Economy 7 Water Heater

Hollz89

Hi all,

I could really do with some advice as I’m completely lost and I don’t know who to ask I am very new to this and only ever lived in a gas heated property with my mum.

I have just moved into rented accommodation which has a water heater with a night switch and day boost switch. At present we are on an Economy 7 tariff with EDF Energy and pay for the electric using an electric key. There are two heaters, one which switches on at the wall and one which has a thermostat.

I would prefer not to be on an Economy 7 tariff as I would like to heat the property in the evenings now the temperature has dropped as well as do my washing during the day, or as and when I need to. From what I have read on here, using electricity out of peak hours is very expensive.

I know that the hours the tank would be heated overnight is between 12.00am and 7.00am. At present this is actually broken and is to be replaced next week so at the moment the only way to wash is by pressing the boost button.

What I would like to know is can I go to a standard tariff or would this cost too much to heat the water? Is there anyone out there that is not on an Economy 7 tariff but has a water heater immersion that benefits? Would the water heater need to be changed out completely as there are two switches if I did change? This I know would not be possible as I’m renting

Preferably I would love a smart meter and to pay monthly.

Any help and advice would be much appreciated as I’m so confused about what to do.

Many thanks

Holly

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

It is possible to switch to a 'normal' 24/7 tariff with some companies if you have a(credit) Economy 7 meter. They simply add the two registers together and charge as one total; e.g. 1,000kWh on Off peak and 3000kWh on peak is charged is 4,000kWh

However I cannot see how that would be accomplished using a pre-pay meter. You could ask the landlord and energy company if they would agree to a 'normal' meter, or a smart meter.

The above is in no way advocating you should get rid of Economy 7.

AndyPK

heatering your water on a normal tariff isn't expensive.


THe bigger concern is the heating of the house.
If you have storage heaters (generally with 2 knobs.) you should stay on E7

Peanuts3

If I need to boost my immersion heater 1/2-3/4 hr normally does it .
Just got to be sensible about how much you use it .
There are also other tariffs called economy 10 which allow you to switch heaters on during the day but there are only a few company's that do it. I d phone and see if they do this

Hollz89

Thanks so much for your advice. The property does not have storage heaters thankfully.

I am looking to change the pre-payment meter to a credit meter as soon as possible. We only moved in on Friday so I'll give EDF a call and see if they will change it.

So just to clarify - heating water on a normal tariff isn't as expensive as during the day on Economy 7?

My intention is to use the heaters first thing in the morning, during the evenings after work and of a weekend if I'm in all day.

Cardew

Hollz89 wrote: »

So just to clarify - heating water on a normal tariff isn't as expensive as during the day on Economy 7?

On an Economy 7 tariff the 'peak'(17 hours) electricity is more expensive than a 'normal' 24/7 one rate tariff.

The difference varies according to company/area. It is usually in the region of 2p/kWh higher, but you also need to look at the daily standing charge.

AndyPK

storage heaters & E7 are cheaper than normal heaters though, so expect a big bill !


select EDF or big suppliers here to see what is on offer

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub

footyguy

Cardew wrote: »

On an Economy 7 tariff the 'peak'(17 hours) electricity is more expensive than a 'normal' 24/7 one rate tariff.

The difference varies according to company/area. It is usually in the region of 2p/kWh higher, but you also need to look at the daily standing charge.

Depends on the supplier and region.

Iresa are the cheapest electricity supplier according to MSE. (for an 'average' user)

In most regions with Iresa Flex4, they are cheaper on day rate than on single rate (and of course you also benefit from even cheaper electricity 7 hours per day)
http://www.iresa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IresaEnergyTariffs.pdf

(Iresa Flex 4 is no longer available to new applicants - now it's Flex 5, but i think it follows a similar pattern)

footyguy

Hollz89 wrote: »

Hi all,

I could really do with some advice as I’m completely lost and I don’t know who to ask I am very new to this and only ever lived in a gas heated property with my mum.

I have just moved into rented accommodation which has a water heater with a night switch and day boost switch. At present we are on an Economy 7 tariff with EDF Energy and pay for the electric using an electric key. There are two heaters, one which switches on at the wall and one which has a thermostat.

I would prefer not to be on an Economy 7 tariff as I would like to heat the property in the evenings now the temperature has dropped as well as do my washing during the day, or as and when I need to. From what I have read on here, using electricity out of peak hours is very expensive.

I know that the hours the tank would be heated overnight is between 12.00am and 7.00am. At present this is actually broken and is to be replaced next week so at the moment the only way to wash is by pressing the boost button.

What I would like to know is can I go to a standard tariff or would this cost too much to heat the water? Is there anyone out there that is not on an Economy 7 tariff but has a water heater immersion that benefits? Would the water heater need to be changed out completely as there are two switches if I did change? This I know would not be possible as I’m renting

Preferably I would love a smart meter and to pay monthly.

Any help and advice would be much appreciated as I’m so confused about what to do.

Many thanks

Holly

I'm not sure why you don't want 7 hours of cheap rate electricity every day. :huh:

But if you really want to pay through the nose 24/7, contact your supplier and they will arrange it for you. Most suppliers will need to replace the meter, and that typically costs about £50-100 where charged)

I would suggest you consult a comnparison site to find the best deal for you. There is at least one supplier that charges just as much on night rate as they do during the day if that is really what you want.
But I'm really not sure you have joined this forum to save money.

So Good luck with whatever you decide!

footyguy

Peanuts3 wrote: »

If I need to boost my immersion heater 1/2-3/4 hr normally does it .
Just got to be sensible about how much you use it .
There are also other tariffs called economy 10 which allow you to switch heaters on during the day but there are only a few company's that do it. I d phone and see if they do this

Not many suppliers support E10.
It's generally the legacy suppliers who are obligated to support their legacy customers.

E10 requires 'complex metering' with is not compatable with most other suppliers. If you have this type of metering, do not attempt to switch supplier, as attempts to do so invariably end in tears.

EachPenny

footyguy wrote: »

Most suppliers will need to replace the meter, and that typically costs about £50-100 where charged

I would also speak to the landlord about this Holly. If you want a non-E7 meter and have to pay to get it changed you might have a problem with the landlord when you move out if they then need to pay to get the meter changed back to an E7 one (which most people would if electricity is the main water heating method).

The landlord might not be able to stop you having the meters changed, and may not be able to make you pay the costs of having an E7 meter put back in, but causing your landlord hassle and additional expense is usually not a good idea

Personally I'd want to have at least one months actual consumption information (meter readings) before making a decision whether E7 is a good idea or not, and also to better understand which tariff would be cheaper.