Moving from Economy 7 to single rate tariff?

Bungle73

Can I do this simply by signing up a single a tariff rate with another provider? I hardly use any electricity overnight - I don't have storage heaters (my memory from childhood is that they were a pita), and have gas central heating. Entering my details, when I tell it I want a single rate the price it comes out with is cheaper.

debitcardmayhem

You should be able to do it with your current provider, or with a new one. It will work out cheaper if you have minimum overnight electricity. 

Bungle73

debitcardmayhem said:

You should be able to do it with your current provider, or with a new one. It will work out cheaper if you have minimum overnight electricity. 

Thanks. I was thinking of changing providers anyway. Based on my account my estimated yearly usage for the day is 1989 kWh, and for night 383.8 kWh.

When I put all this into the provider's website for a quote (obviously combining the day and night figures) when I told it I wanted a single rate  the estimated monthly charge was £4.60 cheaper than the one produced when I told it I wanted E7.

Bue21

I changed away from economy 7 some years ago. For years my provider was happy to use the existing meter and just added the 2 readings together. Then I changed supplier and it all went downhill. Initially, despite signing up to a single tariff they put me on an economy 7 one. When I disputed this they insisted I couldn’t have a single tariff on an economy 7 meter as their system couldn’t cope with that. I was forced to stay on the economy tariff until they changed the meter (which took months as they kept being no shows after booking appointments - never again will I sign up to Scottish Power!!).

Slinky

Bue21 said:

I changed away from economy 7 some years ago. For years my provider was happy to use the existing meter and just added the 2 readings together. Then I changed supplier and it all went downhill. Initially, despite signing up to a single tariff they put me on an economy 7 one. When I disputed this they insisted I couldn’t have a single tariff on an economy 7 meter as their system couldn’t cope with that. I was forced to stay on the economy tariff until they changed the meter (which took months as they kept being no shows after booking appointments - never again will I sign up to Scottish Power!!).

I had similar with Outfox the Market. A year on a fixed single rate tariff and then dumped onto E7 when it ended. I switched to EDF who told me they could put me on single rate after I'd been with them for 28 days on E7. When I phoned after 28 days they then denied it was possible. I had to take a complaint all the way to the chairman's office to get it sorted.

If you know you'll never use E7 again, get yourself switched to a smart meter, if you don't already have one, on single rate.

Scot_39

Some users have posted similar issues on moving suppliers -  I suspect as they simply default to meter type on national database for initial tariff setting.

Some posters here after switching to Octopus reported had it changed very quickly back to single rate  phoning afterwards - and their must be others who do so.  As suspect many no longer want e7 - e.g. those lucky to access gas, or fitting an ashp etc.

Many though appear quote the Ofgem protection for relevent restricted meter types -  but those rules when introduced specifically excluded e7 - and iirc a SP special with more than 7 hrs. e7 being the vast majority of profile class 2 meters in uk (3.5m of just over 4m c2020 according to one Ofgem report). 

I am not sure what if any current rules are in place for vanilla e7.

Some suppliers even use meter database data when ask for quotes - iirc a recent thread that includes SP mentioned above, whereas others will allow you to ask for single or e7 figures.  Which may or may not reflect future flexibility.

But seems pretty woeful if ending a fixed deal reverts billing or if told one thing on signing up but then find cannot.  I hope in the latter case the poster had it in writing - to make it easier to challange or leave any fix etc on their breach.


In the post above the OPs annual mix ex 384 vs 1989 - 384/(384+1989) - is just 16% off peak.

Chances are would need to more than double even in best e7 splits to get close to single rate on their average unit prices.

So good luck finding a flexible supplier if own won't budge.

Bungle73

Slinky said:

Bue21 said:

I changed away from economy 7 some years ago. For years my provider was happy to use the existing meter and just added the 2 readings together. Then I changed supplier and it all went downhill. Initially, despite signing up to a single tariff they put me on an economy 7 one. When I disputed this they insisted I couldn’t have a single tariff on an economy 7 meter as their system couldn’t cope with that. I was forced to stay on the economy tariff until they changed the meter (which took months as they kept being no shows after booking appointments - never again will I sign up to Scottish Power!!).

I had similar with Outfox the Market. A year on a fixed single rate tariff and then dumped onto E7 when it ended. I switched to EDF who told me they could put me on single rate after I'd been with them for 28 days on E7. When I phoned after 28 days they then denied it was possible. I had to take a complaint all the way to the chairman's office to get it sorted.

If you know you'll never use E7 again, get yourself switched to a smart meter, if you don't already have one, on single rate.

I already have a smart meter.

Spoonie_Turtle

Scot_39 said:

Some posters here after switching to Octopus reported had it changed very quickly back to single rate  phoning afterwards - and their must be others who do so.  As suspect many no longer want e7 - e.g. those lucky to access gas, or fitting an ashp etc.

That reminds me, after we had our Economy 10 meter replaced* with a non-smart single rate meter and switched to Octopus, we were initially put on the Economy 7 version of the tariff we chose not single rate.  Knowing what I know now thanks to knowledgeable members (past and present) on this board, I can only think our meter type hadn't been properly changed on the national database.  But it got sorted quickly with a couple of Twitter messages.

*Had no choice, the Housing Association insisted on putting in a heat pump and required the meter and CU to be changed.

spot1034

I'm with E. On Next with an E7 smart meter, and when I wanted to change to single rate I had to call and request it, and it took a while on hold for the agent to get through to the correct department to arrange this, but it was done, and a subsequent change of tariff and any quotes I now get should i wish to switch tariffs again are all based on all units charged at single rate.

Bungle73

I joined Outfox the Market and sent them a message yesterday evening saying I wanted to be on a flat rate. Got a response this afternoon they're going to do it for me, but apparently it can take up to six weeks. 

Why I'm on E7 in the first place I have absolutely no idea. I inherited the house from my parents.