2 supply numbers help please.

mute_posting

three rate could be described as economy 7 PLUS heating (I think)

Your lights and sockets, cooker, water etc (basically everything except your space heating) is on E7 (so you get 7 hours cheap overnight), then in addition your heating is metered seperately on the comfort control part of your tarrif.

So, if I am correct, you have a day and a night rate (for general usage) AND a heating rate (for storage heaters)
MP

EPultra

If you are being billed for a control rate, it sounds like you either have a ComfortPlus Control tariff or ComfortPlus White Meter tariff.

ComfortPlus Control is a two rate tariff and ComfortPlus White Meter is a three rate tariff. If you have a ComfortPlus Control tariff, you will have two meters if you have credit meters and either a single 3-rate meter or 2 single 1-rate meters if you have a prepayment meter. If you have a ComfortPlus White Meter tariff, you will have a 3-rate meter whether you have a credit meter or a prepayment meter.

Due to the second supply number required for these tariffs, you will not be able to change supplier as only the original supplier (ScottishPower in southern Scotland) can support such a tariff. If you are only paying £415 per year for an all-electric property, this sounds like you are either a very low user or very economical with your usage and you would be unlikely save much even if you were able to change supplier.

If you really wish to change supplier, the only option would be to change your tariff to either domestic (all electricity used charged at the standard domestic rate) or white meter but this may not be the best option for the type of heating installed.

Be_Happy

EPultra wrote: »

ComfortPlus Control is a two rate tariff and ComfortPlus White Meter is a three rate tariff. If you have a ComfortPlus Control tariff, you will have two meters if you have credit meters and either a single 3-rate meter or 2 single 1-rate meters if you have a prepayment meter. If you have a ComfortPlus White Meter tariff, you will have a 3-rate meter whether you have a credit meter or a prepayment meter.

On Comfortplus White Meter you may also have 2 meters. My attempt to change from normal Economy 7 White Meter to Comfortplus white meter with Scottish Power have just come to a stop since they told me that they would be installing a second meter to go alongside my existing Economy 7 one and because I would now have 2 meters I would not be able to manage my account on line. Girl checked with metering division and came back with info that they would definitely have to install a second meter.

high-rise_andrew

Yep, it is ComfortPlus Control. Had the DataServere person out yesterday to adjust the meter(stoopid me) I thought the fixed charge would be reduced after all this time but it went from £4.50 fxd Weekly charge to £7. Also the rates have been fiddled about with. Previously Arate1 was 09.36ppu NEW 11.72ppu
Arate2 WAS 04.04ppu, NOW 0.00ppu
Brate3, OLD rate 0.00 NEW= 05.10ppu.
Any domestic electricians in da house please explain this change to me ta. My father is an electronics & electrical engineer/electrician but industrial so NO knowledge of domestic systems. ty in advance:)

mute_posting

The unit rates don't sound too bad to me - but the standing charge of £1 / day (£365 pa) is astronomical IMHO. Did they say if they were trying to "recover" some previous underpayment by charging such a high weekly charge? (it is un-feasable to update all pre-payment meters every time prices change, so if you have been "under-paying" bacause your meter has been set to the old rates they may just be trying to recover some of this "debt")

On a credit meter the standing charge would be about 30p / day

The following I think you will find of use...

http://www.changeworks.org.uk/downloads/projects/Comfort_plus_control.pdf

Just note that prices are from 2005!

MP

EDIT

also see page 14 of this..

http://www.scottishpower.co.uk/pricing_pdfs/general.pdf

Daily charge is given as 32.81p for the two rates you give which leads me to assume they are trying to recover under-payment (not through any fault of your own)

looking at the rates you give above, I would assume that:

Arate1 is general day-time usage for sockets and lighting etc
Arate2 is the off-peak general usage rate (i.e Arate1 but overnight)
Brate1 is available 24/7 for heating only (i.e. storage heatres and immersion heater)

Given that, it would appear that you haven't been paying for any heating or hot water (as the Brate1 was 0p) but you have been paying reduced rate for your night-time general usage? Which probably can't be right - did the guy alter any of the wiring FROM the meter?

HTH

MP

high-rise_andrew

No change to wiring or electricals. so basically it looks like for the last few years I have been here(over 6) thinking about it lol, they have had my meter the wrong way round. I'd love to buy you a drink mute. I see you around the boards & always find you helpful & understandable:D So looking at your last post on this thread, I now do not have an off-peak rate to the sockets so that is full(day rate) that !!!!!!s the washing machine going on late doors or early morning, carry on regardless through the daytime. The increase in the fixed charge I feel is to payback the heating/immerser as you say. might have the bill next Friday or at least the week after this one coming so will see what it says. Thank You as always friends!!!

mute_posting

looking that way.

Best way I can suggest of checking in the meantime is turn off all heating + water and confirm those stop the brate reading moving, turn them back on and watch that the brate reading now changes.

for the arate(s) see how they change during the day & night - for the SP tarrif leaflet it looks like you have a single rate for domestic usage (exc. heating + water) so like you say, it will no longer make a difference when you run your washing machine.
MP

high-rise_andrew

After all the turds they were telling us about helping folk on benefits & in fuel poverty. This is now 25% of my fortnightly benefit. & probably still going to be bouncing around either side of the emergency button. The thing I did notice was that the display shows £5.10 Rate1 & £8.89 Rate1 Emergency left which flashes between the two. It never showed the rate on the credit/debt screens before. It seems to me like the folk who have been reading my meter over the last few years haven't been trained or have known what they are doing? therefore, I am wondering how many others with these 2-rate meters are in a similar position?