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Updated on 11/07/23 by Abby_OVO

 

Moved in to a new house and getting to know a dual-rate meter for the first time? Or maybe you’ve made a change to your usage patterns (saying Hello to a new Electric Vehicle or Bye to some old storage heaters perhaps?) and want to hear more about an Economy 7 setup - We’ve got all your commonly asked dual rate questions covered!

 

Is an Economy 7 plan right for me?

 

The main advantage of an Economy 7 plan is a much cheaper unit rate for any electricity used during your off-peak times. This can often be several pence cheaper per kWh than the standard unit rate. It’s worth bearing in mind that to compensate for this cheaper off-peak rate, an Economy 7 plan charges a more expensive daytime or peak unit rate than the standard anytime rate. Therefore in order for this type of plan to be beneficial you’d need to use a certain percentage of your usage during these off-peak hours. This percentage will vary depending on the tariff prices available at the time.  

 

Can I get a smart meter with an Economy 7 plan?

 

We’re now installing Aclara SMETS 2 meters which are compatible with an Economy 7 plan. If you’ve got night storage heaters which need to be controlled via a time switch we’re also able to fit a 5-port terminal version of this meter. Previously we installed the Secure SMETS 1 meter, which were also compatible with a dual-rate plan and storage heaters. There’s more info on the Economy 7 smart meter compatibility on this topic. Need any more convincing - read more about the benefits of smart meters here.

 

Can I switch from an Economy 7 plan to a single rate plan?

 

Unfortunately, we don't currently have the functionality to change Smart Meters from Single Rate to Economy 7, or vice versa. This is something we are looking to make possible in the future and we’ll keep you posted with any further updates here on the Forum! 

 

Although we're unable to physically change the functionality of meters right now. We can offer an Economy 7 to Single Rate plan! This means you’ll be paying the same rate for each register.

 

If this is something you’re interested in, please get in touch with our Support Team.

 

Can I change from a single rate plan to an Economy 7 plan?

 

We’re not able to offer this change due to technical limitations. We’re working on introducing this in the near future though so do check back in later in the year.
 

How do I read my Economy 7 meter?

 

On a traditional meter sometimes the readings will be labelled - high and low or day and night-  which is easier to determine which reading is which. In your case the registers are labelled rate 1 and rate 2. Usually rate 1 refers to your day register but not always so it’s good to check before submitting your meter readings. You might be able to work out which reading is which by checking the current reading against your reading history on the ‘Meter Readings’ page of your online account or OVO app (download for Android or iOS).

 

If you’ve got a smart meter this will depend on which type of smart meter you’ve got installed, check the instructions for each model type OVO installs below.

 

SMETS1 ‘Secure’ 

 

There’s a slight difference between the the S1 meters we installed. To take a dual (day/night) reading for Secure Liberty 110 S1 smart meters (which are designed to work best with storage heaters), press 9 on the meter’s keypad. If you’ve got a Secure Liberty 100 S1 smart meter, press 6 to confirm the Day and Night meter readings (pressing 9 will show the reading if you’re a single rate member with this meter).
 

SMETS2 Aclara, Flonidan, Honeywell or Elster

 

  Aclara (Elec) / Flonidan (Gas) Elster (Elec) / Honeywell (Gas)
Reading the meter
  • Elec: Press A three times until TOU Rate 1 then TOU Rate 2 appears.
  • Elec: Press the top button once or twice

 

 

Landis+Gyr 

 

If you’ve got a dual rate version of this meter press and hold down the ‘B’ button for roughly 5 - 10 seconds  - then tap the ‘A’ button. This will toggle between the ‘R01’ reading and the ‘R02’ reading as demonstrated in this handy video:

 

 

 

 

How do I tell my day and night readings apart?

 

If you’re unsure which reading is which sometimes the readings will be labelled - high and low or day and night. If not you might be able to check the current reading against your reading history on the ‘Meter Readings’ page of your online account.

If you can’t work it out using these methods the next step is to carry out a Load Test​. This involves taking two sets of readings at midday and during the afternoon. Only one reading should change between these times which will be your daytime register. 

 

 

When are my peak/off peak hours?

 

If you have a Smart meter installed by OVO, the off-peak times can be worked out using your Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN). You can find your MPAN on the ‘Plan’ page of your online account or OVO app (download for Android or iOS)

 

MPAN is shown at the bottom of the electricity column

 

Then use this table below; the first two digits of your MPAN is the ‘Area ID’; the ‘Off peak’ times are on the column second from the right:

 

 

Please be advised that SecureAclara and Honeywell smart meters don't adjust for British Summertime. This means during summer your off peak times will be an hour later than advised above. 

 

If you have traditional meters or smart meters that were not installed by OVO, the off-peak hours may vary. The best way to find out in this case would be reaching out to your supplier (or our Support Team if you’re an OVO member)

 

Can I switch suppliers with an Economy 7 plan?

 

Of course! You’ll need to check that the supplier supports an Economy 7 set-up first, as not all suppliers do offer a compatible plan. If you’re not an OVO member yet - Check out our Economy 7 plans here.

 

OVO member but not got a smart meter yet? - Book today!

Smart meter not communicating with OVO? Fill in this Online Form- the results will go straight to the right team!

Interested but not yet an OVO member? - Check out our plans!

 

Presuming you are on a dual tariff plan @colin147, what does your bill show? There have been rate changes for some in Economy 7 recently


Hi, The bill shows 2 different amounts being charged for off peak although I have submitted peak and off peak readings, see photo attached.

 


I think the second batch of readings must be peak (totalling £90.17) as these are charged at a higher rate. Do these match your plan kWh rates? 


Hi, yes it does match up with the peak readings, I seem to be using more kwh during off peak times in the night, I assume it’s something to do with the storage heater, I’m in an apartment and was concerned I’d mixed up the peak readings with the off peak ones but doing a load test It looks like I’m right although not 100% as occasionally both rates 1 and 2 move during the day, possible dodgy meter.

 


Have a look at the Meter readings pages. My E7 readings are shown as Day and Night . In other places, they’re called Peak and Off-peak, peak and offpeak or tier 1 and tier 0.  Your meter (the meter itself, not any In-House Display) might call them R1 and R2. I suspect that labelling readings is sometimes done manually, which can of course introduce mistakes like the ones you’re seeing. 

The meter shouldn’t show movement on both registers at once; When the night tariff starts, the day register should stop and vice versa. Are you seeing these movements on the meter itself, or on the IHD?

 


Hey @colin147,

 

Welcome to the OVO Online Community,

 

Could it be that your prices increased in January with the Price Cap Increase?

 

*Taken from a similar thread*

 

Why are some customers seeing a price increase despite the EPG? 

 

OFGEM has decided to amend the Price Cap to make changes to regional charges, but the EPG discount remains consistent, as an average, across different regions. This will result in some customers' charges increasing on the 1st January. 

 

The EPG is an average discount across the board, however regions that are more costly to provide energy to, will see an increase in costs. 

 

All of this will be communicated to affected customers. If you're affected by the regional pricing updates and your prices are set to increase in January, we’ll contact you over the next few weeks with an update of your change of price and forecasted costs for the year.  

 


I am being told by another supplier that if I want to switch to Economy 7 I need a new meter (my current one is an early smart meter) and I need to have a two phase supply.

 

This makes no sense to me. Why do I need two phases just to go onto the lower rate at night? It sounds like they are deliberately trying to make it difficult!

Oringally they said I needed to switch to three phases, but when I queried that they said that was a mistake and that I needed two.

Can anyone shed any light on this murky story, please?

Many thanks


Hi @jhk10 , unless you have a high power draw in your supply, you don’t require a 2 phase meter - in fact that would mean various updates to your incoming supply as well. 
What you will need is a 2 rate meter (fairly obviously) which might have 2 outputs - one switched at off peak times. These are often termed 5 wire (or port) meters. 
Maybe the supplier has these listed as 2 phase but that, in this context, is incorrect. 

 


How are you getting on with your heating system now ? I’m due to move into a house with the same TCH with solar panels next week !!  Any ideas of easy set up ? 


Just tagging @jhk10 so they see this @kerryelaine100 🙂


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