Economy 7

Legacy_user

I want to get rid of my economy 7 meter, and get a single rate smart meter.
This isn't possible through comparison sites, and i can't find a company that is installing smart meters in my region (Lincolnshire)
Does anyone have experience of this change that can offer any advice, please?
Thanks.

Gerry1

Why do you want to do that? :huh:

Many suppliers will bill single rate with an E7 meter, so no meter change is needed. It means you lose flexibility to have an E7 tariff if it works out cheaper. If you don't have storage heaters, E7 isn't necessarily more expensive, just do the sums.

And what alleged benefit do you expect to get with a smart meter in exchange for accepting a device that facilitates prohibitive Time of Use rates, restricted usage (Load Limiting) and can cut you off altogether (Load Shedding) ?

System

Hi, i have done the sums and econony 7 is far more expensive for me.
As for wanting a smart meter, i have limited mobility so not having to go out in the cold, battling with getting meter box doors open sounds bliss to me.

Gerry1

Kelstern wrote: »

Hi, i have done the sums and economy 7 is far more expensive for me.

Have you asked your existing supplier whether they will add the two readings together and bill at single rate?

Have you obtained any single rate whole market comparisons ? E7 can sometimes be cheaper even with night usage as low as 15 - 20%.

Kelstern wrote: »

As for wanting a smart meter, i have limited mobility so not having to go out in the cold, battling with getting meter box doors open sounds bliss to me.

Do you qualify for the Priority Services Register? If so, you can get a meter reader to pop round.

renegadefm

I am with EDF and have E7 night storage heaters, and they installed a smart meter for me, but I'm deeply regretting it because before that I was on a prepayment meter and lot cheaper tarrif, yet they said it wont work with smart meters, so forced me onto a much more expencive tarrif. It was that bad we noticed our usual money budget for the month had gone prematurely.

EDF have since admitted they are in the wrong, but cant change the tarrif back so have agreed to refund on a quarterly basis the over expenditure we will use until September which is when my old tarrif would have ran out.

Doesnt seem very green to me using more electric than we should be ironically since having a smart meter, so I would concider very carefully before having one as they wont change it back.

Talldave

renegadefm wrote: »

I am with EDF and have E7 night storage heaters, and they installed a smart meter for me, but I'm deeply regretting it because before that I was on a prepayment meter and lot cheaper tarrif, yet they said it wont work with smart meters, so forced me onto a much more expencive tarrif. It was that bad we noticed our usual money budget for the month had gone prematurely.

EDF have since admitted they are in the wrong, but cant change the tarrif back so have agreed to refund on a quarterly basis the over expenditure we will use until September which is when my old tarrif would have ran out.

Doesnt seem very green to me using more electric than we should be ironically since having a smart meter, so I would concider very carefully before having one as they wont change it back.

You're not using more electricity because you have a smart meter. There is no amount of electricity that you "should" be using, so you're not using more than "it". You're using as much as you're using. You're simply being ripped off in terms of price for the electricity you are using.


I think EDF are lying to say that a tariff won't work on smart meters. After all, a tariff consists of a daily standing charge and unit rate (x2 for E7). The smart meter will be charging you a daily standing charge and a unit rate - therefore it's technically compatible with any tariff they choose to use. The fact that they can't be bothered to set your old prices on your smart meter is nothing to do with an incompatibility between the smart meter and a tariff. It's simply stubbornness and/or incompetence on their part.

renegadefm

Talldave, yeah sorry didnt explain it clearly. What I meant to say was its as if we are using more when we know we are not.

I feel conned by EDF even down to the pushy way they kept emailing me when will I book my smart meter instillation. But consent complaining to them has payed off I am hoping anyway. Because the most recent person I spoke to now sees that EDF broke the contract to my Blue + tarrif which didnt expire until Sept 2020. But couldn't explain why it needed to change. I dont know if its any connection but when we had the smart meter fitted the top up card wouldn't work and I couldn't top up online, and EDF blamed it on the tarrif was started when we had a prepayment meter, but couldn't say for sure if that's why they changed it. All I remember was complaining we couldn't top up and I didnt want to be without electric. The next thing I noticed was the tarrif changed against my will.