Wrong tariff? can i get refunded for this?

mooncat17

hello!

i just did my meter reading and fell off my chair! i am with EDF. i have been on standard tariff for economy 7. I have always assumed that this was the right meter as previously had storage heaters (which i no longer use as they are too expensive even on econ7) When i place my meter readings and fall off chair i always phone up and have to battle to stop them increasing my DD, as they dont like to have me in debt.. I currently pay £85 a month (for a 1 bed flat 1 person) I have just had to battle it down from being increased to £255, to £150 a month)!!! I have said to them AGAIN, am I on the right meter. This time i have been told that i probably am not as i dont use very much on my night meter. (hallelujah) so i am getting a meter change. however this throws up the issue of the fact that i have probably been on the wrong meter from the beginning. is it not there jurisdiction to help me by being advised if i am on the right meter/tariff? i am now going to be put on a new tariff as well... anyone know my rights on this?? thank you in advance

Fire_Fox

You are on the most expensive (standard) tariff with completely the wrong meter/ tariff if you don't use storage heaters. However storage heaters on a competitive E7 tariff are cheaper to run per unit of energy than any other form of electric heating, the only thing cheaper is gas.

So you would likely be better sticking with E7, switching to a better tariff, learning how to adjust the input/ output of your storage heaters to get the most benefit, starting to use more other energy at night (washing machine, tumble dryer and immersion on timer).

It's not the supplier's responsibility to choose your tariff or best meter for your use or even advise you impartially. It's your responsibility to read the meters regularly, pass the readings to the supplier, check your bills, feed your actual figures into a price comparison site. The supplier cannot be expected to understand your lifestyle choices and habits better than you, it's not in their interests to get you the best price or have you switch to another supplier.

treeze

my God! Why so much?! I don't use my storage heaters either and am on economy 7-run washing machine at night and a small radiator and pay approx £35 a month one person one bed flat.What energy are you using during the day to warrant this much?

macman

The supplier has no idea what heating system you have in your property, and care less. If you have an E7 meter, then you'l be placed on an E7 tariff by default unless you request otherwise. So no comnpensation.
Standard tariff is always the most expensive.
If you have no gas heating, then storage heaters are the cheapest option. Using standard rate for heating will be around 250% more per kWh, as your crazy DD appears to indicate.

flyingjock1

Fire_Fox wrote: »

You are on the most expensive (standard) tariff with completely the wrong meter/ tariff if you don't use storage heaters. However storage heaters on a competitive E7 tariff are cheaper to run per unit of energy than any other form of electric heating, the only thing cheaper is gas.

So you would likely be better sticking with E7, switching to a better tariff, learning how to adjust the input/ output of your storage heaters to get the most benefit, starting to use more other energy at night (washing machine, tumble dryer and immersion on timer).

It's not the supplier's responsibility to choose your tariff or best meter for your use or even advise you impartially. It's your responsibility to read the meters regularly, pass the readings to the supplier, check your bills, feed your actual figures into a price comparison site. The supplier cannot be expected to understand your lifestyle choices and habits better than you, it's not in their interests to get you the best price or have you switch to another supplier.

Agreed. If you didnt tell your supplier you no longer used the storage heaters at night or didnt do anything at night that would be charged at the lower rate, then its up to you to ask them if the meter is suitable for you. If you didnt and were relying on telling you to swap to a single rate meter and they didnt, dont know how you could claim from them. However if you did tell them and they never looked into the possibility of a meter swap then that may be a different story.

mooncat17

I dont use the storage heaters because I dont understand them completely, and when i first moved in my bills were even crazier as i has se tariff which was called super deal which let the heat out in the day and was always cold at night.. which when i am at work most of the time this seemed stupid.
My fridge is on always. my boiler is on timer 3.45 am till 6am, then 6pm-7pm. I have one of those little tiny oil filled rads in my bathroom on all the time to keep cold and damp out. when its been bitter cold I have had electric rad on in bedroom on low all the time again to keep the damp down. other than that everything else is on standy remote switches to turn off everything. I work 60 hours a week,,, so hardly ever here. flat about 20-25 yrs old.. mainsonette, ground floor. not much natural day light so lights on all day when home, and freezing cold. (upstairs has windows wide open dancing around in a hawaiin shirt and a grass skirt)!!! I cannot use washing machine at night else neighbours will go nuts. hear everything in these flats. only water is on econ 7 times. hence why i think i should change meter to a standard then get better tariff???????????

amiehall

Why are you heating your bedroom and bathroom 24/7 while you are not in there/at work? I don't use my bedroom storage heater at all and prefer an electric blanket but compared to what you're doing, leaving it on low would be much cheaper!

Similarly with the bathroom, I have a fan heater on the wall that I use when getting in and out of the shower. Saves keeping it warm all day.

macman

I can only suggest that you learn how your NSH's work and use them-they're a third of the cost of oil-filled rads running on peak rate E7.

mooncat17

I thought they released during the day? then none left for late night? I cant be doing with being cold as its a really cold flat ie 14 degrees cold. I already said in my previous post that i keep the little rad on in bathroom to stop the damp. Its on very low. Same in bedroom every other night or so or when its raining as I have a damp problem there too. in fact my whole flat is damp. come dryer weather i can switch off for a while. with the storage I am guessing I have to spend all aturmn winter and spring glued to weather reports to know if i put them on or leave them off... I dont know how to use them cos they are ancient there are no manuals, no clear markings on them and no makers mark... so all very well saying learn how to use them... My energy rating for my flat is E, and like I have already said it doesnt get natural light/heat. its ground so i get the cold from the ground as well.