E7/E10 and Smart Meter - Energy Co can't tell me tariff

AliceBanned

Hello

I moved into my two bed flat just over a month ago. It has old NSHs and an immersion heater for hot water. (shower and bath both running off this, no electric shower at present). I am switching to E7 from E10 in two weeks' time but E.On, doing the switch said they couldn't tell me the tariff until after I have switched over! This is worrying me, but the expense on E10 is too much and I've had to adapt and learn what the old heaters are doing and be careful they don't store heat when not needed. Sorry this is long winded but the crux of the problem is the lack of transparency over anything, from energy companies and with the system I am using, which is old. So I'm weighing up my options. 

I'm currently on Economy 10 but the first few weeks have been very expensive. I realised that I had one of the NSHs on its day tariff - have now switched this circuit off as it is hardly ever needed - there is a separate switch into the heater so it is now only doing night storage.

I'm not a huge fan but I think with improved window in the bedroom and correct usage I can get the bills down and still be warm enough. I would prefer GCH but there is none in the block or nearby blocks which I was aware of when I bought. It isn't a long term home, maybe 3-4 years so I took that as a compromise.

I am with E.ON and asked them about switching to E7, as I am paying two standing charges with E10 at 50p per day alone. I'm still trying to work out whether the immersion only heats during off-peak, I've been left no info. The NSHs are early 1990's so not the most efficient, but then would a newer one be? I decided to change to E7 to see how this works for me, even though I now work from home every day. There are panel heaters including one in a small second bedroom which I have made my home office. It doesn't need much to heat it.

I've made an appointment to have a smart meter installed because E.On said I could switch to E7 at no cost, but on a standard meter to switch would cost me nearly £160. Also it might help me work out what is going on with the cost etc with a smart meter, as the NSHs and immersion don't give me a clue. One of the NSH's knobs doesn't seem to work so I mostly switch it off, as it suddenly seems packed with heat that I don't need. I know NSHs are less easy to control so unless I'm cold I'm happy to switch them off, but problem is there has been a cold snap lately and I've sometimes woken up due to being cold - main bedroom is the coldest room as it has a patio door (also original so maybe not the best insulation).

I'm waiting for my second bill from E.On as the first was around £60 for 10 days, so something was wrong, probably me having the extra heat on the NSH using peak electricity. Or maybe when the previous owners left there was a mix up over the bill. I've had so much to deal with that I just have to do what I can from now - E.On advised that the meter reading I gave at the start seemed right.

I am unsure about going ahead, with Smart Meter and E7. it is a bit trial and error. Any advice would be very welcome, thanks. 

ann_droid

Hi

I do not necessarily believe E7 will be less than E10 (https://economy10.com/)
https://economy10.com/check-prices/


but without seeing the tariff charges and meter reads you currently have, I can only guess.



So time clocks would want to match the OFF peak hours.
You do have 2 consumer units? Fuse Boards? One is normal usage and the Night Storage Units connected to their own Board?

There are known amounts for e.on E7, but you may be offered a different one to the EXAMPLE below.

E.ON            Tariff cost breakdown

Daily standing charge    9.45p

Exit fee     £30

Day unit rate (per kWh)    21.06p

Night unit rate (per kWh)       11.12p

##########

Supplier    E.ON

Tariff name     Fix Online Exclusive v68

Tariff type     Green Energy, Fixed price tariff

Payment method     Monthly Fixed Direct Debit

Day unit rate (per kWh)        21.06p

Night unit rate (per kWh)      11.12p

Standing charge                    9.45p

Tariff ends on    12 months from supply start date

Price guaranteed until    12 months from supply start date

Exit fees (If you cancel this tariff before the end date)      £30

If in doubt please ask.

E.ON_Company_Representative

Hi AliceBanned, hope you're well.

It does indeed sound like you're using a fair amount of energy at the moment if you've had a bill of £60 for 10 days. In all-electric properties we do tend to see the heating costs account for the majority of the bill and the difference in winter/summer usage is most pronounced in properties like this. So hopefully once Spring finally catches up with us proper you'll see a marked reduction in usage/costs.

I believe the reason we can't provide an exact quote for E7 at the moment is because prices/tariffs are subject to change. Even so you should be able to track down the current price per unit of E7 tariffs on our website under 'Products and Services' (I'm not permitted to provide a direct link) and the poster above has kindly provided some as well  

The main point in terms of tariff is that with your current E10 setup you can only be on our standard tariff, and this will likely be the same across all suppliers as you have a 'complex meter set-up'. Whereas if and when you switch to E7 you can switch to fixed tariffs and take benefit of the most competitive tariffs across the whole of market. 

The off-peak price per unit is cheaper on E7 then E10 naturally anyway, because you have fewer off-peak hours. But then E10 provides off-peak times during the early afternoon and evening. So it really depends when you tend to use the bulk of your energy. If it is all overnight then E7 will most likely be more beneficial for you. Our 'Simpler Meters' team who booked these types of appointments should have access to some calculators to provide at least a general cost comparison and if you wanted to look at this you know where to find us

Thanks, Matt