Economy 10 electric

HawkesFord

Hi all,

I've moved into a 2 bed bungalow which only has an electricity supply. I'm currently with npower.
The meter has 5 different readings and it's on an Economy 10 tarrif due to only having storage heaters.

I've searched all the usual help sites and switching services and no-one has this tarrif, even Money Saving Experts own energy club does not cater for economy 10.

I'm currently having to pay £140 a month electric and it's crippling me (i live alone and i am disabled).

Anyone know what I can do?
(by the way the economy 10 tarrif is similar to the economy 7 tarrif - in that I get 'cheap' electric for 7 hours overnight - but in addition I also get 3 hours 'cheap' electric during the afternoon.)

Cheers

Vic

HappyMJ

HawkesFord wrote: »

Hi all,

I've moved into a 2 bed bungalow which only has an electricity supply. I'm currently with npower.
The meter has 5 different readings and it's on an Economy 10 tarrif due to only having storage heaters.

I've searched all the usual help sites and switching services and no-one has this tarrif, even Money Saving Experts own energy club does not cater for economy 10.

I'm currently having to pay £140 a month electric and it's crippling me (i live alone and i am disabled).

Anyone know what I can do?
(by the way the economy 10 tarrif is similar to the economy 7 tarrif - in that I get 'cheap' electric for 7 hours overnight - but in addition I also get 3 hours 'cheap' electric during the afternoon.)

Cheers

Vic

All energy suppliers charge virtually the same amount so there is no point switching. There is no competition for users on that tariff so they all charge the same. You need to consider whether changing your meter for a standard meter would save more money. Generally E10 is almost always worse than a standard meter (on an online managed direct debit tariff) unless in special (and very rare) circumstances.

So...how many units on each rate and what is the unit rate of each. Add them all up and compare online to other normal tariffs. Or with storage heaters you could estimate what percentage you might use at night and compare E7 tariffs online but that won't be anywhere near as accurate until you actually change the meter and wiring.

Wywth

HawkesFord wrote: »

Hi all,

I've moved into a 2 bed bungalow which only has an electricity supply. I'm currently with npower.
The meter has 5 different readings and it's on an Economy 10 tarrif due to only having storage heaters.

I've searched all the usual help sites and switching services and no-one has this tarrif, even Money Saving Experts own energy club does not cater for economy 10.

I'm currently having to pay £140 a month electric and it's crippling me (i live alone and i am disabled).

Anyone know what I can do?
(by the way the economy 10 tarrif is similar to the economy 7 tarrif - in that I get 'cheap' electric for 7 hours overnight - but in addition I also get 3 hours 'cheap' electric during the afternoon.)

Cheers

Vic

Do not even attempt to switch with that set up; such attempts invariably end in tears.

HawkesFord

Thanks, i've noticed how the energy companies that do offer Economy 10 (only 3 so far) all have similar, very high, tarrifs.

I've only just really found out what all the different readings are for, and received my first (frightening) bill.

I'm currently looking into LPG as well - just for heating, and then maybe changing to E7.

It's amazing how they can get away with charging so much for this tarrif when people have no choice (I've checked with my neighbours - both OAP's and we're all in the same situation).

Thanks for the replies.

HappyMJ

HawkesFord wrote: »

Thanks, i've noticed how the energy companies that do offer Economy 10 (only 3 so far) all have similar, very high, tarrifs.

I've only just really found out what all the different readings are for, and received my first (frightening) bill.

I'm currently looking into LPG as well - just for heating, and then maybe changing to E7.

It's amazing how they can get away with charging so much for this tarrif when people have no choice (I've checked with my neighbours - both OAP's and we're all in the same situation).

Thanks for the replies.

If you think off peak E10 prices are high then you have a shock when you see that LPG prices will be even higher than your off peak rate per kWh of useful heat output from the boiler.

Richie-from-the-Boro

HawkesFord wrote: »

Hi all,

I've moved into a 2 bed bungalow which only has an electricity supply. I'm currently with npower.
The meter has 5 different readings and it's on an Economy 10 tarrif due to only having storage heaters.

I've searched all the usual help sites and switching services and no-one has this tarrif, even Money Saving Experts own energy club does not cater for economy 10.

I'm currently having to pay £140 a month electric and it's crippling me (i live alone and i am disabled).

Anyone know what I can do?
(by the way the economy 10 tarrif is similar to the economy 7 tarrif - in that I get 'cheap' electric for 7 hours overnight - but in addition I also get 3 hours 'cheap' electric during the afternoon.)

Cheers

Vic

- if you are in receipt of DLA / AA / etc
- the Warm Home Discount rebate is worth £120pa
- the URL I've posted is SP but each of the big six do the same [ish] scheme
- feedback from these boards suggest SP is the cheapest of the very few providers of E10

If you need extra heating you need extra storage of the cheap stuff, your only other alternative is even more expensive on-peak electricity prices or equally expensive paraffin / LPG options. Extra storage would also [assuming the wiring is ok] would allow a move from the expensive E10 to to the cheaper E7. Paraffin / LPG brings an additional condensation issue along with the cost one, paraffin and LPG for example is about a litre of water displacement per litre of fuel burnt.

Scrounger

HawkesFord wrote: »

I've only just really found out what all the different readings are for...

What are the (five) readings for?

I know somebody on E10 that had a 3-reading meter (Day, Night (5h), Afternoon + Evening (5h) - heating & water only) replaced (due to a meter fault) with a 2-reading meter (Day (19h), Night (5h) + Afternoon/Evening (2.5h+2.5h)). I am guessing that this now works like E7 but with 10 hours instead of 7? (or will the afternoon/evening units still only apply to heating and hot-water?). Slightly confused?

Scronger

Horseunderwater

I believe that E10 runs the normal night time hours of 12.30-7.30 with the option of having another 3 hours during normal day rate charging period - hence why you need 3 read points. With E7 - you just get 2 rates - day/night that run as above without the +3 hours. Although I am happy to be corrected on this. I only have E7.

Atidi

HawkesFord wrote: »

Thanks, i've noticed how the energy companies that do offer Economy 10 (only 3 so far) all have similar, very high, tarrifs.

How can you claim they are very high?

You have nothing to compare them to. You cannot even compare one E10 to another from a different supplier bercause (a) they don't publish the prices and (b) there may be no other supplier in your region that offers E10 (it's often just the legacy supplier) and (c) one E10 is not the same as the next (which is why you can't switch)

What are your unit prices (and how are they applied)?

Richie-from-the-Boro

- E10 is a tiny % of the global UK market
- few, and less than interested competitors and competition
- its the gucci end of E7 and at gucci prices, want luxury - pay luxury prices
- all things being equal, SP seem about the cheapest E10 supplier

E10 is actually RHT and an RHT meter depends on your individual circumstances and can be different for different people. Many of the E10 meters go back to the old legacy arrangements made by the old 'regional electricity boards' and have never been updated or changed since. Swapping out the expensive E10 for the cheap [er] E7 tariff / meter can have the hidden and unexpected cost implications of paying a 'sparky' to check your entire electrical system this side of the tails. Once the heating / water heating circuits and CU's have been checked changing to a new E7 meter varies between £50 a pop and free depending on which supplier you choose to give you business to.

In a sentence all E10 suppliers are about the same high price for the reasons above.