Looking for best energy monitor recommendations please?

merrylegs61

But I don't understand how it works! That's my point. Nor did the guy who sold it to me who had all the renovations done. (That's his business, buying, renovating and renting/selling). I asked repeatedly. When I moved in, it was E10. He had immersion on 24/7. I didn't even realise they were immersions. The first winter bills were massive - and that was pretty much only having heating on at cheap time. When I asked him what the switches were (immersions) and why they were on all the time/how the system worked, he couldn't tell me. I got a local guy from a greener energy firm to come and take a look. He told me, and I switched them off. He advised this was NOT some economical, greener system and the radiators weren't some kind of cheap heating system and couldn't tell me why it was all set up on E10 when not storage heaters. 
Given I was frozen and bills huge, I switched off immersions, removed the E10 meter (which tied me into only a choice of one supplier in my area) and had new meter put in. 

Now, heating only on in coldest months i.e. not on at all now, ever. Heat water with immersions. Is there a way round using the two immersions? Would one do? What is a safe temperature to set that water tank to? I now know how to lower that. Already have but didn't want to go too low for risks. Thanks.

Robin9

You say  - not an electric shower - I assume you mean the instantaneous type. But the hot water for the shower comes from that "boiler".

Gerry1

Probably the main (lower) immersion heater was on a cheaper heating circuit that was switched by the E10 meter.  It wouldn't have mattered if the local switch was left on at the expensive times because the circuit would then have been dead.  There was probably a boost immersion heater higher up which would give half a tank of hot water if you'd run out.  It would have been on an expensive 24h circuit so if you left the local Boost switch on it would have bankrupted you even faster.

It's unlikely that E7 would be now cheaper because any savings made by heating the hot water at the cheap night rate will be wiped out as the boiler furiously gobbles up far more kWh at the more expensive daytime rate.

Given that you now seem to have a single rate meter, for better or worse, I repeat my previous advice: In the meantime, switch to the cheapest single rate tariff you can find, perhaps Symbio (but read the forum reviews), Neon Reef etc.  You probably don't need to change the meter to do that.

matelodave

Is there any pipework between the heating unit and the water tank - it might help if you could post a photo or two of the heating unit, tank with the pipe and plumbing layout, showing where all the pipes go and any valves or pumps. Also what controls are fitted, times switches, thermostats etc. If the guy who had it installed doesn't know how it works then it going to be difficult for anyone on here to guess but with a photo's we'll have a bit of a go.

If you are now on a single rate tariff (tell us what supplier and what tariff - name and cost per kwh) then as I said you can heat the tank whenever you want but don't leave it on all day - TBH on a single rate tariff if you are just using the immersion heater then I'd probably just use the top heater to see if it produced enough hot water for your needs rather than heating the whole tank

merrylegs61

Thank you.
Now single rate tariff with EDF. Just newly switched. £35 to leave. Fixed for 1 year. 12.89p per Kw. and 23.52p per day SC. Tariff is on understanding I take a smart meter, which obviously they're not fitting just now. Think trying one immersion only to see what happens with water is possibly best/only option just now. Which is best - does the water tank heat bottom to top therefore try bottom immersion first? I have to fight my way to the meter as is the cupboard I have to keep everything in and the red light usually barely flashes, unless I bung on those immersions. Hence had hoped some kind of monitor would be easier to access/see/use.

Really appreciate the help and offer to try further. Hard to take reasonable pics in cupboard with so many different parts. Trying my best. With what's been said so far, I guess my only questions now would be, could I or should I, just switch off the boiler when not using heating? There are also two other switches in the on position with red lights lit apart from the immersions. Don't know what they are. If one is the boiler, could I also switch that off? 

System looking into cupboard - meter, fuse box wee extra/overflow tank  (mentioned before) on right-hand side. Muckle big water tank in middle. Boiler, heating clock, immersions (off) and little red tank (forgot that one previously) on left-hand wall. Two pipes run from the red tank. One to the boiler. One to the water tank. One pipe runs out of boiler down through the floor. No pipes run between boiler and water tank. Water tank has immersions but no other controls. Green enegry man showed me how to take those caps off to reduce temperature. Immersion switches on wall, my only option is on/off. No timer. 
Thank you again.
Meg

Petriix

Hot water rises so it's the top immersion for half the tank. Switch the bottom one off and you'll save a fair bit.

Look into the option of getting a gas supply fitted. Then there are 100% grants available for a new gas boiler for people on a low income. Maybe look at solar panels.