New heatstore storage heaters, display isn't coming on?

Gerry1

TL;DR: If the(Load Control relay) icon is visible, then the E7 NSH and immersion heater circuits are live and all consumption is at cheap rate.

roosaaliiee

ok, thanks all.

roosaaliiee

The supply company won't necessarily know, the switching times are set by your DNO and can even vary from meter to meter.  

One last question: what's the DNO Gerry? 
Thank you

MWT

Gerry1 said:

The supply company won't necessarily know, the switching times are set by your DNO and can even vary from meter to meter.

With Smart meters that is no longer necessarily true, they have a built in Auxiliary Load Control Switch (ALCS) that can be programmed by the supplier to control the external contactor used to control loads like NSH etc.

Gerry1

roosaaliiee said:

The supply company won't necessarily know, the switching times are set by your DNO and can even vary from meter to meter.  

One last question: what's the DNO Gerry? 
Thank you

Distribution Network Operator, the organisation that sets the times for conventional E7 in your area (see map).

coffeehound

MWT said:

Gerry1 said:

The supply company won't necessarily know, the switching times are set by your DNO and can even vary from meter to meter.

With Smart meters that is no longer necessarily true, they have a built in Auxiliary Load Control Switch (ALCS) that can be programmed by the supplier to control the external contactor used to control loads like NSH etc.

Yes a smart meter can be programmed over the wireless network, an older digital meter can be programmed by a technician using the infrared communications port, the older still radio teleswitch is controlled by the longwave radio system through a supplier request to the DNO, and the ancient meters are controlled by electro-mechanical clock switch.  It's a total dog's breakfast

roosaaliiee

Hi all.
I just heard that the electrician is coming out tomorrow, finally, after my new storage heaters doing nothing for almost two weeks. The same electrician....
I haven't stayed up to see when the night tariff comes on, I had planned to do that when I knew they were coming out. I did find this on the website of Octopus in the smart meter FAQ's:

'What happens to my Economy Seven (E7) tariff when I have a smart meter installed?

Your smart meter will have a fixed off-peak 7 hour period from 00:30 to 07:30. This time period takes place according to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), so during British Summer Time (BST) the 7 hour period will take place between 01:30 and 08:30. This may differ from your existing off-peak period on your current non-smart meter.'

(link here: https://octopus.energy/help-and-faqs/categories/meters/economy-seven-smart-meter/)

I could stay up tonight to check, but I dread doing that because my sleep is poor as it is. Do you think I can assume the above is right?

Thank you!

Gerry1

Exactly what is the electrician going to do?  If he installs extra circuits and wires the NSHs correctly then all you have to do is to set the clock and programme the NSH with the times you want to be warm and the temperature the room should reach.

However, it's far more likely that he will just change the NSHs to a single 24h supply, in which case you'll also need to be absolutely certain of the exact times that the E7 meter is recording usage at the cheaper rate, and you'll need to be equally certain that the NSH is set to charge within th cheap rate window.  You'll still need to set the clock, the comfort times and temperatures.

If you get it wrong by making wrong assumptions or relying on the electrician, Octopus or the man in the moon and end up paying daytime rates (either the charging or with the convector boost) , you'll have needlessly high bills which will give you far more sleepless nights.

roosaaliiee

Gerry1 said:

Exactly what is the electrician going to do?  If he installs extra circuits and wires the NSHs correctly then all you have to do is to set the clock and programme the NSH with the times you want to be warm and the temperature the room should reach.

However, it's far more likely that he will just change the NSHs to a single 24h supply, in which case you'll also need to be absolutely certain of the exact times that the E7 meter is recording usage at the cheaper rate, and you'll need to be equally certain that the NSH is set to charge within th cheap rate window.  You'll still need to set the clock, the comfort times and temperatures.

If you get it wrong by making wrong assumptions or relying on the electrician, Octopus or the man in the moon and end up paying daytime rates (either the charging or with the convector boost) , you'll have needlessly high bills which will give you far more sleepless nights.

They wired it, again (but now for real apparently) into the E7 supply and now I have to wait until that comes on, to program the bloody heaters.... And they said they should work but weren't sure... My bet is they won't at all, or only poorly because the fan won't be on to blow the hot air into the room?

So they only have power at (currently) the E7 and the guys said I have to contact Octopus to arrange that it can be wired into the 24hr supply because they don't want to mess with the meter....

Thoughts?

QrizB

roosaaliiee said:

Gerry1 said:

Exactly what is the electrician going to do?  If he installs extra circuits and wires the NSHs correctly then all you have to do is to set the clock and programme the NSH with the times you want to be warm and the temperature the room should reach.

However, it's far more likely that he will just change the NSHs to a single 24h supply, in which case you'll also need to be absolutely certain of the exact times that the E7 meter is recording usage at the cheaper rate, and you'll need to be equally certain that the NSH is set to charge within th cheap rate window.  You'll still need to set the clock, the comfort times and temperatures.

If you get it wrong by making wrong assumptions or relying on the electrician, Octopus or the man in the moon and end up paying daytime rates (either the charging or with the convector boost) , you'll have needlessly high bills which will give you far more sleepless nights.

They wired it, again (but now for real apparently) into the E7 supply and now I have to wait until that comes on, to program the bloody heaters.... And they said they should work but weren't sure... My bet is they won't at all, or only poorly because the fan won't be on to blow the hot air into the room?

So they only have power at (currently) the E7 and the guys said I have to contact Octopus to arrange that it can be wired into the 24hr supply because they don't want to mess with the meter....

Thoughts?

My thought is that they simply won't work if they're only wired into the E7 supply. They need:

• Ideally, both E7 and 24h supplies, or
  
• If that's not possible, a permanent 24h supply and a very carefully programmed timer

Having a single E7 supply they might warm up but they won't be able to give any heat out.

And Octopus is nothing to do with it, all the changes need to be made at the Consumer Unit not the meter.

Your electrician is really out of his or her depth, it seems.