EDF economy 7 help!

Shoed

Hi there

I've just moved into a rented flat where there is just electricity and what I believe to be an immersion heater(??) and water cylinder(again ??) There are also storage heaters.

I've never used any of these things before so my knowledge is limited and everything I think I know is from google! Anyway my letting agent told me that the electricity is supplied by EDF and I need to call them to arrange a tariff or pick another supplier.

I used the EDF chat function and established that I am currently on the "Deemed default rate" no idea if that is economy 7 or not. I've read that economy 7 is the best tariff for those with storage heaters, but I'm not sure it would be worth it for me as it's not possible for me to use the majority of power at night. My tenancy says I can't operate the washing machine or dishwasher between 9pm and 7am. And I can't really cook or do the ironing at those times either!

Does anyone have any advice? This is my first flat, I have no bills yet so I can't comment on what my usage is.

jk0

I would still go on E7 IIWY. You'll freeze or be penniless otherwise.

Regarding the washer & dishwasher, you might want to try a little compromise I used when I lived in a flat...

You may know that washing machines use about 80% of their energy in the first half hour to heat the water. Therefore, I used to put mine on at 7am, as the cheap rate ran until 7.30. (Not sure about the dishwasher, but you might find the same compromise works.)

molerat

The largest consumption of electricity is by heating and hot water. You need to find out when your peak / off peak timings are and adjust your usage to make the most economical use of those. Don't take the word of your supplier for when those are, you need to physically check yourself as timers can be out.

macman

Just get off the default Standard tariff ASAP. It's the most expensive.

jbuchanangb

You have done the right thing by telling EDF that you are now there and responsible for the electricity bill. Did you give them the meter readings? If you had two readings to give them, one would be the normal daytime reading, and the other would be the night time reading. That would indicate that you are on Economy 7. If there was only one reading, then not E7. "Deemed default rate" can mean either.
If you haven't given them the readings, find the meter and read it then get back to them.
Storage heaters work by using electricity non-stop for 7 hours overnight to heat up the pile of bricks inside them. During the day the bricks let out the heat, so economy 7 is definitely the rate to use when you have storage heaters.
As regards the immersion heater in the hot water tank, look for the switch which controls it. Has it got a timer fitted? If not you could get one fitted and set it to operate at night only. The tank (if properly insulated!) will keep the water hot during the day and into the evening. If you were short of hot water all the timers have override switches.
In the big scheme of things, running other appliances during the wee small hours is not going to save a lot of money.
You can choose a different tariff with EDF, fixing the rates for 12 or 18 months, or, once you have settled in you can choose another provider. It is hard to choose when you do not have a full year's bills on which to base a comparison, so I suggest asking EDF for their best available deal.

Shoed

Thank you so much for your replies. My letting agent have confirmed that there are two readings so I'm guessing I'm on Economy 7 but will ring EDF again to confirm if I'm on the best deal.


Regarding the hot water, there are two switches next to the cylinder, and one has a timer attached. I worked out how to use the timer via youtube so set it to heat the water between 4 and 6 am. I had enough hot water for a shower and to wash some dishes this morning. Hopefully there is some left for this evening!