AIUI these beasties heat up overnight & release the heat during the day, electricity being cheaper at night than during the day.
Other than that, I know nothing about them.
Apparently the low or night rate runs from 1230 hrs to 0730 hrs.
Do the heaters have some kind of time clock inside so they know when & how long to heat up?
00:30 to 07:30 possibly, just after mid day to next morning - you should be so lucky.
No, they are either on a separate circuit and meter controlled by a sealed timer (the old "White meter") or more usually you have a dual time meter where the whole hose switches from day to night tariff at the appropriate times. Unless you have specifically asked to be on such a tariff you will not be on it and your electricity bill will soon resemble the national debt.
When I had Economy 7, was informed that the switch was radio controlled
- Radio 4 (long wave, I guess).
Sorry, I meant half past midnight to half seven in the morning.
It's actually an office block. Each of the 6 suites has it's own meter
Can't see any separate meters for any of the heating.
Best keep it that way then! They sort of made sense in the mid 1960's when nuclear electicity was going to be "too cheap to meter". My parents had them and they were ugly and mad hot in the middle of the night when you don't need them and useless after about lunchtime.
They were expensive power hungry, big, ugly and had all the asthetic appeal of a rectangular metal box filled with firebricks.
0030 to 0730 but not adjusted for BST so beware.The originals were on a separate metered circuit. Dunno how they do it now but I imagine dual tariff single meter like on commercial primises.
Regards, Martin Brown
I used to be on that tariff, and the switching was (Still is?) controlled by a tone transmitted on Radio 4 long wave. There were 2 aerials inside the meter, with a switch to decide which one to use to get the best signal.
I didn't have storage heaters, but the immersion heater was timed to come on during the cheap hours and a well insulated tank kept enough water hot for the morning bath, with a small top up from the short part of the heater for washing up and such in the evening. There were, IIRC, two outlets from the meter, one switched by the meter for off-peak only, the other constantly on, with the rate charged depending on the time of day for both outlets.
In the Winter, with the Rayburn heating its back boiler all day, the immersion never got used, and some nights I had to get up at about two in the morning and run a bathful of hot water down the drain when the water in the coil started boiling.
Yes, a dual meter if you've got any sense so that any volts used overnight get counted as cheap.
Swot we do now, with oil being the price it is.
On 24/04/2013 22:13, The Medway Handyman wrote: ...
If they have mechanical counters, there will be two sets of numbers, one marked 'Low' and the other marked 'Normal'. Digital meters usually have a single display and a button to cycle between rates.
Colin Bignell
Ours cycles continuously.
Well I've seen two types. One like the ones I have are on a circuit with a timer in it just for them, and hence only come on off peak. The others seem to have their own clocks but also have an over ride switch, with dire warnings that using ehem outside the times is going to cost you big time. There are two controls on them, one a thermostat of the boring old type that clicks and the other control is vent opening to the heated bricks. In my oppinion these could be designed a whole lot better to insulate the bricks so you don't lose as much heat when they are turned ndown as the problem I have with them is that they run out of heat in the evening just when its getting colde. Brian
Grin yes indeed. Also of course many do take more current than 13 amps when on so need that extra circuit. It very much depends on the type. Although the whole house switches in most cases the hours do vary. I note mine all come on just after 10pm and go off early in the morning then come on for a short time and then go off again, but I'm told the actual times are controlled by the company and can be changed remotely, no idea how.
The very posh ones that have their own clocks tend to have problems if they get completely disconnected for a length of time and can cost you a fortune to run.
Its much better th have few of those oil filled heaters as back ups in my view. Brian
No. In days of yore there was a big time switch and a separate circuit, CU and meter.
These days the there is a two rate meter with two read off displays that change over at preset times. The whole house is covered.
Beware. If you have the two rates meter, they charge more for the day rate (than the "normal" price) even though the night rate is cheaper. So unless you have a significant night load, you could end up paying more.
As well as heating, some people with electric cars have it for charging their car up at night.
The timings are only "ish" what you are guaranteed is at least 7 hrs at the cheap rate normally over night, this is "Economy 7". I think the 7 hrs can start anytime after 2330 and ends by 0730 at the latest.
There is also "Ecomony 10" which gives you the 7 hrs overnight plus 3 hours late afternoon, this isn't very common and can confuse things when switching supplier.
The time switch might be radio controlled but not always. Some are mains powered mechanical ones with clockwork back up (if it works...).
That depends on the property, a well insulated one doesn't need much heat as there is enough wste heat from appliances and occupants. Electric heating using convector heaters on a "best value" tariff can be competative with gas.
How do you know which rate us in use? With the button type, the one in use is displayed and you push the button to view the other. The mechanical rotating number type had a small arrow that changed to point at the display in use.
Colin Bignell
On ours there is a little marker in the LCD display that indicates against the bezel markings ("1 2 3 4 TOTAL") the register in use (1 = peak, 2 = off peak). Ours not only cycles the between the readings for each register but also through a display check that switches on all the display elements.
We have economy 7 and use it for the immersion heater overnight and also try and run the dishwasher, wahing machine, etc. overnight.
According to the supplier we are just marginally spending less than we would if we were on a standard, same charge all the time, tariff.
It would be in their best interests to let you think you were benefiting as you are, why not check for yourself over the course of year?
Presently my comes on at 1:32am (last might) and goes off at 8:30am. As we are in BST, in winter it's from 0:30am to 7:30am I can hear a click as something switches over.
NO the meter contols that, the storage heaters are on a separte ring.
I have ONE LCD meter that has a display which changes between night and day readings by pushing a button on teh front panel. you get 3 reading 1/ I think is day, 2 is night and the other is a sum of both readings, I assume that's for error checking.
So presenly all my electricity I use (lightning, cooking, computers) can all use the 'economy 7' rate at night. It's a good excuse to play games on my competer at 2am rather than 10pm, as I'm saving money ;-)
My storage heaters which are late 80s have a dial from 1-6 The thermostat) which is the input and an output which controls a mechanical device which allows the hot/warm 'air' to escape into the room.
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