Energy providers competent in managing 3-phase supplies?

TheForester

Dear Forum

We live in a semi-rural area without mains gas. Our house is heated by an oil-fired boiler and we have a 3-phase electricity supply. In September 2023 SSE sold their domestic supply accounts to OVO Energy and then our problems began. With SSE, we were able to post all three meter readings onto their customer site for them to prepare a monthly bill which we paid online. With OVO Energy, there is no such provision and we quickly reached an impasse with their Customer Services as they did not understand what 3-phase is, what it does and how it is metered (OFGEM please take note). In addition, their tariff is not price competitive, so we are looking to switch provider as soon as practicable.

With the above in mind, can any Forum members recommend a competent electricity provider who can manage the business end of a 3-phase supply as a routine matter and is price competitive?

Thanks in anticipation

The Forester

QrizB

All the domestic energy suppliers, including OVO, should be competent at providing a three-phase supply.

While you're still with OVO, have you raised a formal complaint and followed their complaints process? Did your complaint reach a satisfactory conclusion and, if not, did you take it to the Energy Ombudsman for adjudication?

[Deleted User]

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6657009/energy-providers-competent-in-managing-3-phase-supplies

Welcome to the forum.

May I ask why you have a 3 phase supply in your house? A 3 phase supply allows for 415v supply, usually used for commercial purposes.

Any commercial electricity supplier should know all about this type of supply.

This forum is primarily for consumer finance purposes

debitcardmayhem

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81900945#Comment_81900945

I don't think he mentioned a business, indeed he says house, and he was with a domesric supplier.

[Deleted User]

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81901025#Comment_81901025

Indeed, which is why I dared to ask why they have a 3 phase 415v supply.

e.g. The OP wouldn't be the first newbie to confuse 3 rate with 3 phase, but they say they have an oil fired boiler, so all the more confusing

Scot_39

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81900945#Comment_81900945

They if genuinely 3 phase - dont have a 415V (400v) supply per se - they have 3 230V (was 240v/ 415V) supplies.

A 3 phase supply is needed in any property that needs "continuously" - i.e. for hours on end - not just say 10-15m with a shower drawing it marginally over - more than the now max 80A standard single phase fuse limit - about 18kW power.

i can exceed that peak easily - just my 1 large, 2 small,, 1 hw immersion and hw shower pull 19kW - in a compact 2 bed. My other fixed electric panel and wall fan heaters - could add another 7kW peak. 120A peak easy. And that would blow an 80A fuse in I suspect a couple of hours max (100A iirc fuse blow curves would in c4hrs)

Many larger homes adopting efficient ashp have exceeded the limit - and so go 3 phase.

The proprty might once have been dual use - a smal, workshop or garage etc

Little or no standard domestic kit in most homes generally runs phase to phase at 415V -domestic 3 phase just runs diffrent area on different phases at 230V phase to neutral. Left vs right, upstairs vs down etc - or with net zero upgrades, say ev charger / ashp on one, rest on other etc.

Businesses do the same - with lights or sockets in large offices etc - swapping live phases as go down bays etc.

There will be a few exceptions - very high power EV chargers - 22kW iirc uk max needs 3 - interim abovd 7kW normally need more than one phase, big electric boilers ?, pool heating ? etc etc

Ectophile

There's nothing to stop a house having a 3 phase supply. The maximum you're ever likely to get single phase is 100A. If you need more than that, then it's 3 phase.

[Deleted User]

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81901095#Comment_81901095

I've got a 60A fuse on my home supply. Why does the OP need more than 100A for theirs?

[Deleted User]

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81901090#Comment_81901090

"i can exceed that peak easily - just my 1 large, 2 small,, 1 hw immersion and hw shower pull 19kW - in a compact 2 bed. My other fixed electric panel and wall fan heaters - could add another 7kW peak. 120A peak easy. And that would blow an 80A fuse in I suspect a couple of hours max (100A iirc fuse blow curves would in c4hrs)

Many larger homes adopting efficient ashp have exceeded the limit - and so go 3 phase."

The OP mentions they have an oil fired boiler

Perhaps you could assist the OP with their query?

Scot_39

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81901095#Comment_81901095

dropped to 80A single max now.

not sure if 100A derated if dno neeed to repair / replace - but was certainly implied by wording iirc. Just not read any posts here of anyone having been so.

i worry as 80A isnt a lot for even a small home with conventional electric heating. And I have 100A fuse. I exceed 80A peak regularly for 10-20mins in a 2 bed (shower = c40A) seldom if ever my current 100A

QrizB

This is the second recent thread where gpman has failed to understand what a three-phase supply is and that they're available to domestic customers.

I had a friend 35 years ago who lived in a relatively large house with storage heaters. They had a three-phase supply so they could store enough heat during the seven hours of Economy 7.

Today, larger sizes of domestic heat pump also tend to require three-phase supplies.