Off Peak Tariff

Phones4Chris

Well that's interesting @Swipe , how odd but your actual tariff hasn't updated - or are you currently on a fixed deal - sorry can't remember?
Shame that @sebtomato hasn't come back with his tariff data from n3rgy so we can compare things, has your n3rgy tariff data (timings particularly) changed at all since this last "update" @Swipe ?
I doubt there's any chance that mine will change anytime soon as my complaint has gone to deadlock after misinformation etc.

Swipe

Phones4Chris said:

Well that's interesting @Swipe , how odd but your actual tariff hasn't updated - or are you currently on a fixed deal - sorry can't remember?
Shame that @sebtomato hasn't come back with his tariff data from n3rgy so we can compare things, has your n3rgy tariff data (timings particularly) changed at all since this last "update" @Swipe ?
I doubt there's any chance that mine will change anytime soon as my complaint has gone to deadlock after misinformation etc.

I'm on a fixed rate until April 23. My n3rgy data is still the same and everything is correct now.

Phones4Chris

So your IHD must get its countdown timing from other than the basic tariff register (of which there is only one - so if the tariff is updated you wouldn't see the previous tariff - but that's an aside). I wonder why mine and any others are different?
I wonder if @[Deleted User] knows more about other registers besides those controlling the ALCS and the R01/02 switching?

[Deleted User]

Phones4Chris said:

So your IHD must get its countdown timing from other than the basic tariff register (of which there is only one - so if the tariff is updated you wouldn't see the previous tariff - but that's an aside). I wonder why mine and any others are different?
I wonder if @[Deleted User] knows more about other registers besides those controlling the ALCS and the R01/02 switching?

Each SMETS meter has 4 registers. For example, registers R1 and R2 are often used for a basic E7 set up. Interestingly, I can find no requirement in the technical specification for the IHD to show a meter index reading. That said, it seems clear to me that when the index reading is shown it is based on a simple mathematical calculation (ie: R1 +R2 etc). This can be very confusing when consumers switch suppliers. The ‘bottomline’ is that the new supplier needs to be provided with all register readings if double-charging is to be avoided.

The IHD gets its tariff information from the ESME and the GSME. In the case of the ESME, the IHD will only show the unit price for the period of supply (ie; it changes as the supply moves from peak to offpeak and vice versa). This, of course, assumes that the supplier has sent the correct tariff information to the ESME and GSME.

For homes with switched circuits, the basic meter set up will only switch the entire home from peak to offpeak: it will not turn on a separate storage heater circuit. As I understand it, smart meters can be set up for ALCS (Automatic Load Control System) which would work to control a typical home storage meter heating configuration. From what I have read on other forums, making this work requires a lot of human intervention. An ALCS calendar has to be manually set up by the supplier. I know that Octopus has it running for some of its consumers.

ALCS is explained on page 4:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/579774/291116_-_Smart_meters__Demand_Side_Response_leaflet_-_DR_-_FINAL.PDF

The problem is that SMETS2 is now 10 years old and suppliers such as Octopus are moving towards intelligent switching systems rather than manually set up controls. Intelligent tariffs are already available for many EVs and home charging points (EVSEs), and I have no doubt we will see storage heating etc having these types of controls in the future.

Alnat1

Maybe it will be possible in the not too distant future for suppliers to show our usage in almost real time and move away from the outdated billing system.

IHDs and online accounts/apps that show the balance outstanding, calculated as at the end of the previous day, will hopefully become the norm. No more estimated readings, surprise huge debts etc.

Scrounger

UPDATE - my smart meter overcharging problem is now fixed.

EDF visited yesterday and swapped out my E7 smart meter for a brand new ones of the same type (Aclara SGM1416-B 5-port) and supplied a new IHD (Geo Trio II).  I checked this morning and am please to report my E7 (off) switchover TOU2/1, IHD & ALCS are all now correctly in sync at 08.36 BST 

This was their preferred solution to resolving the meter and the ALCS timing issue which was resulting in a period of overcharging during the morning switchover.

I have registered the new meter with bright (still waiting for initialisation data). 
(Bizarrely, the old meter is still showing various kWh of electricity consumption on the Bright app today even though it was been removed and taken taken away yesterday!  Perhaps it has been re-purposed already.)

Good to have this issue finally sorted.

Scrounger