Must I have a Smart Meter?

Scot_39

QrizB said:

Notwithstanding the lengthy and largely accurate reply above, reports on this forum show that most dual-MPAN supplies are being replaced by a single smart meter.

I guess it's possible that this particular installation will be an exception, but that definitely not the usual way of doing it.

Suspect most will have been like mine used to be  - 2 meters on one supply - split off peak / night and day.  Often so called "related meters" as both are handled under the same tariff.

Rather than 2 DNO single phase supplies - at least judging by the 2 seperate incoming fuses.

2 supplies were quite common - frequently split phase - so needed to be completely isolated / partioned within - for larger off gas grid properties - long before domestic 3 phase @60A as now the preferred DNO option for those now needing large demand.

https://www.nationalgrid.co.uk/downloads-view-reciteme/633928

As far as I know - the split comment implies 2x single 80A still allowed - but not the preferred new install.  If nothing else 3 60A is slightly more power - and likely only 1 meter so 1 standing charge.

I am in a 2 bed - and I am easily capable - if used all of the installed heating / HW tank, shower at same time - of running over rated - so reyling on short term over load capacity - of both street wiring and my 100A incoming fuse. Bigger homes would need more.  And decades ago 60 or 80A was more common - and 100A no longer so.

 

You could essentially even argue that the house was actually two houses - as some who might have been built with or split off a section of property for rent as say a basement of loft apartment - as rebecca1 says she has 3 rooms 5 heaters and own HW tank - on the e7 side - sounds pretty much similar.

Scot_39

rebecca1 said:

Does anyone know if I have a Smart meter fitted when the RTS gets switched off whether I will still have 2 displays I can read ? 1 day 1 night? Thks Rebecca   

The smart meter - the physical meter will have one LCD display and normally a decent sized button that will allow you to cycle through say(*) rate 1 day and rate 2 night. Some just cycle themselves. So you will need access to the meter still.

Unfortunately - many IHD's - the little room displays shown in the Einstein smart adverts - dont tend to provide seperate day and night readings.

(Note * - Beware there is no single convention on the order - so make sure check absolute readings are charged at correct rate after upgrade - in winter with 5 NSH and HW tank it should be obvous - in spring maybe less so - so keep a note of readings - many meters will also indicate which register is currently active - a little arrow or a R1 / R2 in display etc. And check online - or on statements when arrive. Some suppliers apps / account pages give even daily or 1/2 hourly data. Before I could see the peak and offpeak smart readings - still only monthly on my portal / on line account - I phoned in after a couple of weeks to check mine.)

Phones4Chris

QrizB said:

Notwithstanding the lengthy and largely accurate reply above, reports on this forum show that most dual-MPAN supplies are being replaced by a single smart meter.

I guess it's possible that this particular installation will be an exception, but that definitely not the usual way of doing it.

I think you'll find that they are virtually all 2 MPANs on ONE supply as already mentioned by @Scot_39 , not on two separate DNO cut-outs giving two separate supplies. The fact that in this case they are both on the same premises isn't really a relevant factor. Such situations can be quite a common setup for things such as a "granny" annex.

rebecca1

All the input I have had here has been VERY helpful, thanks 

Scot_39

rebecca1 said:

Phone4Chris - thnks for all your help.. 

 If I've understood your information correctly, the Gas is for the part of the house that has the single rate modern digital electricity meter (please confirm for clarification).   Correct 

It would be nice to know what make and model storage heaters they are. Dimplex XLS6N, XLS12N,XLS18N (x2) XLS24N ...  picture of timer for the storage heaters below..

@rebecca1

Is that then one per heater - or is that one switch driving a master contactor mounted somewhere else ?

As it's just a 13A / 3kW max rated timer switch.

And I'd tend to err on side of caution and maybe would use a 16A for 3kW immersion - and even more so for the XLS24N - at 3.4kW.

My whole E10 off peak consumer (3 NSH and 1HW immersion) unit feed is fed by a meter 2A auxiliary contactor driving a 100A Proteus relay - looks like this one

https://proteusswitchgear.com/products/100-a-heating-contactor-single-phase/

So is that one timer actually driving something similar ?

JoLam

I made the switch earlier this year - my bills since then have been horrendous. The 'smart' meter reading the day and night units in inverse proportion to my old radio transmitter meter - hence higher costs. how can this be?

MattMattMattUK

JoLam said:

I made the switch earlier this year - my bills since then have been horrendous. The 'smart' meter reading the day and night units in inverse proportion to my old radio transmitter meter - hence higher costs. how can this be?

If you mean reversed, than "inverse proportion" that would make more sense? Eg. day and night transposed. The registers have been crossed, basic human error, it can happen on a meter change and used to happen on old dumb meters as well. All you need to do is raise a complaint with your energy supplier, they will correct the which register is linked to which rate, re-bill you based on the usage being correctly allocated and the problem will be resolved. 

dunstonh

JoLam said:

I made the switch earlier this year - my bills since then have been horrendous. The 'smart' meter reading the day and night units in inverse proportion to my old radio transmitter meter - hence higher costs. how can this be?

Transposing the figures is actually quite common and usually very easily fixed.  Although with some suppliers, their service staff can make it more complicated than it needs to be.

This is not a meter fault.  Its a human error that has recorded the figures the wrong way around.

You inform your supplier, they will usually ask for evidence, such as photos showing the time on the meter and the current register.   Ideally, if you are with the same supplier under the old meter, they will use your history to verify it as well.

Transposing also can happen when you switch suppliers.