We have an antique elec. storge system still under something called Tarrif 19 (could easily be called something similar I can't recall what!). The heaters themselves are somewhat newer though and working ok so don't want to change them. We were sent a notice that a "Statutory meter change" is going to happen and that we will then be on Economy 7. So I asked the "chap who came to change the meter, but on this the second visit, turned up again without the appropriate meter", to confirm that Economy 7 still has two ON cycles per day. He said yes it has. Could someone please confirm that for me that this in in fact correct? Is there any difference? tia.
I would think there is a difference. I`m on a tariff called Option 14 which gives 14 hours of "off peak" per day (9-8am and 1-4pm or something similar).
If they are trying to force you onto a different tariff, you may find there is some form of "tariff protection" in force which will allow you to remain under the original tariff - speak to
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if they try to talk you into a different one !
Just because a tariff is no longer available to new customers, it doesn`t mean existing customers having an SMC can be made to lose theirs.
E7 does *not* have a cheap rate boost during the daytime. Your whole installation is either connected at day (expensive) rate or night (cheap) rate. The meter or timeswitch should have a switching contact that allows your heaters only to be operative during the night period, probably by using a contactor. You need to be certain that the heaters are restricted to the night period for the charge, otherwise your next bill will be astronomical!
You say that the heaters are somewhat newer, but be warned, unless they are (manufacturer) designed and intended to function properly on a 7 hour cheap rate charge period, they will not be as effective at keeping you warm on a straight day/night tariff as on an old off-peak tariff with a day boost.
Unless legislation has changed things in the last few years, your supply company *cannot* unilaterally change your tariff. That they sent you a notification advising that you would be put onto E7 when the meter is changed seems like a bit of sharp practice on the part of the supply company. If you just accept it, they can argue that you have agreed to go to E7 by not protesting about the change of tariff.
In your situation, I'd (a) contact energywatch pdq for further advice and (b) tell the supply company that you don't want to change your tariff to E7, and also tell them that you're asking energywatch for further advice!
Energywatch may be more than a little interested if they think that the supply company is up to sharp practice, and the supply companies don't like appearing in the energywatch list of complaints!
... but that's nothing to do with the cost of the electricity.
All the Economy 7 tariffs I've seen simply change the price of your electricity for a period overnight, it's cheaper from about 00:30 to
07:30 but the times can be variable due to innaccuracies in the clock settings and to BST/GMT changes.
The time clock (if any) which controls your storage heaters is quite independent of the Economy 7 settings, it will usually heat up the storage heaters in the later part of the Economy 7 cheap period. If it has a 'boost' period in the late afternoon or evening that electricity will cost the full day time price.
Systems where the storage heaters are independently wired to an entirely separate meter are quite different and I'm not even sure if there are such systems around now.
Phew! Many thanks for the warning. Yes our heaters are indeed wired to a completly separate meter and timer from the rest of the house. Due to their (two) failed attepts at changing the meter hopefully this will give me time to contact (a) and (b) and see what's going on.
My father is on a similar tariff to yourself, E7 is just *7* hours of cheap elec
*overnight* and very different, I can only support the energywatch complaint comments made by others, and suggest you find yourself too busy to accept another appointment for another fitting in the meantime ;-)
I used to live in a flat built in 1991 and it had a radio signal controlled meter with two outputs - One ou put was live all the time, the other was only live during the E7 overnight period. These outputs were taken to a split CU with the storage heaters and immersion heater fed from the switched meter feed and the rest ofthe flat from the unswitched feed.
This is wrong. In a properly set up system, the time clock that switches the meter between over the High/Low tariffs is the same one that is used to turn the heaters on. Of course you can set it up wrongly with two clock if you like. Tariffs that have an afternoon boost are not E7 and it could be that this boost is provided at the normal rate.
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