3 Phase electric

Mikennicky

Hi,
I have owned this property since 2013 but have not lived there because on extensive refurbishment. I have installed a Ground Source Heat Pump and 3 phase. My electric supplier is SSE. They replaced the meter in 2016 but I am still not happy with the level of my bills considering I have not been living there.
We are about to move in and obviously will have more electric usage. We do not use Gas.
My monthly standing order is currently £170 is this reasonable and how do I check my usage?
Can I change supplier and get the new supplier to check the old meter and change it to a smart meter remembering I have 3 phase.

Thanks Mike

dogshome

What is the billing frequency on your SSE account, as at the moment it's the only indicator you have for consumption, also SSE are not exactly the cheapest supplier on the block.

If you are on the Standard Variable Tariff, you can change supplier immediately  without hassle, and YES, most suppliers will cope with 3 Phase.

I'm not a fan of Smart Meters, but I have a mate in large house with GS Heat Pump Heating & Hotwater and in these circumstances, his Smart Meter with remote reader is invaluable

tk47

Mikennicky said:

Hi,
I have owned this property since 2013 but have not lived there because on extensive refurbishment. I have installed a Ground Source Heat Pump and 3 phase. My electric supplier is SSE. They replaced the meter in 2016 but I am still not happy with the level of my bills considering I have not been living there.
We are about to move in and obviously will have more electric usage. We do not use Gas.
My monthly standing order is currently £170 is this reasonable and how do I check my usage?
Can I change supplier and get the new supplier to check the old meter and change it to a smart meter remembering I have 3 phase.

Thanks Mike

I'm afraid if you have a requirement for 3 phase electricity supply, you will have large bills in comparison to most domestic users.

But yes, there should be no reason to prevent you switching supplier. Refer to the terms of the current contract. Many non-domestic properties have 3 phase supply and they can switch supplier. Also, you'll find smart meters have been around in some non-domestic properties before they were installed in domestic homes, but they were often referred to as AMR (advanced meter reading) devices; a slightly simpler version than current smart meters, but still alllowed for remote meter data collection.

Check with the supplier of your choice what thay can offer you

Robin9

Mikennicky said:

………………... how do I check my usage?

No different to  normal domestic single phase really.  It's a modern meter and probably has a digital display. Read the display but ignore any figures after the decimal point.  How does this reading compare with the ones on your bill ?#

When it was installed in 2016 was the reading zero - have a look at your bill.  It should be easy to work out an annual consumption.



Thanks Mike

Mikennicky

Hi all, thank you for your assistance. My best info is as follows:
Current billing is approx quarterly. Happy to switch but don't want to loose my current meter reading as feel it is incorrect.
Reading on the bill matches the meter but it is currently reading 54955. This was 0 when replacement meter fitted 2/11/15 so by my calculation this is about 51 months usage or 1000 odd units per month at current rate of 18.21 per unit = £182 per month plus standing charge.
How do I know if 1000 units odd a month is the correct reading for my usage?
This is on Standard Tariff.
Any suggestions?
Thanks

jbuchanangb

Fairly standard advice is to start reading the meter often, daily or weekly, to get a feel of actual consumption. Average over 51 months doesn't give any sensible guidance.

Try to identify which appliance(s) are consuming the power, and at what rate.
Switch to a better rate, either with your current supplier or by changing supplier.
A friend of mine has just installed 3 phase and GSHP technology. The GSHP was commissioned last week. All he wants to know is that it will save him money compared to paying for LPG.

Mikennicky

Hi, thanks for your reply. I will record the meter readings daily for a few weeks. I did this previously but as I do not know what is consuming the power if anything it is difficult to tell. I have had the GSHP checked as it is the only thing running 24/7 but the installer says it is only the pump that runs on electricity and it is minimal.
Your friend should get a government grant for the GSHP so it costs him nothing. As I don't know what mine is costing I cannot tell if he will save money over LPG but that was one of the reasons I changed mine.