Bulb Economy 7 published rates (1st October)

dunstonh

Just received notification of the Bulb rates for Eastern.

electricity day unit rate 38.593p

night unit rate 22.838p

electricity standing charge 39.027p

inc VAT

Very disappointing on the night rate compared to some of the other suppliers.  Shame we cannot switch at the moment.

MWT

dunstonh said:

Just received notification of the Bulb rates for Eastern.

electricity day unit rate 38.593p

night unit rate 22.838p

electricity standing charge 39.027p

inc VAT

Very disappointing on the night rate compared to some of the other suppliers.  Shame we cannot switch at the moment.

Odds are you will be able to switch, EDF and Octopus have been pretty consistent is allowing people to switch to them up till now.

If you are using a relatively low percentage of your consumption at night, that is not necessarily a poor tariff, though.

As a rough guide, if you use more than 42% at night EDF will probably be your best choice to try for, if less than 42% then Octopus.

dunstonh

MWT said:

dunstonh said:

Just received notification of the Bulb rates for Eastern.

electricity day unit rate 38.593p

night unit rate 22.838p

electricity standing charge 39.027p

inc VAT

Very disappointing on the night rate compared to some of the other suppliers.  Shame we cannot switch at the moment.

Odds are you will be able to switch, EDF and Octopus have been pretty consistent is allowing people to switch to them up till now.

If you are using a relatively low percentage of your consumption at night, that is not necessarily a poor tariff, though.

As a rough guide, if you use more than 42% at night EDF will probably be your best choice to try for, if less than 42% then Octopus.

I'm about 68% night  for 9 months of the year and 40% for 3 months.    However, I have a further issue to consider when it comes to switching.  My meter's timer is wrong.  Currently, my E7 night rate starts at 8.57am and finishes 3.57pm.      It tends to gain time after certain power cuts (we get about 12 a year).  The previous meter did the same.   However, a switch to a new provider will almost certainly mean a smart meter and that will reset the timer.  It may take 2 years to gain time back to where it is now and that is assuming the new meter repeats the same time issues as the previous ones.  That would send the ratios more towards day use.

I will need to play with the figures.  I have four years of monthly reads on the same day on a spreadsheet.  So, not too difficult.

The_Green_Hornet

dunstonh said:

Just received notification of the Bulb rates for Eastern.

electricity day unit rate 38.593p

night unit rate 22.838p

electricity standing charge 39.027p

inc VAT

Very disappointing on the night rate compared to some of the other suppliers.  Shame we cannot switch at the moment.

According to a recent article in the Guardian, Ofgem has said that "suppliers are obliged to accept new customers as a condition of their licence" so it should be possible to switch away.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/sep/19/big-five-uk-energy-companies-turning-away-new-customers

QrizB

dunstonh said:

However, a switch to a new provider will almost certainly mean a smart meter and that will reset the timer.  It may take 2 years to gain time back to where it is now and that is assuming the new meter repeats the same time issues as the previous ones.  That would send the ratios more towards day use.

Smart meter clocks are set over-the-air, so there's no local timer to drift.

MWT

QrizB said:

dunstonh said:

However, a switch to a new provider will almost certainly mean a smart meter and that will reset the timer.  It may take 2 years to gain time back to where it is now and that is assuming the new meter repeats the same time issues as the previous ones.  That would send the ratios more towards day use.

Smart meter clocks are set over-the-air, so there's no local timer to drift.

You would think, wouldn't you...

... but it seems they can and do drift and are not automatically reset, had to get mine resync'd as it was messing with the half-hour segment that was recording my use...

Since you reminded me I just checked the meter time again, and in the last week it has slipped another 40 seconds slower.

Currently 1 min 44 sec slow...

Sounds like a small thing, but in the course of a year that is enough to be one entire half-hour register out of sync, and that really does matter when you are being billed on that basis.

MWT

dunstonh said:

I'm about 68% night  for 9 months of the year and 40% for 3 months...

I will need to play with the figures.  I have four years of monthly reads on the same day on a spreadsheet.  So, not too difficult.

That would suggest EDF rather than Octopus then, you can find their numbers here:

https://www.edfenergy.com/sites/default/files/government_energy_price_guarantee_prices._standard_variable_deemed_and_welcome._credit_meters.pdf

I can't comment on how aggressive EDF would be with regard to the smart meter, but regardless of my smart meters drifting clock, I wouldn't bet on a smart meter drifting in the same way as your current one, and it isn't easy to persuade a lot of the smart meters to show their current clock setting either...

bertsilver

Bit thick here, but how do you work out night vs day percentages?

[Deleted User]

bertsilver said:

Bit thick here, but how do you work out night vs day percentages?

Do it from your historic meter readings.

Night % = Night units / Total Units

bertsilver

Deleted_User said:

bertsilver said:

Bit thick here, but how do you work out night vs day percentages?

Do it from your historic meter readings.

Night % = Night units / Total Units

Is that 12 months nights units divided by 12 months day/night units.

12 months night units are 2141
12 months day units are 1836

MWT

bertsilver said:

Deleted_User said:

bertsilver said:

Bit thick here, but how do you work out night vs day percentages?

Do it from your historic meter readings.

Night % = Night units / Total Units

Is that 12 months nights units divided by 12 months day/night units.

12 months night units are 2141
12 months day units are 1836

Night: 54%

Day 46%

Night / Total of Day+ Night the the same for Day.

So 2141+1836 = 3977

2141/3977 = 0.538345 = 54% rounded.

1836/3977 = 0.461655 = 46% rounded