Skip to main content
Rank 6
confused off peak b
Rank 6
January 14, 2024
Solved

Complex meter set up- What phase is it?

I am confused. We bought this 1969 house in 1973 and it has still got the underfloor electric heating. we have 2 meters and two mpans. 

one meter is attached to the consumer unit which supplies all of the lighting and 13 amp sockets and electric shower plus a socket in th airing cupboard into which we could plug the immersion heater if we wanted hot water outside the offpeak times..

The other meter  is supplied via a mechanical timer  and supplies a separate consumer unit which is connected only to all of the underfloor heating in every room and the hot water immersion heater only.

This meter appears to be switching on and off between 1400 and 1800 and  2200and 0800 and was billed when we first moved in as off peak rate B by the eastern electric

board. 

If we went to smart meters would we not want one for the general 24hours cicuit board and a second one for the heating and hot water board replacing the two meters we have installed at present

The current meters were replacements fitted about 10 years ago by EON the electricity supplier at the time. ( I seem to remember it was something about routine replacements after 20 years)

I attach a photo of the setup as I do not know how to tell if it is 1 phase or 3 phase and therefore do not know if I can get a smart meter and do away with one MPAN and its standing charges or is my supply requirement too great for 1 smart meter or can 1 house have 2 smart meters. I connected on simpler energy for 24 hours supply and the other on off peak rate for the underfloor heating system.

 

Blastoise186
Blastoise186Best Answer
Super User
January 14, 2024

Updated on 01/07/25 by Chris_OVO:
Got a complex meter set up? This topic may be helpful to you:

 

 

Hi @confused off peak b,

 

This looks like Single-Phase to me, albeit with two MPANs because of the two-meter setup. If you moved to Smart Meters, one of the meters would be removed and replaced with a Smart Meter, while the other meter (and the timeswitch) would be removed and NOT replaced. It would instead be decommissioned and the related MPAN also terminated - thus reducing you to one Standing Charge rather than two.

 

Your supplier can help you find a more suitable tariff as well if you chat with them.

 

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!
View in thread

11 replies

Show previous replies
Rank 6
confused off peak bAuthor
Rank 6
January 15, 2024

Thanks for your helpful reply rvbaje. I am sorry to hear you are also having trouble with ovo but it is good to know I am not the only one that the “experts” are messing about.

We never had this sort of trouble until Ovo’s founder sold out as this was the company which treated ALL its customers with respect and efficiently dealt with any query by connecting you with the person who would be in a position to answer your query there and then, not after referring it to some faceless wonder who  was totally uncontactable except by an inhouse fellow employee whilst you wait months for an answer or get told to talk to the ombudsman if you are not satisfied.

Obviously the new senior management appear to have gone to the same training school as the post office managers . OOps!

I am glad I decided not to fit solar at the rates they pay for exported power and I am now trying to decide whether to fit new storage heaters, stay with the old underfloor electric heating or move away completely to  a wet system powered by oil ( we have no gas around here.) Looks like all options are going to be costly either for running or installation costs as I dont think I have 10 years for payback time.

Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement

OVO Energy Ltd, Floor 5, Crescent, Temple Back, Redcliffe, BS1 6EZ, (Company no. 06890795) registered in England and Wales.

OVO (S) Gas Limited is registered in England and Wales (Company No. 02716495) at Floor 5, Crescent, Temple Back, Redcliffe, BS1 6EZ.

OVO (S) Gas Limited is part of OVO Group Ltd