Is this smart meter wired up for Eco 7?

MWT

lilac_dawn said:

MWT said:

lilac_dawn said:

 I know he doesn’t need an app but as he doesn’t know his tariff - other than telling me it is variable but then saying he is paying the same rate for both - I think an app would be easier for him to manage. However, this is all his concern as a tenant. 

If he is paying the same rate for both time periods then either intentionally or unwittingly he is on a single rate version of the tariff.

He may have done that as it gives a lower rate than the peak rate on an E7 version, but of course he gets no low rate overnight and this may also have caused Octopus to configure the meter as single-rate as well, so no ALCS switching.

All perfectly fixable remotely as mentioned above, but he does need to understand how to ask for that and will see a change in the peak rate he is charged.

So if he wishes to continue paying for a single rate tarriff, can he request the ALCS switch to be configured and then the storage heaters will charge at their E7 times but he will be paying a single rate for them?

Yes it is possible, but will need to be handled by a specialist rather than the normal front-line staff, but it would be foolish to do that unless they are using a larger amount of electricity in the day time than would be typical for someone with electric heating. 

lilac_dawn

He might well be using more daytime electricity as he is a shift worker and hasn't been using the storage heaters up until this point. However, I have told him firmly he needs to contact EDF again as the front-line bod just told him he needed an electrician to check the heaters, which he doesn't!

Rosie1001

They used to be a dedicated team for complex metering , not any more 

they are called exotic meters now to EDF . You could ask to be put through to someone who has knowledgeable of these meters , but you don’t always get some who who know this unfortunately ..my advice , keep trying …

or email them , you might get more help that way as it will be passed to “specialist “ rather than a customer service advisor 

lilac_dawn

... and the answer is: EDF finally sent out someone who, unsurprisngly, said the tenant needed to change his tarriff to E7 for the heaters to charge. The heaters work absolutely fine. 

Phones4Chris

Just catching up with this thread.

lilac_dawn said:

... and the answer is: EDF finally sent out someone who, unsurprisngly, said the tenant needed to change his tarriff to E7 for the heaters to charge. The heaters work absolutely fine. 

Well that is clearly one way of doing it. Personally, I would get EDF to do that immediately just to get the Storage heaters working because other tariff variations are going to be more "complex" to get set up, and as has been mentioned, the front line staff generally don't have a clue about those things.
It seems early responders in the thread didn't spot the 5th "heavy" wire for the switched off-peak supply, nor that it had one from the meter model number. @Ildhund picked up on that one.

@lilac_dawn you clearly understand your storage heating.
To me it looks like the smart meter installer was at fault for not configuring the meter correctly. He/she clearly knew that they'd installed a 5-port meter with switching for the off-peak circuit replacing the previous (presumably RTS controlled system) and should have configured the ALCS correctly whatever the tariff.
Even if your tenant doesn't think he needs to heat a "whole tank of hot water" I would still expect the cost of that off-peak to be cheaper than what he's currently doing (maybe try explaining it that way!).

How old are the storage heaters? If they're older ones, they'll tend to be a bit cooler in the evening (as you probably know) - when does he most want his heat if he works shifts?

If it's in the evening and can't control the storage heaters sufficiently for enough heat then and so needs peak time heating then, maybe, I said maybe, a single rate tariff may be sensible. Personally I'd go for E7 to start, see how much energy he's using at both rates and do a bit of arithmetic to see which tariff would be cheaper.

lilac_dawn

Phones4Chris said:

Just catching up with this thread.

lilac_dawn said:

... and the answer is: EDF finally sent out someone who, unsurprisngly, said the tenant needed to change his tarriff to E7 for the heaters to charge. The heaters work absolutely fine. 

Well that is clearly one way of doing it. Personally, I would get EDF to do that immediately just to get the Storage heaters working because other tariff variations are going to be more "complex" to get set up, and as has been mentioned, the front line staff generally don't have a clue about those things.
It seems early responders in the thread didn't spot the 5th "heavy" wire for the switched off-peak supply, nor that it had one from the meter model number. @Ildhund picked up on that one.

@lilac_dawn you clearly understand your storage heating.
To me it looks like the smart meter installer was at fault for not configuring the meter correctly. He/she clearly knew that they'd installed a 5-port meter with switching for the off-peak circuit replacing the previous (presumably RTS controlled system) and should have configured the ALCS correctly whatever the tariff.
Even if your tenant doesn't think he needs to heat a "whole tank of hot water" I would still expect the cost of that off-peak to be cheaper than what he's currently doing (maybe try explaining it that way!).

How old are the storage heaters? If they're older ones, they'll tend to be a bit cooler in the evening (as you probably know) - when does he most want his heat if he works shifts?

If it's in the evening and can't control the storage heaters sufficiently for enough heat then and so needs peak time heating then, maybe, I said maybe, a single rate tariff may be sensible. Personally I'd go for E7 to start, see how much energy he's using at both rates and do a bit of arithmetic to see which tariff would be cheaper.

He did try to get someone out immediately but was fobbed off. 
I have explained repeatedly re: hot water but as the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water...
As a tenant, his tarriff is his choice, as he pays his bills. He opted to change from E7 originally. I think he has now changed back to it. 

Phones4Chris

@lilac_dawn   yes we know all about horses and water    Well good luck with him, hope he doesn't give you any other issues.

lilac_dawn

Phones4Chris said:

@lilac_dawn   yes we know all about horses and water    Well good luck with him, hope he doesn't give you any other issues.

He's a nice man but very 'high needs'... this week I had. 'I cannot sleep as the traffic is too noisy...' The window is not broken, PVC double-glazed and he's lived there for 2 years so not really sure how I can solve the issue of noisy traffic 

Scrounger

lilac_dawn said:

Phones4Chris said:

@lilac_dawn   yes we know all about horses and water    Well good luck with him, hope he doesn't give you any other issues.

He's a nice man but very 'high needs'... this week I had. 'I cannot sleep as the traffic is too noisy...' The window is not broken, PVC double-glazed and he's lived there for 2 years so not really sure how I can solve the issue of noisy traffic 

Send him a Xmas present:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/3m-ear-classic-28db-foam-disposable-ear-plugs-5-pairs/40332


Scrounger

Phones4Chris

might get some for my other half, she switches off the radio when I come to bed so she can listen to me snoring!