Meter Readings

fauves

Hi all
I am a bit perplexed by the electricity meter in our new house - it has one dial with a selecting button that allows you to scroll through multiple separate readings.

Two of these readings obviously correspond to our electricity usage, and I assumed one was "low" and the other "high", but when I checked the bill it seems we are paying the same rate for both readings.

Does this mean that we are not on an economy 7 but the readings are just taken from two separate areas of the building? Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Carrot007

Not going to be seperate areas.


More info would possibnly help! Meter model, Phot, Serial (PM that if you like, it can lead to your address).


Have you changed suppliers since moving in? I suspect not and that you are on E7 but the previous occupiers asked to be billed as single rate which some suppliers will do, and assumedly would continue after you took over. (So If you changed supplier you would likely be on e7).


However without further info it's hard to guess.

Biscuit_Tin

Carrot007 wrote: »

...
Have you changed suppliers since moving in? I suspect not and that you are on E7 but the previous occupiers asked to be billed as single rate which some suppliers will do, and assumedly would continue after you took over. (So If you changed supplier you would likely be on e7)....

Whatever a previous account holder arranged would be irrelevant; what tariff they would have opted for would have ended with the closure of their account.

If the OP has not arranged anything different, then the OP would be charged on the default tariff applicable to the metering they have.

There are some suppliers that have E7 tariffs that charge the same price for normal and low rates. Utility Point is one such supplier who does not now offer low rate at any lower cost than normal rate on their latest tariffs. One of the reasons we are dumping them as our existing tariff (which does offer a lower price for the lower rate) is coming to an end.

Biscuit_Tin

fauves wrote: »

... I checked the bill it seems we are paying the same rate for both readings.

Does this mean that we are not on an economy 7 but the readings are just taken from two separate areas of the building? Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Your bill should tell you what tariff you are on
If in doubt, contact the supplier

Gerry1

Switch on a fan heater, an electric oven or an electric kettle in the day or early evening to make sure which register is the daytime one (the reading will be increasing). Then get price comparisons from Citizens Advice, once for Economy 7 and once for the combined total (say that you have a single rate meter). Many suppliers will offer a single rate even if you have an E7 meter, and this can be cheaper if night time usage is low. Repeat the exercises for gas only and dual fuel.

Of course, you'll have to guess your annual consumption so the results may not be very accurate, but it could be worth switching now if it seems your inherited tariff will be expensive.

fauves

Morning
Thanks for replies everyone. I am out at the moment so can’t give any more detail on the meter specifically other than to say there are two older meters in the cupboard that seem to have been upgraded into one much newer combined unit.

I checked the dial quickly yesterday when we have appliances running (oven etc.) and there didn’t seem to be any movement in either number over the course of 5-10 minutes, unsure why.

The only thing worth mentioning is that the house is very tall and the top floor was, I am told, originally a separate flat that had a door into the next door building. There is also a separate fuse box on the top floor.

When I find out more specifics later I will let you know.

Thanks for help so far.

fauves

Worth mentioning also that I did switch supplier to Bulb on our moving in as the previous tariff was ridiculous, the new bill is the thing I am referring to when I say the rate is the same for both readings.