Two phase electrical supply problems

[Mars1007]

I am looking for help - I have an all electricity flat in Glasgow with 2 electricity meters on a Comfort+ contract. This I believe is designed for night storage heaters. There were none when we bought the flat last year - the hot water cylinder runs off the cheap overnight rate, electric radiators heat the house off the standard rate. Our Winter bills have been very high and I would like to get quotes from other suppliers. I have been told that only SP deal with this sort of meter and they cannot change to a single rate meter. They say that has to be done by the Grid company at great cost to me. I cannot believe this - does anyone know if this is true and what the cost might be. It seems that they have me by the short and curlies! Any advice gratefully received.

 

[Resu]

You should be able to change your tariff to a standard one with your current provider and they'll sort the metering out for a (usually) small fee. Once any tariff price contract is up you would be free to switch to whoever you want.

I would say you'd also need to get an electrician to visit and advise about any rearranging that was required in terms of meter tails on your side depending on the setup and potentially fit a timer for the immersion.

 

[Mars1007]

Thanks for the advice. I have had several conversations with SP helpline and a visit from SP electrician - he took 2 mins to say he couldn't do it and I have not been given any advice about how I move forward with this and what I would have to pay for. The helpdesk guy seems to indicate that there would have to be some work done before the metering which was the problem. Being cynical I feel they don't want to do the work as I would then be able to move suppliers.

 

[marconi]

Could you post a picture(s)of the intake, meter and consumer unit arrangements for folk to examine? These will help in the provision of advice.

 

[Deleted member 105166]

If you identify an alternative energy provider and a tariff you want to go with, I'd let them worry about the changeover arrangements. Obviously first establish any penalties (if any) you are liable for with SP, but let the new provider sort out the metering arrangements. There is no incentive for the exiting provider to co-operate and personal experience in the past with SP is that they strive to make matters as complicated and ambiguous as they possibly can.

 

[pirate]

SP...if I think you are talking about the same folks...absolutely the WORST customer service ever!
3 years to sort out the electricity bill for a deceased lady, even though I gave them readings from the meter every 3 months...they were fined by the ombudsman 3 times for their failures...then when the new owners moved in they refused to supply the address because it had a bad credit rating! Turns out they replaced the meter years ago but had no record of that, so kept billing from the final reading from the old meter...
Sad, really...must have been obvious the old lady was either using no electricity to speak of, or she was running a hash farm...a simple site visit would have sorted it, but they absolutely refused to do this.

 

[Mars1007]

Here is a pic of the setup. I have the Comfort Plus tariff and it is not clear on the website how much I pay on the Control meter - on the face of it - it's quite cheap at under 10 p per unit but is that the rate when it's cheap overnight and is there a higher day time rate??

 

[marconi]

Does this help:

https://www.scottishpower.co.uk/pdf/tariffs/2016/Elec-supply-area-CRUKN.pdf

and

www.eastlothian.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/1854/comfort_plus_control

 

[telectrix]

SP...if I think you are talking about the same folks...absolutely the WORST customer service ever!
3 years to sort out the electricity bill for a deceased lady, even though I gave them readings from the meter every 3 months...they were fined by the ombudsman 3 times for their failures...then when the new owners moved in they refused to supply the address because it had a bad credit rating! Turns out they replaced the meter years ago but had no record of that, so kept billing from the final reading from the old meter...
Sad, really...must have been obvious the old lady was either using no electricity to speak of, or she was running a hash farm...a simple site visit would have sorted it, but they absolutely refused to do this.

we have SP as DNO here and in all my dealings with them they have been excellent. a couple of out of hours emergencies have been attended and dealt with within an hour or 2, and a request for PMEmade at 10.00am was completed same day before 3.00pm.

 

[Percyprod]

You have a single phase supply with 2 single rate meters. The left hand box is a teleswitch, which switches the off peak meter on and off. It is not economy 7. It is no problem to have the off peak meter and teleswitch removed, leaving the normal rate meter. You would have to get your own electrician to connect the off peak fuse box to the remains meter via connector blocks, dno will not carry out metering work.

 

[Mars1007]

Does this help:

https://www.scottishpower.co.uk/pdf/tariffs/2016/Elec-supply-area-CRUKN.pdf

and

www.eastlothian.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/1854/comfort_plus_control

Thanks Marconi - I think we are on Comfort Plus Control. when we bought the flat it had flat panel wall heaters, not storage heaters - all quite old. We have replaced them with modern panel heaters. So the heaters and hot water cylinder will be on the Control Circuit? If that's the case there should be a large part of the day when they don't function as this system is designed for Night Storage?? - but I haven't noticed this. Still waiting for SP to get back to me. Very confused....

 

[Mars1007]

You have a single phase supply with 2 single rate meters. The left hand box is a teleswitch, which switches the off peak meter on and off. It is not economy 7. It is no problem to have the off peak meter and teleswitch removed, leaving the normal rate meter. You would have to get your own electrician to connect the off peak fuse box to the remains meter via connector blocks, dno will not carry out metering work.

Thanks Percyprod. So the panel heaters and hot water go thro the off peak meter. What happens outside these hours as I have not noticed the panel heaters not working during the day ( will check with my daughter)?

 

[polo1]

Ok, so, in your area Scottish Power is both the DNO and a supplier/meter operator.
If you are happy to go onto a single, 24hr tariff, then any of the suppliers can offer you this. This however means that all your space heating and water heating will be charged on standard rate. As has been said, your own electrician will need to link up the now former off peak board.
It is the case that there is a metering arrangement/tariff introduced by SP years ago that only they can bill for (the billing systems of other suppliers can’t handle it). I think this is the tariff you currently have.
Depending upon how well insulated your property is, I would seriously consider installing some modern storage heaters in say the living room & hall. These plus the bottom immersion heater would be on off peak. Then use small convector heaters in the bedroom, run on day rate.
I’ve done work for several customers in exactly your situation. Half have gone for modern electric radiators on day rate ( same with water heating) & done away with off peak. Half have upgraded storage heating & kept off peak.

 

[Percyprod]

I think polo1 is right, looking again at the teleswitch there are a lot of wires connected, more than normal, it is obviously a different tariff.

 

[Mars1007]

Ok, so, in your area Scottish Power is both the DNO and a supplier/meter operator.
If you are happy to go onto a single, 24hr tariff, then any of the suppliers can offer you this. This however means that all your space heating and water heating will be charged on standard rate. As has been said, your own electrician will need to link up the now former off peak board.
It is the case that there is a metering arrangement/tariff introduced by SP years ago that only they can bill for (the billing systems of other suppliers can’t handle it). I think this is the tariff you currently have.
Depending upon how well insulated your property is, I would seriously consider installing some modern storage heaters in say the living room & hall. These plus the bottom immersion heater would be on off peak. Then use small convector heaters in the bedroom, run on day rate.
I’ve done work for several customers in exactly your situation. Half have gone for modern electric radiators on day rate ( same with water heating) & done away with off peak. Half have upgraded storage heating & kept off peak.

Thanks Polo1. We installed Rointe Wifi controlled electric radiators which work well. I think they work off the Control meter but I am not sure how SP charge that - they do work at peak times!! Our first Winter bill is very high ( £330 for 77 days - 2 bed flat) - £200 of that at off peak rate which I presume is radiators and water only.
I have asked SP these questions but no satisfactory answer yet. We are on a Comfort Plus Control contract ( see link from Marconi above).