3 days to end of So Energy contract; only So Flex variable offered/no details

pochase

It is just the name they are using for the page, as you can see the tariff clearly says SO Flex Tariff. Why would you bother what they call the link?

And yes most likely they use out of contract internally for being not on a fixed tariff.

You will automatically go onto the the SVT, and the link shows your single rate rates also. You just need to tell them that you don't want any longer E10/2 rate and instead single rate.

I'm still not convinced that you are better off with the single rate as the premium day rates are only 2p more expensive, while the night rates are almost 7p cheaper and you use more than 40% off peak. As you can see from the calculation at current SVT you would have paid £90 more on the single rate. 

meadowgrass

Thanks @pochase Getting overwhelmed, so was going towards letting it tick over into variable E10/2 rate, and, with you kindly providing the fact I'd have paid more on single rate, that seals it for me at this point. Am still concerned about not enough hours of heating when needed, but at least can look into that later in the year. Much appreciate.

pochase

You will be heating during the day at a slightly more expensive rate, you can still heat as much as you like.

I tis just that your off peak usage will still make it cheaper. If you heat more during the day it will 7 to 8 percent more expensive on E10 peak than at single rate. 

You definitely need to check this in October when the new SVT are published. Energy suppliers are more or less free how they split their SVT for economy tariffs as long as it works out the same as the single rates cap. So some have cheaper night rates and more expensive day rates. You need to check if the difference between single rate and E10 peak rate is still minimal once you know the new rates and maybe go onto single rate than.

meadowgrass

Thanks @pochase Appreciate further advice. Hours are set to whatever the E10 meter sets the 10 hours to, so, with current setup, it's not me choosing when to use heat. In colder weather, particularly since last winter, having needed to use the oil-filled radiator to cover the 14 hours without heat bumped up costs a lot. Thinking that through makes me realise using a single rate tariff could be even more of an expense.

pochase

Why would you use an radiator and not your heat pump. The cost for the same amount of heat is only a third of using a radiator.

A heat pump should generate about 3KWh or more heat from 1KWh electricity, while a radiator will generate 1KWh heat.

Have a look at the link @QrizB posted how to set up your heat pump.

If you really have heat pumps installed I think you are stuck with the storage heater thinking of charging at night, that is not how heat pumps work.

QrizB

pochase said:

Why would you use an radiator and not your heat pump. The cost for the same amount of heat is only a third of using a radiator.

I agree with pochase, it seems crazy to run an oil-filled radiator when you can get at least twice (and possibly 3x) the amount of heat out of your Ecodan for the same cost.

meadowgrass said:

Am still concerned about not enough hours of heating when needed

You no longer have storage heaters, so "heating hours" aren't relevant. There are a lot of heat pump users on this forum who say that, during the winter when you need to heat your home, you should run the pump for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

meadowgrass

Thanks for comments @pochase and @QrizB Maybe there's some error with system, as I know that only 10 hours of heat happen, no matter if I use the remote to raise the temperature. I'd thought that was due to having an Economy 10 meter, plus am not wanting any meter change, but just 24-hour ability for heat.

I'm totally confused, and can only say that the heating seems stuck on 10 hours, and there was no comment about 24-hour heat being available either during the install years ago or during housing association check last year, when I was saying about being cold.

I wouldn't use the radiator unless too cold and unable to get heat any other way; aware it's more expensive, which is why tried to get a response from So Energy about single rate, as housing association said single rate would enable 24-hour heating, which now appears to be garbage advice. I wonder how many more in sheltered housing have been unnecessarily cold over the last 6 months.

Sincerely hoping it's not complicated to sort (ill health) ... ironically, all heating off at the moment, as it's really warm, but will look again at link I didn't understand needing to check when that was posted earlier in the thread.  

pochase

Did you have storage heaters before you got the new system?

Were the storage heater on a separate E10 meter? It sounds almost as if the heat pump is only powered during E10 times? Were the old heaters also only running during E10 times? It sounds like they used the power connections for storage heaters, and they are only powered during E10 times. 

If that is correct it would be a complete wrong installation and a very expensive one for you. 

meadowgrass

pochase said:

Did you have storage heaters before you got the new system?

Were the storage heater on a separate E10 meter? It sounds almost as if the heat pump is only powered during E10 times?

If that is correct it would be a complete wrong installation and a very expensive one for you. 

Yes, storage heaters, which were great for keeping the house warm all day. I believe they were on the separate E10 meter, so, yes, have been concerned, particularly with being colder this year, that the system has always been stuck on 10 hours ... really doesn't hold the heat across day, although I think I recall the installers saying at the time that heat would be no different to storage heaters, except cheaper, which was more of the same bad information, I see now.

I so wish I'd refused the install, and had full information to do so. Hit a brick wall of silence or confusion if want any clear response or solutions afterwards, too. I'd been peripherally aware of things being 'off' but now it's crystal clear, from helpful comments from yourself and QrizB, that doubts were correct.

pochase

The heat pump system is great and should save you money if working correctly. It seems the installation was done wrong.

I am not sure if the change to a single rate would solve the problem, if the meter switches electricity to the heat pump only at a certain time.

The advice from your HA makes me suspect that other people have the same problem?

If what I suspect is correct it would be easy to solve, they just need to connect the heat pump to a fuse that has power 24/7.