Definition of White Meter Electricity

Edinburgh65

I am wondering if someone can shed some light on white meter electricity for me please (bad joke, sorry!).

I've lived in the same flat for many years, and have always assumed that the white meter rated electricity, related to any units used within a particular timeframe overnight, both stored units (storage heater and hot water tank), and units used live (TV, lights, heaters etc).

There has been no movement on my night-time units in the last quarter, and my day-time meter charges are horrendous, so someone's coming from Scottish Power to check the meter next week (they inspected the meter a few months ago and replaced a faulty timer).

If however the night-time meter only relates to units stored, then a zero meter reading would be correct, as I have used a different form of heating this quarter, and am just boosting half tanks of hot water as and when required, rather than heating the full tank of water overnight.

I'm pretty sure that I should still be seeing some night-time units used live overnight though (bedroom panel heater and living room heater on all night, most nights etc), even though I am not storing anything, and just wondered if someone could confirm that for me please, just in case I am wasting the engineer's time by calling him out here?

penrhyn

If you have a mechanical clock associated with the economy 7 (white) meter, chances are its failed and you are being charged for day rate electricity all day.

Edinburgh65

Thanks penrhyn. That's what I was hoping. Given that I am not actually storing electricity at the moment, this tariff's probably not the best one for me, but it's good to hear that I will have been overcharged for units used live overnight, and that I should start to see slightly lower bills once the meter is repaired or replaced. Here's hoping!

Cardew

The 'white meter' fitted to most(all??) properties - particularly in Scotland - was different from the Economy 7 that is generally available in houses today.

With 'regular' Economy 7 all electricity consumed in the house(lights appliances etc) are supplied at cheap rate.

Not so with 'White meter'. The house is wired so that only storage heating and immersion heater get cheap rate for 7 hours. All other electricity is at peak rate 24/7.

So from what the OP is saying, I suspect that there is no fault as no storage heating or immersion heating is being used.

Edinburgh65

Oh dear, that's not such good news. I will still keep my fingers crossed for a miracle! I am not as frugal as I should be with electricity, but even so, today's bill seemed to be pretty excessive.