Scottish power domestic and off peak A meters

alice's_mum

Hi am after some advice from anyone who understands this system if metering. Moved into my flat in September having installed new windows new smart storage heaters and a new well insulated cylinder. Cylinder is on day meter ..which I thought was odd as it’s on an economy 7 times but was told it was just coz it was easier to to programme. Anyway storage heaters are fab can be controlled really well with much more accuracy than the ancient huge things that were there. I’ve even got an app on my phone (but only recently).

My issue is that Scottish power have just billed me £800 for the quarter saying my off peak use has gone up from 2789 when I moved in to 6486 on Thursday..that is what the meter is saying. But I don’t understand how that can be so high I’ve checked again today and meter has gone up by 48 since Thursday at 6:30pm. That seems a lot to me. Can anyone give me any active on how much they two heaters should be going up.

So it’s two storage heaters 1 in living room and one in hall in a two bed flat. They are programmed to high for 1 hour before work and school and 3 hours from 6 till 9pm.

Robin9

alice's_mum wrote: »

.....................new smart storage heaters ..................... Anyway storage heaters are fab can be controlled really well with much more accuracy than the ancient huge things that were there. I’ve even got an app on my phone (but only recently). .......................

Have you got details of the manufacturer ...............

Lots of threads on the forum about smart meters ............ and how they cost a fortune to buy .................and a fortune to run ..............

alice's_mum

Hi thank you, these are Elnur storage heaters.

alice's_mum

http://https://www.elnur.co.uk/products/smart-storage-heaters/ecombi-ssh-digital-smart-storage-heater/

PeterGr

If your off peak meter reading has gone up by 48 kWh in 2 nights, that is 24 kWh per day. If the storage heaters are rated at 3 kW, and there is a 2kW immersion heater that is inline with your heaters being on full charge for most of a 7 hr period.


So perhaps the settings of your heaters needs to be dialled back a bit to reduce their consumption.


You suggest that the bill covers the period from September to February which is 6 months, and most of the winter, so you will use much less from now to August. It would help you if you took your own readings on a weekly or monthly basis so that you track your peak and off peak consumption.

alice's_mum

Thank you Peter for that I don’t understand what you mean by dial the settings back. The heaters are on charge over night from 12:30 to 7:30 as that was when I was told the off peak electricity was. In actual fact it seems to be whenever Scottish power feel like it being! The heaters charge as I understood it only enough to provide the level of heat I used the day before they are called smart for this reason. When I go to bed they show 1 brick of heat left and when I get up they show 3 bricks. They have a maximum of 5bricks on the display. How do I reduce this ?

Sorry for all questions I’ve never had storage heaters before and this makes no sense to me.

alice's_mum

Oh and my immersion isn’t in the off peak meter it’s on the day rate meter so that’s irrelevant. I have a 3 and a 2 kWh heater.

PeterGr

If you have 5 kW off peak heating installed, and a 7 hour off peak period then you could use 35 kWh per day if the heaters were on continuously. So 24 kWh per day is approximately 5 hours charging. Not unreasonable.


Remember your bill is made up of all your consumption, and peak rate might be a significant proportion of the total. Only by taking regular readings will you get a feel for what your consumption and costs are.

alice's_mum

Thanks Peter. I think I understand what’s been going on and can sort it going forward. But have asked Scottish power to come and check tomersbon meter as it’s never on 12:30 till 7:30 like I was told.

[Deleted User]

Hi,





note that it says 'between' certain times.


Don't know why your immersion heater can't be on E7, that's one of the advantages.

alice's_mum

Thanks frugal. That’s what I was told but I can prove from the app that my heaters Don’t get power between .30 and 7:30 plus I know when I’ve been up at 5am that they have no power to them. I don’t understand this domestic and off peak and I’m thinking of asking can I go onto standard economy 7 which I understand. Currently I get off peak power when I suits them which mean I can’t adjust my heating if it goes cold suddenly like it did last night (we had snow).