EV Tariff for storage heaters???

Boogins

I am getting stung big time since the price increase. Before April 1st I was paying 7p/unit night rate and now it has gone up to 19p/unit!

I use 80% of my energy on the night rate. My question is this. Is there any reason why I couldn't go on an EV tariff with my storage heaters?

I have new high heat retention storage heaters and I know for a fact that even when it is really cold they only charge for about 5 hours max as I can tell from the smart meter.

I'd love to switch to an EV tariff that offers low night time rates but I can't see anyone letting me do it!

Any body with real life experience of trying to do this?

My initial findings so far are that I'd need to go on to direct debit as I have a smart prepayment meter at the moment and then take it from there. I'm hoping that by next winter I might have been able to switch to an EV tariff one way or another otherwise it is going to cost us in excess of £25 a day to heat a 2 bedroom cottage!!

Any advice greatly received.

QrizB

Boogins said:

I use 80% of my energy on the night rate. My question is this. Is there any reason why I couldn't go on an EV tariff with my storage heaters?

If your current heaters rely on E7 switching from the meter, you'll need to get an electrician to make some changes since you won't get E7 switching on an EV tariff.

Any body with real life experience of trying to do this?

There are some people on the forum who do something similar; hopefully one will pipe up shortly.

... otherwise it is going to cost us in excess of £25 a day to heat a 2 bedroom cottage!!

That suggests that you're using around 120kWh/day to heat your 2-bed cottage. Looking at my records for the last four winters, my gas-heated 3-bed semi uses half that amount of energy even in the coldest months. How is your insulation? Can you turn the temperature down a bit?

MWT

Boogins said:

I'd love to switch to an EV tariff that offers low night time rates but I can't see anyone letting me do it!

Any body with real life experience of trying to do this?

Historically it was possible, but much less likely these days, and you would be committing fraud if you tried as I am not aware of any of the suppliers that don't now make having an EV a requirement...

Also, the tariffs like 'Go' don't work well for storage heaters as they only provide 4 hours in the early part of the night...

QrizB

MWT said:

Boogins said:

I'd love to switch to an EV tariff that offers low night time rates but I can't see anyone letting me do it!

Any body with real life experience of trying to do this?

Historically it was possible, but much less likely these days, and you would be committing fraud if you tried as I am not aware of any of the suppliers that don't now make having an EV a requirement...

Second-hand EV prices are beginning to soften so there might be the option of buying one simply to get access to EV tariffs, particularly if the OP is hoping to save £50/day during the winter months as a result?

[Edit: this might even suffice, £500 (auction) for a bodyshell with V5!]

Also, the tariffs like 'Go' don't work well for storage heaters as they only provide 4 hours in the early part of the night...

OP seems to think 5 hrs will be enough, so one of the flavours of Go Faster could work.

MWT

QrizB said:

[Edit: this might even suffice, £500 (auction) for a bodyshell with V5!]

That might be a bit hopeful...

I do understand the attraction of the EV tariffs for those without an EV, and if you can pull a steady 7kW for a few hours it is a believable load, but in all seriousness, it is only going to get harder to avoid the need to actually own an EV, so if that isn't part of the plan I wouldn't want to depend on being able to get onto and stay on one of those tariffs without one...

Boogins

@QrizB I'm an electrician so I'd have no problem in fitting a time switch and contactor for switching purposes. We use between 10,000 and 12,000 kWhs a year, haven't looked at exact usage per day. Insulation is not great, loft is up to current spec but as it's a cottage the loft is small and we have what are classed as 'rooms in roof' where part of the ceiling is the roof. These parts have poor 1980s insulation in them. Walls are mainly solid clay lump so not great either. If it wasn't a rental property I'd already have improved both walls and ceilings upstairs. Might have to look in to rooms in roof insulation again. Had thought about insulating wallpaper as we have some particular cold spots that condensate in winter and cause mould. Think the rats have been up there and gone through the felt and removed insulation from that particular section!

MWT

QrizB said:

If your current heaters rely on E7 switching from the meter, you'll need to get an electrician to make some changes since you won't get E7 switching on an EV tariff.

I missed this one earlier...

Octopus 'Go' can be configured to use the ALCS in the smart meter to switch the load during the 4 hour low rate period, but it can take a little prodding to get the change made.

You are certainly right though with regard to the more complex EV tariffs.

wittynamegoeshere

It sounds like you're looking at the symptoms and not the cause of your issues.  Confront reality and move house.  Seriously.

Your landlord will be required to meet "E" rating EPC requirements by law from April 2023 anyway, in your case this would probably involve cladding the outside of the entire building.  In reality, the more likely outcome is that you'll be evicted and it will be sold to someone who wants a fixer upper or just knocked down and replaced.

We had a 1980s loft conversion in our previous house.  It was rubbish, very glad to have got rid so it's someone else's problem now.  Do you get black mould on the walls, as we did?  If so this is harmful to your health.

We're too attached to useless old buildings in this country.  We don't generally drive 100-year old cars, so why do we keep making do with unsuitable buildings?

Insulating wallpaper is a joke.  You need at least 50mm of rigid foam, not a couple of mm of polystyrene.

Boogins

@wittynamegoeshere thanks for the really positive reply!

 

wittynamegoeshere said:

It sounds like you're looking at the symptoms and not the cause of your issues.  Confront reality and move house.  Seriously.

Your landlord will be required to meet "E" rating EPC requirements by law from April 2023 anyway, in your case this would probably involve cladding the outside of the entire building.  In reality, the more likely outcome is that you'll be evicted and it will be sold to someone who wants a fixer upper or just knocked down and replaced.

Our property is already at "E" for the EPC so bang goes your theory. The landlord owns the whole row of houses so very unlikely to sell either, especially as he's just had new windows fitted through out!
Our rent is well below the rate for this area and if we had to pay £200 a month more for something similar we would be much worse off!

wittynamegoeshere

You said you're spending £25/day, which is £750 a month.  At that sort of consumption you'd be better off checking into a Travelodge.

It will be required to be a C rating by 2025.  This may not be possible with solid uninsulated walls.

Whatever the supposed rating, there's something very wrong with your house.

QrizB

Boogins said:

@QrizB I'm an electrician so I'd have no problem in fitting a time switch and contactor for switching purposes. We use between 10,000 and 12,000 kWhs a year, haven't looked at exact usage per day.

OK, it sounds like you could benefit provided you can actually get onto an EV tariff!