Related meters - please help!!!

Rd12448

I've just moved into a property that has "related meters" - 2 meters, separate mpan numbers. The flat is electricity only so there is no gas meter. There is one meter that supplies the lights and power and there's one meter that supplies night storage heaters and the water heater. The first meter is a standard meter. The second meter is called different things by different companies, but off peak meter seems the most common. It comes on for off peak power overnight and (weirdly) Sunday afternoon just to supply the night storage and water heaters.

I'm currently with EDF who are charging a fortune with ridiculous rates and I want to switch but I can't find out who can support the meters I have. I'm not able to change meters as I'm only a tenant.

Please help! Anyone with any experience of this? Any companies who can offer a quote?

Jab87

Where are you based? I used to work for an energy supplier going back a few years, and as far as I am aware if you have related meters you must stick with your distributor. So if you are with EDF at the moment are you based in London?

Jab87

Where I am based the type of meters you are talking about are called THTC, and as you say one meter deals with elec appliances and the other hot water and storage heating. The meter that connects to your storage heating should charge the storage heaters at the cheaper rate? Maybe worth checking the meter is not faulty and your storage heaters/hot water are not heating up outwith your “cheap rate”.

Rd12448

I'm in Bristol (BS2 8DG) and it looks like the heater meter is working properly from what I can see, although we've had it off recently with the warmer weather.

For context, EDF are trying to charge £115 a month for a 2 bed flat with 2 people living there.

bsms1147

You have a few options.

Depending on your usage, it might be cheaper for you to switch to a single rate tariff or an economy 7 tariff. The former is occasionally true for all-electric properties with night storage heaters, but more often the latter is better, so worth doing your sums.

You can ask EDF to change your meter to a single rate or economy 7 meter in such a case. They may do this free since you have a legacy meter. They may not. Staying with EDF will then allow you to opt for their relevant tariffs, which may be cheaper than the tariff you are currently on.

You can switch to another supplier, some smaller ones like Bulb will take on the meter as-is, but you will pay two standing charges with the current set-up. You will also be paying electricity on a single rate tariff in such a case, which may not be the cheapest option.

You could get EDF to change the meter as above, and then you could move supplier, and by that point with a single rate or economy 7 meter, with a single MPAN, you would have a much wider choice of providers to choose from.

(For comparison, I was on a similar tariff with SSE, escalating prices, bit the bullet when their last price rise was announced, moved my two-MPAN 3-rate meter to a different supplier, and now pay a single rate with two standing charges, now £70/m 2 bed flat, 2 adults, all electric, night storage heaters, targeting c.5000kWh/yr. Likely to save £250-300/yr when I calculate it next year. If I had my time again I would have changed meter first if SSE would have done for free - never checked - which would saved some money, but expecting the smart-meter roll-out by the end of next year to solve that issue)

Rd12448

Thank you for the detail there, that's really helpful.

I'm only a tenant and my tenancy agreement means I need permission before making any meter changes so I think approaching the landlord regarding that will have to be the last resort. SSE's "exotic metering" team are due to give me a call back so I'll see what they can offer.

Bulb's online quote was £102/month on their standard variable though it wasn't the most detailed estimate so may get in touch with them over the phone instead. Otherwise I've contacted Octopus Energy who seem to think they can do it (though I'm not convinced they understood so have sent another email) and together energy, which is the provider recommended by the residents association where I am though they have dire reviews on Google so I'm hesitant there too. I'm currently hoping SSE will save the day or Octopus can actually support them.

badmemory

Rd12448 wrote: »

I'm only a tenant and my tenancy agreement means I need permission before making any meter changes

Now unenforcable!

Rd12448

Sorry, could you clarify? My tenancy agreement was only signed a few weeks ago and has a clause preventing electricity or meter changes without permission.

Shedman

As per my other thread my stepdaughter is having similar issues with her rented flat and a 3 rate meter with SSE. I see you've spoken to SSE and refer to their 'exotic metering' team. Do you have a direct contact number for that team or did you just go through general customer service number?

As for Together Energy you are probably wise to give them a wide berth...

Rd12448

Not a direct number unfortunately, I went to their sales team and they said that I could only be sold onto an SSE plan by someone on that small team (3 people apparently) who would need to call back. They took a number and advised it could take up to 5 working days but had marked it ASAP for me.

Rd12448

Update to the above for people in the same position. A company called economy 7 have offered my boyfriend the below

Day: 15.12p
Night: 11.87p
Standing: 13.63p

economyseven.co.uk

On a variable tariff but it works out as approximately £52 a month so it looks like we'll be going with them