Official MSE Economy 7 Guide discussion

Dom9362

I just checked on my dual fuel bill from british gas and noticed that they have me on an economy seven tariff. When I moved into my house in 2011 and switched my utility bills from my old address, also with british gas I am sure I agreed with them that the economy seven readings from my new house meter would be added together and charged at the standard single rate since in this house I have gas central heating and hot water supply from a condensing boiler. Therefore no need for economy 7. At some point they seem to have reverted me back to economy 7 which is costing me roughly $25.00 per quarter more than I should be paying. Has anyone else been in the same position.

footyguy

Dom9362 wrote: »

I just checked on my dual fuel bill from british gas and noticed that they have me on an economy seven tariff. When I moved into my house in 2011 and switched my utility bills from my old address, also with british gas I am sure I agreed with them that the economy seven readings from my new house meter would be added together and charged at the standard single rate since in this house I have gas central heating and hot water supply from a condensing boiler. Therefore no need for economy 7. At some point they seem to have reverted me back to economy 7 which is costing me roughly $25.00 per quarter more than I should be paying. Has anyone else been in the same position.

So you (think you) asked for something special 5 years ago, and only now notice you didn't actually get it? :cool:
That'll time you out of the ombudsman scheme.

I can't really see how they would have changed the billing, unless you requested it. Are you saying you have not switched supplier or even requested a different tariff in 5 years? :eek:
If you haven't made any other arrangement, you will be on the suppliers expensive standard variable tariff now, which with BG is very expensive! :eek::eek::eek:

Consult a comparison site, and find the best deal for you

Anyway, thanks for joining MSE and your post at 10 to 1 in the morning
Hopefully my response will help you on the way to saving some money now

pineapple

Dom9362 wrote: »

At some point they seem to have reverted me back to economy 7 which is costing me roughly $25.00 per quarter more than I should be paying. Has anyone else been in the same position.

Are you never asked to give your own readings? It would surely be obvious quite quickly from your side or their side that something was not tallying. Also why are we talking USD? Whatever - whether in pounds or dollars - I would have thought the cost difference from being on E7 wrongly would be rather more.

pineapple

My old cottage doesn't actually have a water tank. The water comes in at two points - one comes in at the side of the house to feed the ground floor bathroom, the other feeds the kitchen taps. I'm on a circuit with a collection of cottages and the water pressure can be very low if the neighbour to the left is using her shower/washing machine .
The only hot water in the bathroom is from the electric shower (only used during the E7 period). The only hot water in the kitchen is from an ancient 7 litre wall mounted Creda heater - which I use as little as possible during the hiked day rate.
I can live with the bathroom arrangement. But since I am about to replace the kitchen was wondering what I could do about the hot water. I've seen the 15 litre under sink water heaters but ideally would want something bigger which I can heat up on Economy 7 which will retain heat for at least an hour or two. But not a full blown water tank. Is there such a thing?

lstar337

Dom9362 wrote: »

I just checked on my dual fuel bill from british gas and noticed that they have me on an economy seven tariff. When I moved into my house in 2011 and switched my utility bills from my old address, also with british gas I am sure I agreed with them that the economy seven readings from my new house meter would be added together and charged at the standard single rate since in this house I have gas central heating and hot water supply from a condensing boiler. Therefore no need for economy 7. At some point they seem to have reverted me back to economy 7 which is costing me roughly $25.00 per quarter more than I should be paying. Has anyone else been in the same position.

Why are British Gas charging you in $'s?

pineapple

lstar337 wrote: »

Why are British Gas charging you in $'s?

Just what I asked. Think we might be on a wind up.

Patr100

pineapple wrote: »

Just what I asked. Think we might be on a wind up.

Or simply a typo.

jodiepoke

Hi,

I am glad i have found this forum!
I am currently buying a 2 bed flat, it is the 2nd/top floor of the building. It is on eco 7 with storage heaters, old, big grey dimplex storage heaters, and an immersion heater. I haven't moved in yet but hope to at some point in October.

I am completely new to E7 and storage heaters. I'm used to a combi boiler and unlimited hot water so this change is worrying me because I don't want to be home in the evening absolutely freezing and having cold showers because the tank hasn't heated at the right time!

What is the best way to use storage heaters, what input and output to have it at? is it worth replacing them with the new fancy dimplex storage heaters that you can set to put heat out at certain times etc which would cost £450 each (we would need about 4)? What is the best money saving way you use them but also keep your house warm? Of course i might not need to worry if the people below have their flat toasty.. free under floor heating!

footyguy

jodiepoke wrote: »

Hi,

I am glad i have found this forum!
I am currently buying a 2 bed flat, it is the 2nd/top floor of the building. It is on eco 7 with storage heaters, old, big grey dimplex storage heaters, and an immersion heater. I haven't moved in yet but hope to at some point in October.

I am completely new to E7 and storage heaters. I'm used to a combi boiler and unlimited hot water so this change is worrying me because I don't want to be home in the evening absolutely freezing and having cold showers because the tank hasn't heated at the right time!

What is the best way to use storage heaters, what input and output to have it at? is it worth replacing them with the new fancy dimplex storage heaters that you can set to put heat out at certain times etc which would cost £450 each (we would need about 4)? What is the best money saving way you use them but also keep your house warm? Of course i might not need to worry if the people below have their flat toasty.. free under floor heating!

The best money saving way to use them would be in accordance with the instructions.
Ask the owner for the instructions, or see if you can find some online.

But essentially, the output should be set to minimum, and the input set to a suitable value that allows the heater to still be warm just before recharging. (you'll need to experiment with this and it can take up to 2 charging cycles from any modification for things to settle, depending on how big a change you make, any variation in ambient temperatures, etc)

You can modify the output at the end of the day to allow greater heat to escape if necessary (e.g a sudden drop in ambuient temperatures), but remember to minimize it again before the NSH starts recharging. If you find you need to do this regularly (and assuming it is not turned bitterly cold outside) then you probably have not set the input high enough in the first place.

Moneywise, it's probably not worth replacing them if they still work.

pineapple

jodiepoke wrote: »

Hi,
is it worth replacing them with the new fancy dimplex storage heaters that you can set to put heat out at certain times etc which would cost £450 each (we would need about 4)?

You mean Quantum? I would have a look at the reviews on Amazon and elsewhere before deciding. Btw I'm interested to know where you could get a Quantum storage heater for £450 as the cheapest price I've found so far is £520 incl vat. That's for the smallest 'mini' size from a supplier who reckons to be one of the cheapest. The largest one is around £700.
I've decided not to go with Quantum but have just been quoted £1,550 plus vat for the removal of two old heaters and fitting of two Quantum heaters. Unlike a basic old heater, Quantums have to be wired into the peak supply as well.
I would live with the existing ones for a while before making any decisions. See how well they work, what the running costs are like and whether E7 fits in with your lifestyle.