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I really need help
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To further complicate matters the change from off-peak(E7) supply to daytime supply can be done remotely or on your meter. In the latter case the time alters by an hour when the clocks go backwards and forwards between British Summer Time(BST) and GMT.
Disclaimer! I don't know the position on PAYG meters.
I don't think I've ever seen a 2 bedroom flat with 4 storage heaters fitted in. Is it particularly large?
Usually there are 2 storage heaters in a 2 bedroomed flat. One is invariably located in the living room, and the other either in the master bedroom or the hallway.
Occasionally a third storage heater is fitted, and that will usually be located in either the hall (if one is not already located there) or the other bedroom.
But I have never seen one with 4 night storage heaters fitted.
Anyway, forget about the cost. Please refer to your meter and tell us how many units you consume per day on the low rate.
The issue with just saying it's £10 per day, and implying that is nearly all used at low rate, is that even accepting you have 4 storage heaters, that would be an average of £2.50 per heater.
If we were to assume all heaters were 3kW rated, despite you indicating a couple were smaller, and assuming they were using 3kW for every hour of the low rate (7 hours) that would be 21kWh per day per heater.
At 10p per kWh at low rate (you really should not be paying any more than that) you would still be 4kWh per heater per day short. i.e. atotal of 16kWh unaccounted for
But the heaters will NOT consume full power for the full 7 hours, so even more electricity appears unaccounted for on your version of events.
So please, let us know how many kWh are consumed at low rate.
e.g. take a low rate meter reading now, and another the same time tomorrow, and let us know what they are
A|nd then you will need to uncover what else is consuming a considerable quantity of electricity at your address.
There are two possibilities:-
1. A tank with ONE immersion heater will probably look something like this. You can see the red cover for the single immersion heater at the top. Ideally it should be be switched on automatically overnight by the E7 meter and have a bypass switch for expensive daytime use if you've run out of hot water.
2. A tank with TWO immersion heaters will look something like this cutaway. The lower heater should be switched automatically by the E7 meter; if it is supplied via a switch next to the tank, leave it permanently on. The supply to the upper heater will remain live 24/7, and you should leave it permanently OFF: only switch it on for expensive daytime use if you've run out of hot water.
It sounds like you may have just one immersion heater. Start by leaving it switched off; if the water goes cold the next day then you will always need to switch it ON at midnight and OFF when you get up, or ask the housing officer to get to have a timeswitch installed next to the meter or get the wiring changed.
Make sure you take meter readings every month so that you know your annual consumption in kWh. This will help you to compare tariffs and make sure you're always on the cheapest, preferably on a credit meter.
Make sure your storage heaters are programmed correctly and that you don't use the expensive Boost setting. The instructions can be found here.
BTW, next time you start a thread, use the main Energy site, not this Other Fuels site !
In the absence of gas, Dimplex Quantum heaters on Economy 7 is the least worst option.
There's a lot of speculation but we aren't even ever so sure if they are using gas or leccy, which tariff they are on and lots of other info
Trying to get definitive info is a bit like pulling teeth especially when the OP is fixated on cost and not consumption
We really need to see a piccy of the cylinder and the heaters or info from the rating plate from each heater (manufacturer, model number, wattage)
Sorry Gerry1 for starting a thread in the wrong place. As I’ve said I have never used the site. I was just looking for a bit of advice. As British Gas sound more dumb than what I obviously am. Thank you for your help to the people who weren’t rude. Well that’s everyone apart from matelodave....
I don't know what went wrong
regards
Dave