I want truth about Economy 7 :)

MarcusAurelius

12.97p for peak vs 11.26p for fixed

wavelets

MarcusAurelius wrote: »

12.97p for peak vs 11.26p for fixed

I don't see those prices in the link I provided.

Which tariff and region is that?

Cardew

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

And considering that I (like most people) don't use much energy at all between midnight and 7am, paying a 15% premium is pretty foolish.

The hours vary across the UK. Mine(Midlands) is 12:30am to 7:30am winter(GMT) and 01:30am to 08:30am summer(BST) and my clock is 20 minutes slow so I get an extra 20 mins in the morning.


Also the 'premium' varies from time to time and with different companies. On my Scots Power fixed tariff - which was easily the cheapest at the time - the break even point was about 20% - and we use about 25% - helped by two of us using an electric shower in the morning.


Scots Power won't allow a 'normal' single rate 24/7 tariff if you have an E7 meter. Unlike BG and E-on who will add the readings from the two meters and treat as one reading.


The point I am making is, even with Gas CH, it isn't a financial disaster for many people to have E7 and some like myself can make marginal gains.


There have been loads of posts in the past from people making a similar point.

Scrounger

Cardew wrote: »

The 'break even' point for total usage varies from company to company (... it varies from 20% to over 40%.)

>50% in the Scrounger household. :beer:

Cardew wrote: »

The Some people on MSE with older gas boilers(with a pilot light) switch their boiler off in the summer and use the immersion heater on E7.

Yes, I do that. :beer:

MarcusAurelius wrote: »

Peak is only 15% higher than the standard rate with ovo.

I'm with Ovo. :beer:

Conclusion: E7 can work for out cheaper but needs some effort/planning.

Scrounger

MarcusAurelius

wavelets wrote: »

I don't see those prices in the link I provided.

Which tariff and region is that?

Adviser on the phone, prices include vat.

thenudeone

My E7 meter just has a single set of (standard) wiring to the fusebox but it appears that there is space set aside for an additional set of wiring which I presume could be wired to a fusebox supplying storage heaters etc. which would then be switched on automatically when the meter switched to cheap rate.

If I'm right, then if you are considering using E7 for storage heaters, etc. it would be best to get all the wiring done first so that the nighttime heater fusebox can be wired directly in to the meter; otherwise you'll have to buy heavy duty timer for each heater - a plug in timer can't be used on a storage heater.

wavelets

MarcusAurelius wrote: »

Adviser on the phone, prices include vat.

The link I provided shows all the Ovo current tariffs for all the regions and shows prices that both include & exclude vat.

Scrounger

wavelets wrote: »

When I compare any region using their 12 month fixed rate cheaper energy tariff, the premium appears to be more like 8.5%-9%

http://www.ovoenergy.com/uploadedFiles/Content/Energy_Plans/Energy%20Rates_090414.pdf

From the table:

Southern: 13.38p E7 peak vs 11.29p standard = 18.51% higher. :eek:
Fortunately, I don't live there. :beer:

Scrounger

lazer

Don't forget to factor the standing charge in when on E7

steampunkmimi

We've had E7 for as long as we've lived together (since 1995). Our first house was a new-build, with an E7 meter already installed. When we moved here 11 years ago, we had an E7 meter installed. Our E7 runs from midnight until 8am. The majority of our laundry is done on that (timers on machines), and we only use 3-4 units of electricity during the day in addition to the overnight consumption. We cook (from scratch, every evening) on gas, and have DHW from gas, but our heating is from a woodburner. We're generally up and about by 7-8am anyway, but spouse has to be up at 5, so there's always someone to move the washing into the dryer and put another load in the washer, if needed. Any devices requiring charging are done overnight, so plenty of overnight consumption.