Official MSE Economy 7 Guide discussion

Patr100

What's more, it ends up costing the supplier money supplying their single rate tariff when the customer has a dual rate meter since the extra cost of renting the dual rate meter is not accounted for.

Who do suppliers rent their meters from if they can fit them themselves? And why does a dual, once fitted, cost more to rent?

footyguy

Patr100 wrote: »

Who do suppliers rent their meters from if they can fit them themselves? And why does a dual, once fitted, cost more to rent?

They don't usually fit them themself, but rather they arrange for them to be fitted. They pay rental presumably to whoever actually owns them. (this may be via a convoluted arrangement, rather than sending a cheque once a month to Mr Meter Owner)

Even in the unlikely event that a particular supplier does own and fit the meter, it will probably be run as a seperate business unit (if not company) to the supply side; imagine what happens if the consumer switches supplier (they don't usually get a new meter fitted)

The higher cost of rental presumably reflects the higher cost of the meter. (although there are some meters now that can be configured to be either single registry or multi registry)

pineapple

I am on Economy 7 and have a couple of ancient storage heaters. The only controls are the input/output dials plus a wall switch for on or off. When I moved in, I assumed that my 7 cheap hours were in a solid block from around midnight to 7am (give or take an hour for summer/winter time). That's because, if switched on at the wall, the heaters go on and the switch lights up for that 7 hour period - currently around 1.15am - 8.15am.
But the energy company just told me that the 7 hours are split - ie 9.30pm to 11.30pm and 1.30am to 6.30am.
There is a main fuse board and an 'Economy 7' one which I believe the storage heaters are wired into. There is a label on this referring to a clock and a teleswitch controlling the hours. If these are the wrong hours whose responsibility is it and could I have been operating my storage heaters using expensive peak rates?
Though the company's site says
Times for the cheap rate period can vary from household to household, as they depend on the type of meter and teleswitch you have fitted, and the area where you live.
So could it be that they have given me the wrong timings? Or is it the teleswitch?
How do I sort this out? Is it down to the supplier or me and an electrician?

Richie-from-the-Boro

Your info from your energy company is wrong. Which energy company, and what exactly is the name of your tariff ?

pineapple

The company is Eon.
Area Cumbria
Energy Fixed 1 year v 19.
Economy 7
Cheers
PS when I called Eon, it was suggested I need an electrician to sort the timing but the heaters don't have inbuilt timing. They are controlled by a teleswitch. Checked as I don't usually use the heaters at this time of year but if switched on at the wall, they currently draw power from 1.16am to 8.16am. Been doing a bit of digging online and found a post from someone who had been given a different teleswitch and the off peak timings had gone from a solid 7 hour period to a split 7 hour period so I'm wondering if I have the wrong teleswitch fitted. I would prefer the split schedule..
Update just checked the meter during this period and yes the time to 8.16 am is being recorded as low rate. Not only that but the clock is showing over an hour out.

Discussed with neighbour who is also with Eon on Economy 7. She had a new meter fitted a while back and was told at the time that she is on a split 7 hour schedule. She has been trying to fit her electriclty usage accordingly but is now double checking. Her bills these days are quite high. She will be a bit cross if she has been given wrong information!
I'm wondering if this is down to the people who fit the meters rather than Eon?

footyguy

pineapple wrote: »

I am on Economy 7 and have a couple of ancient storage heaters. The only controls are the input/output dials plus a wall switch for on or off. When I moved in, I assumed that my 7 cheap hours were in a solid block from around midnight to 7am (give or take an hour for summer/winter time). That's because, if switched on at the wall, the heaters go on and the switch lights up for that 7 hour period - currently around 1.15am - 8.15am.
But the energy company just told me that the 7 hours are split - ie 9.30pm to 11.30pm and 1.30am to 6.30am.
There is a main fuse board and an 'Economy 7' one which I believe the storage heaters are wired into. There is a label on this referring to a clock and a teleswitch controlling the hours. If these are the wrong hours whose responsibility is it and could I have been operating my storage heaters using expensive peak rates?
Though the company's site says
Times for the cheap rate period can vary from household to household, as they depend on the type of meter and teleswitch you have fitted, and the area where you live.
So could it be that they have given me the wrong timings? Or is it the teleswitch?
How do I sort this out? Is it down to the supplier or me and an electrician?

What is there to sort out? E7 provides 7 hours of cheap rate energy per day. According to you, you receive this currently around 1.15am - 8.15am

It sounds like the advisor got it wrong. You can complain to the supplier if you want to about this misinformation, but I very much doubt they will do much about it.

footyguy

pineapple wrote: »

...

Discussed with neighbour who is also with Eon on Economy 7. She had a new meter fitted a while back and was told at the time that she is on a split 7 hour schedule. She has been trying to fit her electriclty usage accordingly but is now double checking. Her bills these days are quite high. She will be a bit cross if she has been given wrong information!
I'm wondering if this is down to the people who fit the meters rather than Eon?

As you are aware...

pineapple wrote: »

...
Though the company's site says
Times for the cheap rate period can vary from household to household, as they depend on the type of meter and teleswitch you have fitted, and the area where you live.
...

pineapple

footyguy wrote: »

What is there to sort out? E7 provides 7 hours of cheap rate energy per day. According to you, you receive this currently around 1.15am - 8.15am

The point is they sent me an email saying my cheap rate was between 9.30pm - 11.30pm and 1.30pm - 6.30pm.
But this doesn't reflect the time my storage heaters start drawing power. When I phoned them they said the times stated were correct and suggested it was a domestic/storage heater issue and I needed to consult an electrician. In retrospect this is nonsense but I then wondered whether I needed to reorganise my schedule according to the cheap evening period and whether I had been missing out/paying over the odds.
But I have since done a check and it shows on my meter that the cheap rate does go on and off between 1.16 and 8.16am.

I phoned Eon again today and someone from another department said the email was misinformation. He said they don't set the times and that my storage heater period is roughly in line with the low rate set for the area which is 1.30 - 8.30.

If they are sending out wrong information to their customers and people aren't double checking, it could cost them dear. It's not just a matter of getting cheaper electricity at certain periods - the 'normal' rates are hiked.
If I had moved in this summer I wouldn't have known about the storage heaters and would have assumed the information given by Eon was correct. I would have been doing all my high energy things in the evening and setting things with timers accordingly. You should be able to trust that your provider is giving you correct information.

I'm also concerned that they are contradicting themselves and not making any attempt to get to the bottom of it.
It's not just a matter of minor variation in timing. Someone in Eon is getting it wrong and it does need sorting imo.

footyguy

pineapple wrote: »

The point is they sent me an email saying my cheap rate was between 9.30pm - 11.30pm and 1.30pm - 6.30pm.
But this doesn't reflect the time my storage heaters start drawing power. When I phoned them they said the times stated were correct and suggested it was a domestic/storage heater issue and I needed to consult an electrician. In retrospect this is nonsense but I then wondered whether I needed to reorganise my schedule according to the cheap evening period and whether I had been missing out/paying over the odds.
But I have since done a check and it shows on my meter that the cheap rate does go on and off between 1.16 and 8.16am.

I phoned Eon again today and someone from another department said the email was misinformation. He said they don't set the times and that my storage heater period is roughly in line with the low rate set for the area which is 1.30 - 8.30.

If they are sending out wrong information to their customers and people aren't double checking, it could cost them dear. It's not just a matter of getting cheaper electricity at certain periods - the 'normal' rates are hiked.
If I had moved in this summer I wouldn't have known about the storage heaters and would have assumed the information given by Eon was correct. I would have been doing all my high energy things in the evening and setting things with timers accordingly. You should be able to trust that your provider is giving you correct information.
Someone in Eon is getting it wrong and it does need sorting imo.

Then make a complaint following the supplier's complaint procedure

If you are lucky, they might provide additional training for the individual phone jockey who gave you some duff info. But I do have some sympathy for these phone jockeys. Last week they could have been flipping burgers, and who knows, next week they may hit the big time and be employed to pour some coffee. When you pay peanuts you get...;)

(The meter is in your property, not the suppliers, so you can easily check which registry is recording usage at any time)

Cardew

pineapple wrote: »

The point is they sent me an email saying my cheap rate was between 9.30pm - 11.30pm and 1.30pm - 6.30pm.
But this doesn't reflect the time my storage heaters start drawing power.

You said in an earlier post 'But the energy company just told me that the 7 hours are split - ie 9.30pm to 11.30pm and 1.30am to 6.30am.'


I assume 'am' is correct??

IMO they are not saying your E7 period is split. What they are saying is that you get 7 hours off-peak in the 9 hour period from 9:30 pm to 6:30am. The start period will be between 9:30pm to 11:30pm and the end period will be between 1:30am and 6:30am.

This is how British gas state the information

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/help-and-advice/Bills-payments/Your-bill/Understanding-your-bill/What-is-Economy-7.html