Changing an Economy 7 socket to a plug socket

[carlytaylor1986]

Hi all, I am trying to get my head around economy 7 and have seen a few posts on here, and realise if i want to put a socket in where my old economy 7 heater used to run off the "night" rate, i need to get the electricity supply for that socket running off the main electricity supply and not the night rate.

I am by no means an electrician or have any skills in trade work, so could someone please tell me at how much i am looking at (and how difficult it will be) to change 3 fused sockets which run off the night tariff to the normal circuit? it is confusing me beyond belief this economy 7, and only seems to be 1p cheaper per unit of electricy used at night. I am doing away with it completely.

Also, whilst posting on here. Does anyone know how to change the hot water cylinder (I am getting a new one) to run off the main electricity supply and not be economy 7? I still want a timer on it but only for the morning and want to use a "boost" button for the evening. Sorry for the essay.

 

[mfarrow]

Is there a timer or black box of some sort, with wire seals on it to prevent you opening it?

If so then that's the timeswitch for your economy 7 power, and it's owned by the supplier. Just ring your supplier and say you want to change tariffs to a normal setup. They'll come round and install a new meter and should remove the old timer and wire up that consumer unit to normal power like the rest.

Then just replace the outlets for the heaters with normal sockets, and put your own timer on the immersion.

 

[carlytaylor1986]

Is there a timer or black box of some sort, with wire seals on it to prevent you opening it?

If so then that's the timeswitch for your economy 7 power, and it's owned by the supplier. Just ring your supplier and say you want to change tariffs to a normal setup. They'll come round and install a new meter and should remove the old timer and wire up that consumer unit to normal power like the rest.

Then just replace the outlets for the heaters with normal sockets, and put your own timer on the immersion.

Thanks for your reply do you mean black box as my electricity meter? it is a black box and you can't open it. I have rang british gas and they tell me that they can have the meter changed to a standard meter, but need to get my sockets wired up to the main electricity supply. dont help that their systems are down so cant look it up/book in someone to come around.

 

[mfarrow]

do you mean black box as my electricity meter? it is a black box and you can't open it.

There should be something else there too. So you have the cut-out, which is where the electricity comes in, then 2 or more grey wires which go to the meter and a time switch of some sort. It might have a dial and is clicking round, or could be a radio teleswitch which might display the date and time. Either way, that should clonk over at night to switch the electricity on for the Economy7 stuff, and clonk off again in the morning.

I have rang british gas and they tell me that they can have the meter changed to a standard meter, but need to get my sockets wired up to the main electricity supply.

Hopefully if you get a meter guy with the right attitude it shouldn't come to that. It depends what he's got in his van, but when I had my meter replaced (albeit like-for-like) he asked whether I wanted a teleswitch and I said no, so both consumer units went on the normal supply.

 

[carlytaylor1986]

do you mean black box as my electricity meter? it is a black box and you can't open it.

There should be something else there too. So you have the cut-out, which is where the electricity comes in, then 2 or more grey wires which go to the meter and a time switch of some sort. It might have a dial and is clicking round, or could be a radio teleswitch which might display the date and time. Either way, that should clonk over at night to switch the electricity on for the Economy7 stuff, and clonk off again in the morning.

I have rang british gas and they tell me that they can have the meter changed to a standard meter, but need to get my sockets wired up to the main electricity supply.

Hopefully if you get a meter guy with the right attitude it shouldn't come to that. It depends what he's got in his van, but when I had my meter replaced (albeit like-for-like) he asked whether I wanted a teleswitch and I said no, so both consumer units went on the normal supply.

Thanks again for your reply and for being so helpful! I dont actually live there yet and want all this done before I move in, so when I go there tomorrow I will have a look. Fingers crossed British Gas can sort it out as it's driving me crazy. It's just not beneficial to me and my lifestyle to have economy 7.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

No, but if you can't get it sorted out until after you move in it's not going to bankrupt you, is it.

When you go in tomorrow, take some photos of the incoming supply, the meter(s), the CU(s) etc - we like photos.