economy 7

squizz11

she doesn't heat it all year round ,  she turns all heaters off and occasionally switches one back on if it gets a bit chilly,   last year she never put it on, this summer it was about two or three times.

somebody had mentioned that her consumption at night is high so we need to know why and how we can get it down,   it's been nearly £180/£200 per month for over a year, she's struggling and that's even with the goverments help.  all her neighbors pay about £120 and get credit in the summer

QrizB

squizz11 said:

somebody had mentioned that her consumption at night is high so we need to know why and how we can get it down

Why do you need to get it down?

Or, put another way, the best way to reduce her night consumptions to turn down the temperature setting on her storage heater. Her flat will be colder as a result. Is this acceptable?

squizz11 said:

it's been nearly £180/£200 per month for over a year, she's struggling and that's even with the goverments help.

Let's back the cart up. If she is paying by budget DD, which is how most people buy their energy, the payment every month is the same, 1/12th of your annual bill. The idea is that you don't have to pay more in the winter. The monthly payment is unrelated to the monthly energy use.

So paying £200pm in June doesn't mean that she's used £200-worth of electricity in June.

Back on page 1 we calculated what her electricity might be costing. £1881 plus ~£200 standing charge per year, so £2100 a year, £175 a month. This is roughly what you say she's paying.

I think this all comes down to, if your mum has Reynaud's disease and needs a warm flat, it's going to cost more than her neighbour who doesn't.

EssexHebridean

So - if she “sometimes” needs heat in the summer months, then she should be able to use the boost function to sort that out,yes. Easy way to check that to set her mind at rest - flick the switches on one of the heaters that she rarely uses, set it to boost for an hour, and wait for the familiar smell of burning dust… 

if she wants hot water available whenever, then if she just leaves the immersion heater switched on to the off peak circuit, that means she will wake up to a tank of hot water each morning to use as needed. She can leave it like that all year round.

She doesn’t need to turn anything off at the consumer unit - if she doesn’t want the heaters to charge, she can either turn the output temperature right down to a level below where it will charge, or she can simply flick off both wall switches for the individual heater. 

She may also find it more comfortable in her home by using more of the heaters, but at a lower output level - although without knowing which rooms she uses and which she heats, it would be tricky to make suggestions.

Scot_39

From https://product-portal.gdhv.com/sites/default/files/2023-11/Quantum G12 Shortened Installation User Instructions - Issue 6.pdf

"Boost

A supplemental boost element controlled by the electronic thermostat is provided if additional room heating is

required, for example, due to unusually cold weather. You can select how long the boost will run for, from one to four
hours. Once the boost has run for the selected time it will automatically switch off.

Note: Boost element uses peak rate electricity and could lead to increased running costs.

"

So yes suspect should work - but if needs higher temp for long times regularly - may be best to just use normal storage / programmed output modes - so heat at off-peak rates - and use advance to switch on / off heating modes accordingly.

But anyone heating to 25 - if thats genuine need - as much higher than NHS generic 21and they don't say anything other than keep hot on their raynaud's page

But that I guess is at the heater - not in the middle of the room - assuming their is no offset set by installer - is clearly going to be using a fair bit more power / energy - than say 21C. 

OP could try a few runs using the dimplex rating tool to give a clue as to costs on typically coldest days (tool assumes -3C).

LYNDBO

Octopus keep getting my readings wrong because apparently my meter is smets1 and not up to date so readings are transposed which means back to front,  I had a period of high readings in the night and there was nothing on that would cause such high readings they stated the meter is fine but in the next breath said the meters can act up now and again and do there own thing  . I'm currently going through with a complaint with ofgem because they still haven't resolved it .

Gerry1

LYNDBO said:

Octopus keep getting my readings wrong because apparently my meter is smets1 and not up to date so readings are transposed which means back to front,  I had a period of high readings in the night and there was nothing on that would cause such high readings they stated the meter is fine but in the next breath said the meters can act up now and again and do there own thing  . I'm currently going through with a complaint with ofgem because they still haven't resolved it .

Unfortunately you seem to be misinformed. 

★ If the readings on the bill are transposed that's an administrative issue which is nothing to do with SMETS1 etc.

★ You need firm evidence that the readings are transposed.  Note both readings at say 10am and 4pm on a day when you're at home and using the tumble dryer,  kettle etc.  The register which has incremented should be the one that's billed at the day rate.

★ You need to complain to the Energy Ombudsman, not Ofgem.