Are my storage heaters wired up wrong

Emielou

I think my storage heaters are wired up wrong, they are eating electricity all day and night if they are on 'input'. I've been told they should only consume night rate as I have E7.

I bought the new build (well, a conversion) from a builder 12months ago.

Everything I've read on this forum and elsewhere suggests that they should only take night rate electricity. I've phoned the manufacturers, no joy - they say they just build the heater! The builders just sent us a letter from the subcontactor saying all wiring was done to specification, Npower said that all they do is supply the electricity. To make matters more confusing only our night rate increases during the day and both day and night rates go up overnight!

Are my heaters wired up wrong or will it be Unitied Utilities who fitted the meters? Please, please help...

penrhyn

Your storage heaters should be wired to a separate circuit from the rest of your wiring.

There should be a radio teleswitch near your meter board which switches them on during the E7 period, at which time the meter should record your consumption at the lower rate.
It sounds as if something is very wrong, I'd suggest you get a professional in to look at your wiring.

espresso

Emielou wrote: »

To make matters more confusing only our night rate increases during the day and both day and night rates go up overnight!

Are you sure that you are reading your meter correctly regarding day and night readings? Can you give any more details about your meter? It is possible that your meter has been read incorrectly e.g. day and night readings transposed.

Emielou

Hiya espresso

Definitely reading it right. We had E7 in our last propoert for 7 years and we've had Npower and Powergen all read the meter the same way.

goldmercury

Get an electrician to look at how they are wired, he will be able to confirm if they are correct or not. It might cost you a few bob to get someone in to look but it be worth it if they are wired up incorrect. If so as it's a new build you should not have a problem getting them wired correctly and the builders paying the cost.

If they are indeed incorrect remember to tell your neighbours so you can gang up on the builders if they are also new builds with the wrong wiring.

espresso

Emielou wrote: »

Hiya espresso

Definitely reading it right. We had E7 in our last propoert for 7 years and we've had Npower and Powergen all read the meter the same way.

So how can your day rate go up during the night? You may be reading the meter correctly but have the readings been transposed on your Npower bill? Do you have a radio teleswitch? Not all E7 customers do.

Emielou

penrhyn wrote: »

Your storage heaters should be wired to a separate circuit from the rest of your wiring.

There should be a radio teleswitch near your meter board which switches them on during the E7 period, at which time the meter should record your consumption at the lower rate.
It sounds as if something is very wrong, I'd suggest you get a professional in to look at your wiring.

Hi
Thanks. It's actually reassuring to know that something's wrong - shocking bills!
Yep, we've got a radio teleswitch - which is repeatedly switching between day and night during the night. But it's not switching the storage heaters off during the day unit period.

Do you know whether it is likely to be Unitied Utilities or the builder? Because I'm struggling to get either out and last time I got a professional in to repair blown lights the builder refused to pay up saying I should have let them do it (it had been on the snag for 8 months)

Emielou

espresso wrote: »

So how can your day rate go up during the night? You may be reading the meter correctly but have the readings been transposed on your Npower bill? Do you have a radio teleswitch? Not all E7 customers do.

I don't have a clue how I use day during the night. For instance if I check at midnight and then at 07:00am (night times confirmed by Npower) I will have used 45 day units and 5 night units. If I check again at midnight I'll have added another 10 night units!!!
Npower told me the reading is 'live' because it's a new digital meter.
I thought the teleswitch might be switching on and off at the wrong times???

Npower told me that I do have a radio teleswicth because the property is only 12months old and that's what Unitied Utilities fit. It's a digital meter with a night and a day display - I press a button to see each display.

Sorry, what do you mean byt have the readings being transposed? The readings on the bill are the same as on the meter.

espresso

Emielou wrote: »

I don't have a clue how I use day during the night. For instance if I check at midnight and then at 07:00am (night times confirmed by Npower) I will have used 45 day units and 5 night units. If I check again at midnight I'll have added another 10 night units!!!
Npower told me the reading is 'live' because it's a new digital meter.
I thought the teleswitch might be switching on and off at the wrong times???

Npower told me that I do have a radio teleswicth because the property is only 12months old and that's what Unitied Utilities fit. It's a digital meter with a night and a day display - I press a button to see each display.

Sorry, what do you mean byt have the readings being transposed? The readings on the bill are the same as on the meter.

Well it is easy to prove which rate you are being charged at. During the day read both day and night meters and then switch on an appliance that uses a high load e.g. a 3kW heater, immersion, shower, cooker etc. and then read both meters again. e.g. a 3kW appliance should increment one of the readings (hopefully the day rate) by one unit after 20 minutes or by three units after one hour. It does sound like your day and night readings are transposed, if you are using 45kWh during the daytime, not really possible without storage heaters.

Emielou

Thanks everyone.

I've got an electrician coming later this week. Fingers crossed they will be able to tell me something. If it was wired incorrectly by the builder I will definitely tell the neighbours so that we can gang up on the builder.

espresso

Was it too much effort to check which meter reading increments during the daytime when loaded?