do this.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi jd87

Best thing is to contact our Director's Office. They're best placed to deal with this type of complaint. Contact details are on your bills or our website.

Hope this helps point you in the right direction jd87.

Malc

Colin_London

So to sum this one up, although just adding up the total of all the meter(s) register(s) and charging at a single rate per kWh is a straightforward concept, because EON have to use a special billing system to cope with all the readings at present they are only offering a special restricted hours rates to users of that system.

They are saying that it would cost too much to change this for the limited number of customers who use these restricted hours systems - presumably it would require a rewrite of the restricted hours billing system to do the addition and accommodate all the standard tariffs, or they would have to link the two billing systems together (never straightforward). They would also need a billing redesign to ensure transparency between the readings taken and the total charged for.

So the cheaper option for EON as far as this problem is concerned is to insist on a change of meter (at your expense) so you can be accommodated on their standard billing system.

There are two sides to this argument - as EON say it wasn't their decision to wire the house up that way in the first place. However, the fact that customers in these houses are wanting to move to normal tariffs because it would be cheaper rings alarm bells for me that something has broken. If EON offered competitive complex tariffs that provided a cost saving over single charge rate tariffs for houses that rely on electricity only supply, as was the original concept, that would immediately make it fair again and the problem would go away.

However, if someone changes their supply arrangements (e.g. adds a new LPG gas central heating system) for economic reasons then they should take responsibility to pay for a meter change as part of that investment. If people subsequently want to buy such a house where this hasn't been done then they should be informed about the fact before purchase, rather than complain after the fact that it's unfair they are tied to a certain electricity tariff or being asked to pay to change a meter.

Cardew

Agree with the above - however I suppose E.ON take the view that if they foot the bill for a new meter, people will leave straight away for another supplier.

Given that Economy 7 off-peak rates are in the region of 5p/kWh it is a disgrace that E.ON charge 9.387p/kWh plus a daily standing charge of 9.24p - so over double the E7 off-peak rate.

With the lack of knowledge of electricity tariffs I suspect many people on that tariff do not appreciate what a dreadful deal they are getting.

clarbrock

I have hadan RHT meter for -probably 40 years.A lot of my friends thought my electricty bill was horrendous (with E.ON) I thought I would have a shop around for a bettter deal and couldn't understand why nobody wanted to support the rht meter. I went to Which and asked no idea!!! Then I discovered your website and rang E.On and asked if it was true I couldn,t change suppliers. Yes they said so I asked why they did, and the asnwer was I had just accepted each supplier without question. So I said it was a negation of my right to change supplier, well yes, they said. But you could change to Economy 7 so I asked what the tariff would be - a great long pause and they told me the rht tarriff was a penny lower but the normal tarriff was 3p dearer. The cost of changing will be £51.00 Then I hear on the radio that electricty charges are coming down (atiny bit) and notice that E.On is not dropping the most but Scottish Poer is. I am in a complete quandry I have tried to speak to someone with technical knowhow but I just get sales people. What does anyone suggest? Has any rht owner changed to economy 7? clarbrock

jay_m

hi there,
i have also had this problem with the rht meter. I too am with e-on but must admit they have been really helpfull to me. I have been put on to the saveronline 9 tariiff, which means that all units that i use are charged at 9.5p no matter when they are used and have no standing charge for either of my meters.
hope this helps clarbrock

jd87

jay_m wrote: »

hi there,
i have also had this problem with the rht meter. I too am with e-on but must admit they have been really helpfull to me. I have been put on to the saveronline 9 tariiff, which means that all units that i use are charged at 9.5p no matter when they are used and have no standing charge for either of my meters.
hope this helps clarbrock

Sorry, are you saying that E.On are charging you on a normal tariff even though you have an RHT meter?

E.On reps, what do you have to say about this?