Economy 7 - just the Night Storage Heaters?

[Rapide]

My old cottage (fully rewired about 15-18 years ago) is on Economy 7 to charge-up the night storage heaters which appear to be on their own ring-main. I have one meter which toggles between the day & night supplies. Apologies for the dumb question, but, does this mean that all electrical appliances left on overnight (on the household socket ring-main) are also benefitting from the cheaper E7 supply?

If the answer is yes, I need to get some timeswitches and set the clothes dryer, washing machine, dishwasher, etc, to run during the night!

Thank you in advance for any answers....

Rapide

 

[electronicsuk]

Yes, as far as I'm aware, all appliances benefit from E7 rate on this tariff, regardless of whether or not they are supplied from the E7 distribution board.

 

[Click-Sure]

Yes, it just means that the storage heaters have a feed which is only ever live when Economy 7 kicks in. Everything elese will also benefit from the cheap rate supply.

I have been asked to install circuits from a dedicate E7 feed for washer/dryer appliances in addition to immersion and storage heating, but only once.

 

[rssteve]

most dodern applances seen to have a delay timer built in, so you could sat it up at tea time, then delay it for x hours til the light. Time switches are not going to be much use on washing machine or dishwasher as you need to program them once they have turned on.

 

[Avocet]

Sorry to drag up an old thread, but I'm in a similar situation to the OP. I have three storage heaters fed from their own consumer unit. As they aren't live during the day, I assumed that ONLY this consumer unit went "live" when the cheaper E7 rate started at night. As with other posters I'd like to be able to use other electrical appliances at night on the cheap rate, but I noticed that (having not used the storage heaters all summer) that my last quarter electricity statement included a small amount on the night tariff! This does, indeed, suggest that the entire house goes over to the E7 tariff at night but that there must be some sort of time switch in the separate consumer unit for the storage heaters.

If that' the case:

(a) how can I find out exactly what time the night rate starts and finishes (my electricity supplier seems unsure) (?!)

(b) can I alter the timer in the storage heaters' consumer unit myself?
(I had assumed that this would be sealed and dictated by the E7 tariff times, but if that happens to the supply for the entire house automatically, then presumably I wouldn't end up "defrauding" the electricity company in any way - I'd just risk spending more of my own money if I set it such that the storage heaters came on too early or went off too late?

 

[Roo]

If that' the case:

(a) how can I find out exactly what time the night rate starts and finishes (my electricity supplier seems unsure) (?!)

Your supplier should know they were probably to lazy to look it up.
In must area's Economy 7 night rate is 0000-0700 GMT.
In most E7 contracts it will say +or- 1hr to compansate for the daylight saving times.

You may be able to check what times yours is set too by looking at the time clock and seeing what times the metal tags are set too, and then seeing if your clock is set to the right time.
If you post a pic I will try and explain better.

Some E7/off peak setups do not have a timer you can see (digital type) and you would have to be awake at night to check if the rate has changed.

(b) can I alter the timer in the storage heaters' consumer unit myself?

You can not alter the DNO's timer.
It should be sealed and cutting the seal would be classed as tampering with their equipment.

(I had assumed that this would be sealed and dictated by the E7 tariff times, but if that happens to the supply for the entire house automatically, then presumably I wouldn't end up "defrauding" the electricity company in any way - I'd just risk spending more of my own money if I set it such that the storage heaters came on too early or went off too late?

It would be possible to control the heaters/off peak board seperately from the E7/DNO timer but that would require a seperate timer and one of the sparks could advise you better than me.

IMO if you wanted to do that buy an electric heater and plug it in.

 

[crystal ball]

off peak times in Cumbria (norweb) are 22:30 - 00:30 02:30-07:30 via teleswitch year round, ie they change with the clocks going fwd or back

 

[bernardgreen]

When using time switches be careful to ensure anything that turns on by a timer cannot create a dangerous situation.

 

[AndyPRK]

12:30 - 7:30am GMT Winter time here.

 

[Avocet]

Thanks all! Most informative! Crystal Ball, one of my neighbours has since told me exaclty the same as you have suggested, so maybe that's it. I guess I could check the 22.30 easily enough!

I'll probably e-mail Powergen with the same question - that way they'll have to put something in writing!

Back to the original question - presumably, the fact that the timing of the storage heaters is governed by the radio clock in their own consumer unit doesn't stop the entire supply for rest of the house still switching to the cheap tariff at night?