Meter readings

EssexHebridean

The immersion timer is fine - looks old but the same one was certainly still available up to a few years ago as we had one replaced!

There is no issue with correcting the timer setting on the dial as explained earlier by Qriz either, just make sure that you turn the dial in the direction indicated and don’t try and force it the wrong way!  

You could definitely do with knowing what the actual E7 times are though - if you are up late or early  have you ever heard a “clunking” noise from the meter? Like a mechanical switching sound? If so that will be the circuit switching from off peak to peak or vice versa. 

What region of the country are you in? (A county is enough - we don’t need anything more specific than that!) 

Ildhund

Just FYI:

EssexHebridean said:

The immersion timer is fine - looks old but the same one was certainly still available up to a few years ago ...  

It's the same as mine, bar the 'Maxistore' label. It's still going strong. The tank it serves has the date of installation scribbled on the PU insulation - May 1989.

EssexHebridean said:
What region of the country are you in? (A county is enough - we don’t need anything more specific than that!) 

Often, but sadly not always. My own county is part YEB, part EMEB. I also had a case recently  in 'Sussex', which is part SEEBOARD and part SEB.

A better guide is the first half of the postcode, but even that isn't always enough. I came across a case last week where great swathes of housing estates in the postcode area were in fact served by an independent network operator.

To be certain, you need the first two digits from the bottom line of the MPAN.

bob2302

Robin9 said:

OP  -just gently wind the dial around till "Winter Time" lines up with the number on the dial.

Note the adjustment to Summer Time is manual

There is no adjustment to summer time.

EssexHebridean

Ildhund said:

Just FYI:

EssexHebridean said:

The immersion timer is fine - looks old but the same one was certainly still available up to a few years ago ...  

It's the same as mine, bar the 'Maxistore' label. It's still going strong. The tank it serves has the date of installation scribbled on the PU insulation - May 1989.

EssexHebridean said:
What region of the country are you in? (A county is enough - we don’t need anything more specific than that!) 

Often, but sadly not always. My own county is part YEB, part EMEB. I also had a case recently  in 'Sussex', which is part SEEBOARD and part SEB.

A better guide is the first half of the postcode, but even that isn't always enough. I came across a case last week where great swathes of housing estates in the postcode area were in fact served by an independent network operator.

To be certain, you need the first two digits from the bottom line of the MPAN.

I thought that about the counties as I was typing but thought we may as well keep it simple on the basis that there was a relatively slim chance of the OP being in a split county! 😁

QuantumCactus42

vic_sf49 said:

QuantumCactus42 said:

EssexHebridean said:

QuantumCactus42 said:

vic_sf49 said:

QuantumCactus42 said:

vic_sf49 said:

What makes you think they're the wrong way around?

For example, Reading 1 might be the day reading, or it might be night; there seems to be no convention as to how all the different meters are configured.

If you look at the meter, it should show you which rate is currently active, somehow or other, but errrr, there's far more clever folk on here, if you need help with that.

My meter has a "low" and "normal" number. They also show on the app which has the word night next to low and day next to normal. However, for some reason my parents have been putting the low into the normal and the normal into the low so it looks like were using way more energy at night than during the day. Im really not sure how this has happened.

The point of Economy 7 for example, is to have 7 hours of cheaper electricity, through the night, athough exact timings may vary.

It's a tariff designed for people with storage heaters, that heat up on that cheaper rate at night, and discharge the heat during the day.

If the majority of their usage is at night, and they're on Economy 7, then that's excellent, and is how it is intended to be used. 

Edited to add, sorry @Keep_pedalling, I mostly just repeated what you said. 

Sorry dont mean to sound rude but not sure howelse to phrase it but what does the heating have to do with the initial post?

As explained above - most commonly Economy 7 meters, so those that have a peak (daytime) and off-peak (night-time) rate are used by those who use night storage heaters for their heating. For example where I used to live we had that heating - that mean that of our roughly 4500 kWh annual electricity use, around 75% of this was used at night because that was when our heaters and out water tank heated up ready for the day ahead. 

An example:
If someone used 100kWh a week - that might mean that they were using 25 of those units at the peak rate (let's say 20p for arguments sake) and 75 at night - 10p. That will see a weekly bill of £5 for daytime use, and £7.50 for night time. Total bill = £12.50 
If the readings were entered the wrong way round, that would mean the person would be charged for 75 at daytime = £15.00, and 25 at night-time = £2.50. Total bill = £17.50  This is why the general assumption that if E7 readings are entered back to front, it will mean money back to the customer, not additional payments being needed. 

How do your parents heat their home?
How do they heat their water?

Ahh I see. Thank you for your explanation! We dont actually heat the flat. The heaters are permanently off to save on costs. We live in a 2 bedroom flat, everyone is out of the house all day, everything is off on the plug and we dont have any radiators on and use extra blankets instead. We still somehow spend around 4000kWh annually. I believe we have a water tank which heats the water.

You don't heat the flat, but use 4000kwh per year? Is that figure correct?

Are the meters in a communal cupboard, somewhere in the building? Are you being billed for the correct meter / usage? If it's within your flat, it's less likely to be mixed up, but not impossible.

Does the serial number on the meter, match what is on the bills?

This is what Ive also been wondering too. I have contacted the landlord and he says it makes sense but i dont believe it. Theres no one in the flat during the day as we all work/school, no heating ever turned on, TV off on the plug and never turned on. Only thing that uses energy would be the fridge, freezer and water tank. How would i go about checking the serial number on the meter, where would that be? We have a black box thing outside the flat door that has the meter in it. Each flat has one so I assume the meter is correct.

QrizB

QuantumCactus42 said:

 How would i go about checking the serial number on the meter, where would that be? We have a black box thing outside the flat door that has the meter in it. Each flat has one so I assume the meter is correct.

Every meter has its serial number printed on the front of it.

You might like to try @Gerry1 's famous Meter Sanity Test:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/78850409#Comment_78850409

QuantumCactus42

EssexHebridean said:

The immersion timer is fine - looks old but the same one was certainly still available up to a few years ago as we had one replaced!

There is no issue with correcting the timer setting on the dial as explained earlier by Qriz either, just make sure that you turn the dial in the direction indicated and don’t try and force it the wrong way!  

You could definitely do with knowing what the actual E7 times are though - if you are up late or early  have you ever heard a “clunking” noise from the meter? Like a mechanical switching sound? If so that will be the circuit switching from off peak to peak or vice versa. 

What region of the country are you in? (A county is enough - we don’t need anything more specific than that!) 

The meter is outside the flat so we would never hear it. Im from London if that helps?

vic_sf49

QrizB said:

QuantumCactus42 said:

 How would i go about checking the serial number on the meter, where would that be? We have a black box thing outside the flat door that has the meter in it. Each flat has one so I assume the meter is correct.

Every meter has its serial number printed on the front of it.

You might like to try @Gerry1 's famous Meter Sanity Test:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/78850409#Comment_78850409

Ah, thanks. I was going to suggest the meter sanity check to the Op, but can never remember who to @name, to get them to pop it on as a link.

QuantumCactus42

QrizB said:

QuantumCactus42 said:

 How would i go about checking the serial number on the meter, where would that be? We have a black box thing outside the flat door that has the meter in it. Each flat has one so I assume the meter is correct.

Every meter has its serial number printed on the front of it.

You might like to try @Gerry1 's famous Meter Sanity Test:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/78850409#Comment_78850409

Ive just checked and the serial number on the meter is the same serial number that we have on the app. Should i still do the meter sanity thing? I would find it hard to believe that there has been tampering with our meter as its locked and only we have the key for it.

Gerry1

Won't do any harm and should help your understanding a bit.