Normal / Low rate electricity

gezzer · Jun 29, 2021

My daughter has just purchased an all electric flat with a normal / low rate meter, pictured.
A few questions:-
- Apart from checking hour by hour how can she tell when the supply switches to low rate?
- I know the switch over timing is controlled by the electricity supplier, but how accurate is it and how does it factor for clock changes etc?
- Does this mean that ALL power to the flat switches to low rate or will the storage and water heaters only be on low rate? I did see that there is a separate section in the fuse box marked for the low rate circuits so I'm not clear if she will benefit from using the dishwasher/washing machine overnight.
Thanks

[ElectriciansForums.net] Normal / Low rate electricity

suffolkspark · Jun 29, 2021

gezzer said:
My daughter has just purchased an all electric flat with a normal / low rate meter, pictured.
A few questions:-

Apart from checking hour by hour how can she tell when the supply switches to low rate?

I know the switch over timing is controlled by the electricity supplier, but how accurate is it and how does it factor for clock changes etc?

Does this mean that ALL power to the flat switches to low rate or will the storage and water heaters only be on low rate? I did see that there is a separate section in the fuse box marked for the low rate circuits so I'm not clear if she will benefit from using the dishwasher/washing machine overnight.

Thanks
View attachment 87216

The storage heaters will become live at that time, but ALL electricity becomes cheap rate for the house at the same time. It should be midnight to 7am give it take an hour, and the little arrow on the left indicates which mode its in. Currently pointing to normal

Dustydazzler · Jun 29, 2021

Our first house was all electric / dual tariff and as our immersion heated tank was right next to our bedroom at mid night you could hear it start to whistle and heat up…

my Mum used to call the 6 hours between midnight and 6am the ’cheap rate’ so would get up at 5 and put the washing machine and tumble dryer in and turn it all off at 6

bless her money savy ways

Taylortwocities · Jun 29, 2021

Would want to see photos of the rest of the fuse boards/consumer unit and other items before saying for sure. The black box to the left of the meter appears to be a Radio Teleswitch. This controls the times when the supply switches to cheap rate.
The teleswitch monitors a signal in the LW 198KHZ radio signal.

This is being discontinued at the end of next year so your daughter may need to look forward to having a smart meter installed.

https://www.energy-uk.org.uk/files/docs/Policies/Smart%20Meters/TheFutureofRTSFebruary2020.pdf

gezzer · Jun 29, 2021

Thanks guys. Yes, the box on the left was a teleswitch so good to know that will go smart.
Thanks for the explanations. I'll post a pic of the fusebox when next there, meanwhile I have also checked the water heater controls that also seems to work in conjunction with the normal/cheap rate meter:

Taylortwocities · Jun 29, 2021

If you need the instructions they are here

https://www.timeguard.com/media/337/TRTD7_Instructs_LR.pdf

Unless I’m wrong (it has been known) this timer works with the type of E7 supply where the whole house supply switches to cheaper rate at night time. The time must have the timer set, and the correct tariff profile selected, otherwise your daughter won’t be benefiting from all of the cheap rate period(s) that she is paying for.
As she has signed anew supply contract with the energy supplier, they should have written with the economy times. If they haven’t, ask them!
I have no idea how this is achieved with a smart meter. Perhaps ask the energy supplier and see if they can explain. Report back!

cheers and good luck.

snowhead · Jun 29, 2021

Taylortwocities said:
I have no idea how this is achieved with a smart meter. Perhaps ask the energy supplier and see if they can explain. Report back!

Built in clock, the same as the more modern type meters like Ampy.