Tomato Energy TOU tariffs and SMETS2

lohr500

Not wishing to hijack another ongoing thread regarding Tomato Energy, I have a couple of specific questions relating to their Lifestyle TOU tariff.

This tariff has three different unit prices based on TOU (Time Of Use).

1. Has anyone switched to one of their Lifestyle TOU tariffs and if so, does your smart meter use three registers to track the consumption for each TOU? Or is everything recorded on one register with the billing based on the half hourly meter data?
2. Are the TOU timings based on GMT or do they change with the GMT/BST move?

I am due to switch over to Tomato on the 28th August.

I have contacted customer services with both the above questions, but with it being a weekend now and bank Holiday tomorrow, I'm not sure if I will get a response back before the switch date!!

If anyone who is on a Tomato Lifestyle tariff can help with either question, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Keep_pedalling

I am pretty sure they must use the half hourly data. They would not be able to offer their Agile and intensity if they did not do that.

lohr500

Thanks @Keep_pedalling. I also was thinking this would be the case.

I just wondered if they might set up the SMETS2 meter to record the usage on three of the registers as well.

If they did, it would be easier for me to keep a check that the correct rates are being applied at the correct times.

It would be great if someone who is on the Lifestyle tariff could confirm how it works.

My current EDF ECO20:20 tariff has two rates but with different off peak times through the week and weekend.
The meter correctly records the usage on Registers 1 & 2 and also shows the current tariff rate in use. 

JoshinLeeds

My Smart Meters never worked with Tomato Energy but the moment I switched back to Fuse they started working straight away.

I still have no bills recorded in my account even though it ended last month and I gave manual readings the time I was with them.

They also never updated my tariff to reflect when the rates reduced and earlier this year.

lohr500

JoshinLeeds said:

My Smart Meters never worked with Tomato Energy but the moment I switched back to Fuse they started working straight away.

I still have no bills recorded in my account even though it ended last month and I gave manual readings the time I was with them.

They also never updated my tariff to reflect when the rates reduced and earlier this year.

Thanks for the reply.

This is all all very worrying to hear. 

I noted that the pricing in my quote included vat and took a screen shot for my records (which I always do when obtaining online quotes for anything).. But as you say, on closer examination of the documents they sent me, the Electricity Contract document which contains detail of the tou rates does not mention vat. The T&Cs document says all pricing EXCLUDES vat. I have contacted them seeking clarification. 

Is your meter a newer SMETS2 type or an earlier SMETS1?

I guess your only consolation is that they never generated a bill. How many days were you with them before switching back to Fuse?

JoshinLeeds

lohr500 said:

JoshinLeeds said:

My Smart Meters never worked with Tomato Energy but the moment I switched back to Fuse they started working straight away.

I still have no bills recorded in my account even though it ended last month and I gave manual readings the time I was with them.

They also never updated my tariff to reflect when the rates reduced and earlier this year.

Thanks for the reply.

This is all all very worrying to hear. 

I noted that the pricing in my quote included vat and took a screen shot for my records (which I always do when obtaining online quotes for anything).. But as you say, on closer examination of the documents they sent me, the Electricity Contract document which contains detail of the tou rates does not mention vat. The T&Cs document says all pricing EXCLUDES vat. I have contacted them seeking clarification. 

Is your meter a newer SMETS2 type or an earlier SMETS1?

I guess your only consolation is that they never generated a bill. How many days were you with them before switching back to Fuse?

It's a new SMETS2 meter that was only installed in April.

I was only with them two months, I got fed up with all the admin and lack of responses (things like having to provide DDs again even though they were provided on sign up)

lohr500

I've just received an email from Tomato Energy confirming that the unit prices in the Contract Document are inclusive of vat

No reply yet to my separate enquiry on if the timings are always GMT and if they will use three registers or one on my smart meter.

JoshinLeeds

lohr500 said:

I've just received an email from Tomato Energy confirming that the unit prices in the Contract Document are inclusive of vat

No reply yet to my separate enquiry on if the timings are always GMT and if they will use three registers or one on my smart meter.

Interesting as my contracted stated they excluding vat.

ronrapp

lohr500 said:

I've just received an email from Tomato Energy confirming that the unit prices in the Contract Document are inclusive of vat

No reply yet to my separate enquiry on if the timings are always GMT and if they will use three registers or one on my smart meter.

Hi been looking at off peak tariffs E.ON,  British Gas,  EDF to name but a few and to a man they are all GMT so the window shifts when the clocks go to BST. Frustrating really when you think that the technology is there to deal with it. So I'd expect Tomato to follow the rest of the industry. 

Largs

I am getting confused, 1 by various tomato 🍅 threads trying to gleem information that is spread about them and 2 GMT and BST is too confusing. We need plain English. (I know what GMT and BST means) But not in relation to electric. Please help the community and use plain English.

lohr500

Largs said:

I am getting confused, 1 by various tomato 🍅 threads trying to gleem information that is spread about them and 2 GMT and BST is too confusing. We need plain English. (I know what GMT and BST means) But not in relation to electric. Please help the community and use plain English.

There was some doubt initially if the times for the different unit costs on their time of use Lifestyle tariff were always based on Greenwich Mean Time, or if they moved when our clocks move to British Summer Time.

Some suppliers off peak periods are always fixed on GMT, whilst others shift with the clock change.

As an example, my EDF off peak periods were ALWAYS based on GMT. The off peak rate on weekdays was between 9pm and 7am GMT. In the summer when our clocks moved to BST, the off peak time became 10pm to 8am.

Other suppliers work it differently, so the off peak time is based on the local clock time in place for the time of year. So if the off peak time is 9pm to 7am, it is 9pm to 7am irrespective if we are on the winter GMT time, or the summer BST time.

Tomato Energy have now confirmed to me (at least) that their time of use timings are based on the local clock time. So in line with the second scenario above.

Does this help to explain the confusion?