Switching to a Economy 7 (two rate) plan - how can I arrange this with OVO?

Surely the whole point of Economy 7 is to allow consumers to buy and store energy at night when it’s plentiful to be used during the day when it’s not? Whether that storage consists of 1980s brick-filled heaters, 21st century batteries or a power-hungry EV is immaterial. 

As far as I can make out, tiredteddy only needs to be consuming more than 30% of his daily usage in the off-peak period for E7 to turn out cheaper. I don’t know why that figure is so much lower than it used to be, meaning it’s now a much easier target to hit.

There should be no problem asking for a smart meter with E7 capability to be installed. Whether OVO can work out how to switch to a two-rate tariff when the meter is exchanged is another matter, but I admit that I don’t understand the difficulty.

That’s the problem. The current billing system I was told, can’t accommodate a change from single rate to dual for an economy 7 tariff. My meter has 2 registers for the purpose but although technically capable of being used on E7, OVO’s system can’t. 

Yes, I knew that. But surely a new meter means a fresh start, doesn’t it? Even if it means closing the account and opening a new one, just as if ownership had changed?

As far as I am aware, it’s your current rate (single to dual) that can’t be changed. Not necessarily linked to the meter.

I wish we could get an explanation for this. If it’s neither the initial meter configuration nor the energy account that’s preventing a change from single-rate to dual-rate metering, the only other factor is the MPAN. Unlikely as that sounds, it should still be possible to arrange for the supply to be disconnected, then reconnected with a new meter and a new MPAN. This might be expensive, of course, since it would involve the DNO, but surely feasible. 

I take it your new supplier was able to set you up with a ToU tariff with no meter exchange - correct? Do you have any idea what would happen if you changed your mind at some point and wanted to switch back to OVO? Would you still be unable then to adopt a multi-rate tariff?

If you think about various initiatives such as Power Move and even Charge Anytime, there must be some background capture of ToU to be able to compare and control. Although I don’t know what the accuracy level is, think about the 30min energy captures already used and ToU is already there. 
What OVO don’t seem to be able to do at present is offer this in a ‘standard’ format for something like the various options seen elsewhere. I don’t really understand either but I’m told this is a restriction of the current billing platform. 
Yes, without a meter change, I can now get a choice of tariffs which is what the OP is asking for. Without a system change, I don’t think a switch back would allow any additional tariffs. 
My own change was also triggered by a desire to make use of a Ripple project due to come online shortly. OVO currently don’t support those feeds

Hey @Firedog and @BPLightlog,

I’ll try and find out by asking internally what the reasoning is for OVO not having the functionality to change customers from single rate to Economy 7.

I’ll report back!

It’s an issue with our billing platform- Kaluza doesn’t have the functionaility @BPLightlog @Firedog 

Hello BPLightlog,

You mentioned above that you changed to a TOU tariff, did you have an OVO smart meter and was the tariff just changed on this or did you have to have a new meter?

Hi @tiredteddy , same meter just a different option elsewhere. As has been mentioned earlier, unfortunately OVO can’t provide this at present. 

I would like to move to an E7 tariff. I’ve been with SSE and OVO for many years.
I booked a smart meter install as I see this as the only route to getting E7.
However I tried to get tariff information and a commitment from Customer Services that they would give me the tariff if I chose, based on usage and the rates to switch.
They wouldn’t give me the rates and I have had to scour the net to get approximates - just what is the problem with publishing them? I appreciate that they vary by region but it’s known and available data.
Then I was advised that it was not possible without upgrade work by the DNO. This is clearly rubbish information. I may need an upgrade if I was adding extra loads but I’m not and a standard SMETS2 meter would be fine.
The engineer who would have fitted the meter agrees with me but corporate OVO just don’t seem to want to add E7 customers.
I await Monday morning when I hope I will have rattled enough OVO cages to get some sort of positive response, meanwhile I’m exploring other, more amenable, suppliers.

Hi @Stevemel , having been down that route myself there is no option currently.

I don’t know why but the OVO billing system somehow can’t cope with switching a supply from standard to E7. I’ve tried for 2 years but no possibility.

I have been in contact with some that have E7. Possibly inherited from SSE.

I have also heard of people with a dual rate setup where they only get charged at the high rate so OVO "offer" to move them to a lower single rate. 

I agree, there does seem to be a technical billing system problem not shared by other suppliers and that OVO don't want to fix it just make it go away. 

Yes, if there is an E7 tariff in place then they seem to be able to set it up. If they remove E7 they just charge the same amoount for peak and off peak.

It’s when the supply isn’t E7 that there is the problem. 

Hi, I have changed my storage heating to standard electric radiators and no longer need the dual tariff. I don’t have a smart meter is is an old meter with metal clock dial.

When I phoned to have it changed I was told that this was not possible, I questioned the information as I had seen a post dated June 2023 to say that a single tariff plan is available. I was then told if I go to my renewals online I would see that this is not possible. When I replied that I wasn’t trying to renew and that I wanted to change the plan I was repeatedly put on hold and given the first response over and over again that it is not possible and no other information could be supplied. Is this temporary or do I need to switch to another provider? 

Hi @Camilla19Glen ,

I’ll double check the latest info on the forum backstage. Bear with us!

Ok, initial impressions are that this is still possible with a workaround of setting both Day/Night rates to be the same, which simulates a flat rate and more or less gets the result you’re after.

The billing system isn’t able to fully support switching off E7 yet - but this workaround is allowed.

We’re digging deeper, hang in there for a few days!

I didn't have any problems doing it back in March. In fact, the shortest conversation I've ever had with customer services.

It still bills as peak and off-peak, but the two rates are exactly the same.

Hey @Camilla19Glen 

Some great advice here, and a great example of the flat rate from MCH59.

The Support Team are able to change this to a flat rate, meaning you’ll just pay the same regardless of what time if day it is.

Thanks everyone, I contacted OVO yesterday after missing a call from them to confirm setting this up just waiting on it all going through the system.

I can only give you my experience. After many years on a 2 meter set up (with2 standing charges). 1 meter on standard rate and 1 on E10, both hade to have various fixed rate agreements over the the years. This year in Jan at contract end OVO said they could no longer support this. They then put both meters on a standard variable rate with no offer of E7 let alone E10. After weeks of live chat with no resolution in sight I raised a formal complaint. The complaint handler was brilliant. We agreed removal of old meters, replacement with a single 5 port smart meter on dual rate (E7) and removal of second standing charge. This duly happened and installation went ahead. They installed it as a single rate meter with no switching to port 5 for the heating circuits! More interaction with complaints department who hassled non stop on my behalf until meter was reprogrammed with dual rate and bridging to port 5 active during E7 hours so my heating would work. This took from mid Jan to end Oct to finally sort!

Thank you for sharing your experience @Ovouser777, I’m sorry it wasn’t a good one. 

Customers with ‘exotic’ meter types like Economy 10 can now get quotes for tariffs from OVO. However, if a customer wants to switch from single rate to Economy 7 there is still an issue. 

Seems like the usual corporate “sorry we can’t help you”shambles !

I can't even get an answer to why Economy 7 is not available alongside anytime charging for my EV charger and my Home Heat Pump !

Come on OVO the questions and queries above have been going on for nearly 2 years (in a few cases ) and still no clear way forward !

OVO and Kawzula (tech support) can’t even get two EV smart chargers to work on one account - Please do something about this ……..