Economy 7

[beinerts]

Hi all,
I have seen various different posts and information on other sites and there seems to be conflicting information on this. I have just moved into a place with an economy 7, which has a white meter i.e. separate circuit. My question is this: Is all the electricity I use during the "economy 7" hours cheap, or only what comes off that circuit? Sounds like a stupid question but I have seen mixed responses. My thinking is that all electricity used during these hours is charged at the cheap rate.
Thanks in advance...

 

[lizzieg]

I used to have economy 7, and my understanding was that anything that used electricity during that time was at reduced rate.......

........if it wasn't I spent years setting my washer, dishwasher and cooker on in middle of night for nothing...

 

[beinerts]

Did you have a seperate white meter as well though? Can anyone confirm or deny? BTW I'm not sure it's a good idea to leave your dishwasher etc. on while you're asleep, as there is a danger of fire. The chance is quite small, but still...

 

[Adam_151]

If you have two different rate meters then everything is charged at the rate of the meter it goes through, they dont have a way to record two different useage figures, if you have a dual rate meter then everything is charged at what the meter is currently switched to, if you have storage heaters a contactor still engergises a second set of tails like you'd have with your two meters, but if no storage heaters you loose the second set of tails and still benifiet from cheap leccy

 

[beinerts]

Thanks, I can read 3 rates (day, night and total) from a single digital display. However there appears to be a seperate white meter with a time resprictor on it. Maybe I'll take a picture of the fuseboard tonight and post it. It's a bit of a mess in there!

 

[Lectrician]

The 'white meter' you refer to sounds like the time clock - you either have a timeclock or a teleswitch (remote control) to switch the meter between rates.

As you have a dual meter, you certainly could have cheap lecky to the entire house during the off peak period - but not 100%

Economy 7 is not really an electrical term, it is a tarriff.

Contact your supplier to ask what tarrif you are on, and they should be able to tell you if this is just for the heating, or the entire installation. It really does depend on your supplier, and your tarrif.

 

[beinerts]

Thanks, I will contact the supplier to make sure!

 

[HDRW]

The 'white meter' you refer to sounds like the time clock - you either have a timeclock or a teleswitch (remote control) to switch the meter between rates.

Ah, youngsters of today! The White Meter was a meter that they introduced when cheap overnight charges were brought in (I don't think it was called Economy 7 - that came later) and it was white as a marketing gimmick. It measured the usage on the off-peak tarrif, which was controlled by a timeswitch. Storage heaters were connected through it, but nothing else. Early storage heaters were so inefficient that as well as the overnight off-peak period there was an afternoon one (2 or 3 hours if I remember rightly) to top them up so there was still some heat given out in the evening.

As you have a dual meter, you certainly could have cheap lecky to the entire house during the off peak period - but not 100%

Indeed, but whatever is connected through the white meter will only operate during off-peak times.

Economy 7 is not really an electrical term, it is a tarriff.

,,,but it's also a way of wiring the supply. In my current house there's a dual-rate meter which meters the whole house, and during the cheap 7 hours all consumption is "cheap", but the timeswitch also controls power to the storage heater CU - so this only has the supply turned on during the "cheap" time.

But a house I used to live in 20+ years ago had a dual-rate meter *and* a white meter, so we had three different rates - not sure why that was, but it had the afternoon topup on the storage heaters, I believe fed from the white meter.

Contact your supplier to ask what tarrif you are on, and they should be able to tell you if this is just for the heating, or the entire installation.

I wouldn't count on it! Why would they know how the house is wired beyond the meter(s)?

Cheers,

Howard

 

[Lectrician]

I know perfectly how off peak etc works and is wired thanks.

I said his 'white meter' is likey the time clock AS HE HAS A DUAL METER. I have never seen three meters, dual or otherwise on any setup...... 3 reading to take I am aware the white meter was purely for off peak ccts like the storage rads, but in this case he is confused I would think.

Economy seven is a tarrif and not a method of connection. Yes, you need to wire economy seven in a particular way, and differently from the old school white meter, but it is still the tarrif.

If the supplier is not aware if you have off-peak to the entire installation at night, then something is wrong. It is upto them to supply and maintain the meters.