Economy 7 / Storage Heaters

Your first picture tells us (though it would be easier to follow if you stood back and took a wider pic so I could see where all the cables go)

I only see one pair of thick tails coming out of the load side of the meter (the thin ones are for your timed switching) and they divide subsequently for your off-peak and your full-time services.

Therefore, the meter does not know where the power is being used

Therefore, if it is charging an off-peak rate according to the timer, it must apply that price to all power consumed during the off-peak hours.
 
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Brilliant thank you massively for your help, I understand now and we can do some playing around and figure the rest out

cheers
 
The supply from the meter is connected directly to these two cables highlighted below. They will supply the consumer unit feeding the lights and sockets, plus anything else that can be used anytime 24/7 for example if you have an electric shower, cooker or immersion heater boost. So they will receive power permanently at the appropriate rate at the time so, as per your neighbour says the electricity will be cheaper during the off peak time. The 'peak' and 'off peak' times can vary, and some include a period in the afternoon. Your electricity supplier will be able to tell you when the cheaper rate is available according to the tariff you are on.

Meter.jpeg


The other two cables will only be switched 'on' by the contactor box during the times that the 'off peak' tariff is available. So, the consumer unit you show that supplies the storage heaters and immersion heater will only receive power when the the cheaper 'off peak' tariff is available

Meter 2.jpg


I couldn't help that notice the 'off peak' consumer unit is switched off. Which is fine when you aren't using the storage heaters, provided that you are not heating the hot water. If you are heating the hot water you will probably be doing so via a 'boost' from the main consumer unit and in doing so using the 'peak rate' electricity, which is more expensive.
 
Thank you so much, that’s correct it’s turned off currently and the boost is being used once each day for an hour and that provides enough hot water for the whole day, it doesn’t get used again

I’m wondering if switching the overnight heat on instead, although at a cheaper rate will likely take longer to heat the tank and ultimately be more expensive

if they use the boost for an hour at peak rate and it takes the overnight 3 hours at off peak then it’ll be more expensive if that makes sense

I suppose it depends how you use it and how it fits in with your preferences, the only way they will know is if they try this for a week then try the overnight for a week and compare readings I guess,
It might be about the same meaning it makes sense to just use the overnight for ease
 
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Cookyweb said:
I’m wondering if switching the overnight heat on instead, although at a cheaper rate will likely take longer to heat the tank and ultimately be more expensive

if they use the boost for an hour at peak rate and it takes the overnight 3 hours at off peak then it’ll be more expensive if that makes sense
Click to expand...
no, the amount of electricity needed to heat 100litres of hot tap water is the same, day or night, cheap or expensive (about 4.5kWh, by the way). If it is already half full of hot water, about half that.

So it is better value to do it offpeak.

If you use an electric shower at peak rate, that is very expensive.

What colour is your hot water cylinder?

(this is not a joke, it tells us what level of insulation you have. It can be improved at low cost, you can also insulate the hot pipes for a trivial cost. Photos will help.)
 
The boost element usually heats just the top half of the hot water cylinder, and the off peak element the whole cylinder. So OK it will take longer to heat with the off peak element, but it will heat more water for the same cost. If the hot water cylinder is well insulated it will stay hot for a couple of days and you're quids in. On the other hand, if the hot water cylinder isn't well insulated and the heat is just being lost, then what you say sounds feasible.

If you measure the readings, don't forget to factor in that the meter measures kWh's, but the price of the an 'off peak' kWh is much less than a 'peak' kWh.
 
btw, if you are in poor health, or have a cold, bad chest or baby, a small electric oil-filled radiator in the bedroom, used during the night and set low, will keep it warm and dry, mostly using cheap-rate, in winter. Turn it off during the day.
 
You are so much help honestly thank you so much for taking the time to respond

I’m at the house tomorrow so will send some pictures of the tank, I read also that the boost only heats the top half of the tank, but that confused me because it looks to me like the wire at the bottom of the tank is the main wiring and the one about half way up is the Off peak wiring, unless that doesn’t really mean anything,
I expected the off peak one to be at the bottom

So from what you are saying, let’s say the tank heats overnight and takes say 2 hours, are you saying that it could still be warm / hot by the time it kicks in the following night and therefor it might only take say an hour to heat back up that night ?

this stuff is mind blowing, I’m really
Starting to see how it can be efficient if it’s used correctly, I have a feeling the previous tenants didn’t have a clue and didn’t take any of this into account lol

thanks again, I owe you beers
 
I remember when doing up my first house (long time ago) I had the immersion heater on until Friday night

turned off the power and bashed all through the weekend

had a hot bath on Sunday night.

cylinder still hot.
 
Cookyweb said:
it looks to me like the wire at the bottom of the tank is the main wiring and the one about half way up is the Off peak wiring, unless that doesn’t really mean anything,
I expected the off peak one to be at the bottom
Click to expand...

The off-peak one SHOULD be at the bottom.

if not, it is easy to change.

You can put a timed control on the upper one, so you don't forget to turn it off.
 
Ah ok, yeh I’m getting to grips with this now, I’ll send some pictures tomorrow to clarify a couple of bits, I just want it to be right as the person living there is so worried about all this and the expense of the bills etc, I just want it clear and easy for them

the boost isn’t a switch it’s like a dial in the kitchen and it ticks back until it turns off itself, so that can’t be accidentally left on as such which is one good thing

I wonder if the wires do need swapping, I’ll take pics of those tomo and confirm
 
Hi there,

I’ve attached a pic of the boiler and one of the boost, now I look again I have no reason to believe the wires are the wrong way round at the bottom, I thought the bottom one had a light on it that was lit up and therefore because the consumer unit was off for the off peak stuff it must be getting power when It shouldn’t

looking now it has no light so I was imaging it, so I’ll test that by turning the bottom one off and trying the boost, if it still works then I’ll feel better as that makes sense
 

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When the immersion heaters are 'on', and without any background noise present, often if you put your ear to the cover of the immersion element you can hear a quiet ssss sound when the water is being heated. They will probably be the right way around.
Cookyweb said:
the boost isn’t a switch it’s like a dial in the kitchen and it ticks back until it turns off itself, so that can’t be accidentally left on as such which is one good thing
Click to expand...

Both immersions will have a thermostat that will switch off the element when the water is hot, so don't worry too much about them consuming power indefinitely.
 
Excellent thank you, it’s all sounding far less scary then it did a week ago lol
 
Hello All,

Im really sorry to trouble you again, at the weekend we finally tested the immersion, by switching all 4 trip switches on at the consumer unit and the main ECU etc, but the hot water did not heat overnight

it’s all turned on, just nothing at all happened

is there anything simple that can be checked or is that a case of getting the maintenance people out now?

I haven’t tried the heaters yet as it’s still too warm for heating and wanted to try things one by one to understand it, I’ll get my friend to try those tonight, at the moment they were left turn off at the wall switch .

thank you
 
D

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