Economy 7 meter

[pb63]

Hi all, we have this type of economy 7 meter. Over the years and several power cuts I’ve noticed our immersion heater has being staying on later and later in the morning. Our economy 7 cheap tariff is 12am - 7am. This photo was taken at 11.33am. From the image, I presume it’s roughly an hour and a 45mins out of sync?

I’m concerned that due to the misalignment of this meter to actual time we are charging our Nighstor storage heater and water immersion heater at the day rate rather than at the night cheap rate. Or do they sync with the clock and get charged accordingly?

How do I go about getting them resynchronised to actual time? I’ve call my energy provider today, but they are not sure so have been passed to the meter team who will probably want to put us on a smart meter.

Thanks for any advice

 

[crystal ball]

That is a time switch which determines the off peak period by switching your meter over to off peak and also any heaters connected through it so you should be OK . Back in the old days meter readers used to re set them

 

[Diver Fred]

If you do not have a 'smart' meter then the rate selection is controlled by your mechanical timeswitch (your Photo). As Crystal Ball comments I'd not bother your supplier until they come chasing. I've just had to give up our Mechanical Timeswitch as is stopped. But for the last period we were getting cheap rate electric between 03:30 to 10:30 in the AM. So all washing, most showering and other heavy power consumption was completed before that time.
Saved a fortune!

 

[pb63]

Ah thanks both, I had a horrible feeling I was going to be the one out of pocket, but from what you’re saying it’s actually probably working in our favour marginally. I will have to remind the mrs not to set the dish washer and washing etc to come on too early in this case (12am real time) as that would still be peak according to the mechanical timer. All interesting. Will try and resist a smart meter for as long as possible. Cheers all, P.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I will have to remind the mrs not to set the dish washer and washing etc to come on too early in this case (12am real time) as that would still be peak according to the mechanical timer.

Actually not until 12:45am (00:45) and 01:45 in the Summer time as I don't think they bother changing them.

Then cheap rate until 08:45 now and 09:45 Summer.

 

[Risteard]

Interestingly here every Economy 7 tariff (regardless of supplier) is 1a.m. to 8a.m. GMT (i.e. 2a.m. to 9a.m. during daylight savings).

 

[JohnW2]

Actually not until 12:45am (00:45) and 01:45 in the Summer time as I don't think they bother changing them. ... Then cheap rate until 08:45 now and 09:45 Summer.

Indeed - and that (staying on GMT throughout the year) is still the case with the timing in my ('dumb') electronic E7 meter.. As I've observed before, in the days of electromechanical time switches for E7, I was told by one of the guys that they were instructed to only set the clocks 'approximately', so as to achieve some scatter as to when installations switched over, rather than having everyone switching at once.

 

[pcaouolte]

staying on GMT throughout the year

My smart meter still does the same thing. My cheap rate is from 00:30 to 07:30 in the winter and 01:30 to 08:30 in the summer.

 

[ericmark]

It seems Economy 7 is the odd one out, most of the other off-peak supplies, change to BST in summer.

 

[JohnW2]

It seems Economy 7 is the odd one out, most of the other off-peak supplies, change to BST in summer.

That may be due to a perpetuation of the historical fact that E7 was probably the first (or one of the first) such tariffs, and that it arose at a time when the technological implementation was such that it would have been impractical to switch between GMT and BST twice per year.

 

[ericmark]

That may be due to a perpetuation of the historical fact that E7 was probably the first (or one of the first) such tariffs, and that it arose at a time when the technological implementation was such that it would have been impractical to switch between GMT and BST twice per year.

Yes I agree, I was on an EV tariff, and found it hard to work out which time it used, so just used 4 hours out of the 5 to be sure I was on off-peak. I was not charging an EV, just the batteries for my solar, but question if an EV user could charge a car in such a short time.

But unlike the original Economy 7, I have to select when my battery is charged, but with the original both the meter and switch were controlled by the same device, but with latter versions it was up to the user to select when it was used. This has to match when the meter changes, and without being able to check when the meter changes, I would not want to rely on it being on the old system.

I know when my meter was read by a meter reader, they did not always tell me they were reading the meter, and clearly if they correct the clock then it could increase the cost. I see the average rates around 33.60p per kWh during the day and 14.92p per kWh at night. Where my EV tariff is 8.5p/kWh and 30.17p/kWh so much more to be lost with EV tariff. But I would not want to pay the wrong tariff with either.

 

[Risteard]

Indeed - and that (staying on GMT throughout the year) is still the case with the timing in my ('dumb') electronic E7 meter.. As I've observed before, in the days of electromechanical time switches for E7, I was told by one of the guys that they were instructed to only set the clocks 'approximately', so as to achieve some scatter as to when installations switched over, rather than having everyone switching at once.

My (digital) one is approximately two minutes and three seconds out. Can't say whether it's by accident or design.

 

[JohnW2]

My (digital) one is approximately two minutes and three seconds out. Can't say whether it's by accident or design.

I've never bothered to check mine, but it's certainly roughly right. Since I presume that there is no way for it to be remotely adjusted/synchronised, I presume it continues to run (whether at exactly the correct 'speed' or not) on the basis of what time was initially set in the factory.

It's possible that, per what I wrote in my post to which you are replying, that the factory deliberately does not set all the clocks 'exactly correct'?

 

[ericmark]

My battery takes around 1.5 hours to charge, and I have 5 hours to charge it in, so start charging at 01:30 instead of 00:30 in case the clock is out makes sense. But where you need more off-peak power, then this is not really an option.

I assume we are looking at the old White meter set-up, where the time clock turns both the power on as starts the meter, in which case no problem when it changes, but if not there maybe, and we simply don't know what the clock controls.

 

[Risteard]

I've never bothered to check mine, but it's certainly roughly right. Since I presume that there is no way for it to be remotely adjusted/synchronised, I presume it continues to run (whether at exactly the correct 'speed' or not) on the basis of what time was initially set in the factory.

It's possible that, per what I wrote in my post to which you are replying, that the factory deliberately does not set all the clocks 'exactly correct'?

It's possible I suppose, but I just don't know. Our definitely just keeps time rather than syncing so far as I can tell. My immersion heater, chargepoint and electric van all have the offset from correct time so as not to use extortionate peak electricity consumption!