3 rate electricity meter?

Chooser

I own a very small one bed flat which is rented out. This May a new ( actually old, second hand, un-zeroed) meter was installed. Briefly.... The tenants have received a huge electricity bill which cannot be right and I have been dealing with scottish power on their behalf to try to sort it out. There are three readings on the meter, day, night and control (there are two night storage heaters). I was under the impression that control ( charge rate similar to night rate) was the storage heaters. Ive had a nightmare with SP, now raised complaint and the'directors' level 2 complaint person told me today that 'control' actually means immersion heater only, not storage heaters only. This had never before been suggested, does anyone know what the third rate actually is, is it standard or can it vary? SP flatly refuse to check the meter which i believe must be faulty, readings tell me it is the control rate which is way over, if storage heaters it can't possibly be right, if it's the immersion which could potentially use a lot more electricity I don't know. Appreciate any info.

Carrot007

Chooser wrote: »

does anyone know what the third rate actually is, is it standard or can it vary?

If you can provide the SSC you are on I could look up the info. Do not really know about SP area tarrifs (and if you are not an SP area then moving is the problem).


If may be on the bill. I have not looked at a bill in ages with online stuff!

Chooser

Thanks, but what is an SSC?

Blackpool_Saver

https://community.scottishpower.co.uk/t5/My-Energy/Too-Many-Meters/td-p/175

Carrot007

Chooser wrote: »

Thanks, but what is an SSC?

It's the number that determines how you meter operates.


It is not on the bill (I am with SP and checked online, I guess apaper may be different but doubt it). (I do hate this dumbing down and no providing information that may be useful to those that understanding that goes on these days).



So your options are (if you want me to look that is):


A. ring them and ask. Unfortunatly I have no idea what the phone stadd will have access to or understand. It's more a back office query.


B. Private Message me the meter serial or address (I will see the adddress either way so your choice). and I can look it up. (meter is always better since address's can be iffy sometimes!).


I guess alternativle if you tell me the rough area of the place I could try and work it out, but there may be many options so I may be wrong. A tarrif name might help too as it might contain info, it of course might not but for the legacy tarrifs I'd hope it would!

Carrot007

Blackpool_Saver wrote: »

https://community.scottishpower.co.uk/t5/My-Energy/Too-Many-Meters/td-p/175

That does seem to fit the description. At least someone knows!


I did laugh with the though that it might ever be supported by smart meters let alone this year!


Also seesm a bit odd they are refusing to change the meters. I don't see why they would not if you pay. Probably that people expect the heating to still work without a private electrician and they are not prepared to have to deal with the likely complaints if you have not already done the work.

Chooser

Thank you Carrot, I will pm you shortly

DJC1690

have a look at this link ok


https://community.scottishpower.co.uk/t5/My-Energy/Storage-heaters-Comfort-Plus-White-Meter-Tariff/td-p/2262.






Scottish p pdf




ComfortPlus White Meter with Weathercall Option with 3 rate set up




[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]The Controlled Circuit is energised for periods having an aggregate daily duration between 0 and 14 hours chosen by ScottishPower on the basis of forecast weather conditions. The intention is that the customer should be able to leave all storage heaters switched on with their charge controllers set to maximum and obtain a substantially constant daily average indoor temperature in each heated room throughout the year. For this temperature to provide acceptable comfort conditions it is essential that the heating system is correctly sized. The Weathercall Option is therefore recommended for houses with correctly sized heating systems using high capacity storage heaters.
[/FONT][/FONT]

DJC1690

My house has storage heaters and my meter has 3 meter readings its called "Comfort Plus White Meter." The 3 meter/tariffs has a Day Rate , Night Rate and what is called a "Control Rate for my storage heaters and hot water this is the cheapest of the 3 rates. from that's link ive just post by the way

Carrot007

OK for your meter serial I can see the following.

2 Mpans, same meter accross both. (Fitted March so could be issues since then?).
SSC(s) 0721, 0746.

0721 is called 8.5 hour WM
This is the "E7" part. (Why they could not just have called it E8.5 I do not know!)
Standard rate runs 07:30-23:00
Off peak runs 13:00-07:30

0746 is called 8.5 hour WM Heating
So from the name I would guess storage heaters are perfectly fine!

The page mentioned above does seem to be on the ball. Does the weathercall bit seem right (as it the heating part is not a straight set like e7/"e7" but set by the weather (I know they do that up there).


So if it is heating / immersion the main question is what are these devices set to be on? Are they on all the time possible (there may be boosts which can top them ouside the cheap times but they should record on the "e7" side.

welshmoneylover

Chooser wrote: »

I own a very small one bed flat which is rented out. This May a new ( actually old, second hand, un-zeroed) meter was installed. Briefly.... The tenants have received a huge electricity bill which cannot be right and I have been dealing with scottish power on their behalf to try to sort it out. There are three readings on the meter, day, night and control (there are two night storage heaters). I was under the impression that control ( charge rate similar to night rate) was the storage heaters. Ive had a nightmare with SP, now raised complaint and the'directors' level 2 complaint person told me today that 'control' actually means immersion heater only, not storage heaters only. This had never before been suggested, does anyone know what the third rate actually is, is it standard or can it vary? SP flatly refuse to check the meter which i believe must be faulty, readings tell me it is the control rate which is way over, if storage heaters it can't possibly be right, if it's the immersion which could potentially use a lot more electricity I don't know. Appreciate any info.

I take it this is all electric?
Do they have an understanding of how a 3 rate meter system works? If not, could be the cause of their high bills and escalating any complaint to a manager is not probably the best thing to do.
Education and understanding the system is probably the best way forward.