Old hot water cylinder - would it have been Economy 7 and can you return to it?

[SJRSJR]

Hello

I have a one bedroom all-electric flat, purpose built in the 80s, and at some point I think it's had Economy 7 storage heaters. The meter is still there but the heaters were long gone. When I first bought it I recall the electrician mentioning that he'd switched the wiring from the wall sockets of the Economy 7 circuit so the sockets could be used as normal.

Would it be reasonable to assume that the immersion heater would also have been on Economy 7? Could I tell by looking at it?

It's an old vented cylinder/storage tank which now needs replacing. Given the price of fuel, I'm wondering if it would be easy enough to switch the wiring back to Economy 7 to get cheaper overnight hot water (maybe storage heaters down the line but not now). Is it a case of the electrician working at the consumer unit rather than any major re-cabling? Or would it be something the electricity company does? Thanks

 

[EFLImpudence]

There is no point having Economy 7 without storage heaters.

 

[SJRSJR]

Because the day rate is significantly higher than the night rate? Makes sense.

I see electricity suppliers offer other two-tier tariffs by time of use - presumably there's no need for two circuits these days?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Because the day rate is significantly higher than the night rate? Makes sense.

That's right, and it is significantly higher than the day rate without E7

I see electricity suppliers offer other two-tier tariffs by time of use - presumably there's no need for two circuits these days?

No, the whole supply changes rate.

 

[AndyPRK]

pics of the meter area and consumer unit would help.

As said, day rate is more expensive, so unlikely to be better.

Are you at home all day?

Have a look at octpus tarriff to see if that could be worth it for you.
They do 2 tariffs apparently. A night rate one for car charging (which maybe use for you if getting storage heaters)
or one that changes price ever hour ( can be very cheap), but you need to be there and manually switching things I think. So when cheap you could turn the heating on, and press the hotwater, 1 hour boost button

I guess you could get a contactor for the heaters, connected to a boost timer, so you only have 1 button to press for HW and heating. and based on the price you keep the boost timer going.

Depends if you want to watch the price all day to get a good deal.

I guess you could add a normal timer to operate at night or a frost stat set at 8C,

If getting a new tank, consider one with 2 elements.
Bottom large one for cheap rate.
Top small one for expensive rate for when you only need a small amount of water.

It's quite common to have tanks with 2 elements these days, but probably not for a 1 bed place

 

[SJRSJR]

Thanks AndyPRK. I'll be interested to know what you can tell from the pics.
I can see why you might want two elements - at least it gives you choice.

 

[AndyPRK]

So it's got a normal meter and CU.

What going on with the black box on the right, with those red and black tails. Where do they go on the right of the pic ?

 

[Murdochcat]

If you’re only going to heat water and run background appliances over night i doubt getting E7 would make sense

 

[SJRSJR]

What going on with the black box on the right, with those red and black tails. Where do they go on the right of the pic ?

Might have to abandon this quest as I'm not there and can't find a better photo than this. Any good?

 

[AndyPRK]

Arh maybe it's just the 4 wires into the block.

Isolator on the incomming side of the meter. Unusual. I guess that's because its a flat.

 

[SJRSJR]

Could it have been swapped around when they got rid of E7?

 

[flameport]

Iolator on the incomming side of the meter. Unusual. I guess that's because its a flat.

It's like that because someone has got it wrong, or someone else has been tampering with it for reasons unknown.
The lack of a proper cutout adjacent to the meter is also wrong.

Further investigation is required.

 

[SJRSJR]

The only person to have touched it in all the time I've had it is an electrician. I despair.

 

[SUNRAY]

...Isolator on the incomming side of the meter. Unusual. I guess that's because its a flat.

It's like that because someone has got it wrong, or someone else has been tampering with it for reasons unknown.

This is a very common arrangement in flats where the cutout is elsewhere.

The lack of a proper cutout adjacent to the meter is also wrong.

There is no requirement (other than isolation) for a second cutout and local isolation for a meter change is provided as is for a CU change.

Further investigation is required.

The only issues I see in the pics:
Lack of seals.

Possibly unsheathed or smaller than usual tails but without more detail I can't say and being on the DNO side it's not our concern.

 

[robinbanks]

A night rate one for car charging (which maybe use for you if getting storage heaters)

Note , you might find they require evidence that you actually have an EV