Home and heating

Battery alert showing on gas meter. and not excepting card

After using my 11kw TRIAQUA air source heat pump of and on for 10 years I found it a useless match to our daily living routines. We live in the Alps at 780 metres and had temperatures from as low as minus 24 Celsius to as high as +10 on cold Winter nights generally December and January are the coldest months. In order to get any warmth and comfort in our home in Winter we had to leave the pump running 24 hours 7 days a week which goes against all our inclinations to save energy. In our first year of operation we had a bill of 2600 Euros to heat our house at temperatures of somewhat less than 20 degrees. Our preference is to sleep in a cold room and to have our sitting room at around 24 degrees when it is minus 10 or below outside. In the morning for breakfast after we rise we are looking for 20-24 degrees instantly in the main sitting room and adjoining kitchen. We found none of the above was achievable at a sustainable cost using our heat pump which is supposed to have a COP of 2.8 from memory. At minus 2 our heat pump simply switches to the back- up internal electric heating element which runs at about 3 kw power usage. For us that works more efficiently than the pure air sourced power unit. But neither can ever achieve 24 Celsius in our main living areas when the outside temperatures are anywhere in the minus range. All in all if we had SOLAR generating above 5kw of power we would be better off just having an electric powered boiler and forgetting about using the heat pump full stop. We did not want to install Solar or wind power because Solar requires sun and that does not shine at night when we need most power so we then need storage batteries and the average windspeed in our valley was then less than 2 metres /sec. We solved our comfort needs by installing a 23 kw Swedish wood burner 16kw to the boiler and 7 kw to our main living room and connecting this into the heat pump radiator system. Our wood cost is 1000 Euros a year with mostly 24 degrees in the living area and background heat in the bedrooms for sleeping. Now we switch the heat pump on for one day a year for testing only. DOES ANYONE HAVE SIMILAR EXPERIENCES WITH AIR SOURCE HEATPUMPS?

So, further to my previous conversation, I raised a complaint about the fact that I got lots of visits but got no actual work done because my rts meter is above my stairs and needs a ladder or platform for access. The lass on the complaints line basically said all she could do was repeat all the details of the issue already recorded from visits 1, 2 and 3 and book another visit. So, morning of 4th visit the engineer called to say he couldn't do the work as he had no equipment and no 2nd person, so he was going to raise a second complaint, and speak to his boss as OVO would have to sort something out. 20 days later, all I have is a leaflet through my door saying I needed to book an appointment. Not anything to do with previous visits, just the implication that they'd never heard from me at all. So, OVO, will you please sort this out, contact me for an appointment when you have arranged to get someone who can do the work, with the necessary equipment and not yet another lone person with no access equipment. If you need to arrange for someone local to set up the access, that's fine, but I really can't bear a fifth round of wasting my time...

Updated on 06/03/25 by Ben_OVO The Dimplex operating manual can be found here. I have asked before on this forum and still not had an answer. I have Dimplex Quantum storage heaters which were installed by my local authority after they ripped out gas central heating. Quantum meant to be economical and environmentally beneficial. However, to run just one of them is £25 per week I have 4 in total, but only run one of them. I am over £200 per month. I have two electric panel heaters which are more controllable and cheaper to run. But still over £200 per month for all my electric. I’m on economy 10 which I was told they should run on, but there’s hardly any providers can give this. I’m with OVO, formerly SSE. My next door neighbour still has gas central heating, is on a pre paid meter and is £125 per month for that and electricity. Same size house as mine. She runs her tumble drier umpteen times each week too. We’ve also got some great Forum topics which you might find useful 👇

How do I register interest for Battery Boost? The link from the email takes me to the app but I can’t then find how to register.

Hello, we bought our current flat a few months ago and found out that Ovo is our electricity supplier. It is an all electric property, with electric immersion heater for hot water and electric storage heaters. This flat was designed around off peak electricity. There are 2 electricity meters, one so called white meter just for the off-peak circuit (storage heaters plus immersion water heater) and one for everything else, each with a separate MPAN number. The off peak meter turns the off peak circuit on and off, so that water heater and storage heaters only have power at night, it is the RTS type. When we moved in, Ovo created 2 account numbers, one for each meter and put each on the single rate tariff (without consulting or giving options). This means that we have to pay the standing charge twice and we have to pay expensive rate for hot water and heating. I have contacted Ovo multiple times (calls and chat) asking to: have only one account with one standing charge be moved onto some type of off-peak tariff (Economy 7 or something else) I was told that neither is possible. I was told that they cannot merge the two accounts and that they cannot put me on Economy 7, because I have the two meter set up (complex meter). Also, I wasn’t offered migrating to a 5-port smart meter with Economy 7 as a solution - I only came across it on this forum. I don’t understand this. Why can’t they offer some kind of peak / off-peak tariff to me? I know about the shut down of RTS signal next year and the push to smart meters. However, switching to a smart meter is not useful for us if they refuse to change our tariff. Also, I think we should only be paying one standing charge, as these two MPANs are associated (it is one household). Can you please advise? What are our options?

Can anyone please explain why suddenly a few days again the solis app started showing a massive surge of power from the grid, see below

Trying to register for Solar check because of Battery Boost.

Having installed our solar panels, we applied to receive the OVO Smart energy guarantee payments and sent the requested initial export meter reading on the 12th July, which will be seven weeks ago tomorrow. We were told that we would receive the welcome email within four weeks from receiving this initial meter reading. Is it normal to have to wait this long? I cannot speak to the SEG team by phone and any email sent just gets a standard reply that a response will be within 15 days. Getting frustrated now Malcolm

I am part way through installing an off-grid solar PV and wind turbine feed for a summerhouse and wondered if anyone has any experience or tips. One strange piece of info is that a first small turbine or ASHP is permitted development (conservation areas excluded) but if you already have a Heat Pump then you would need planning permission for a wind turbine. I have a small control system with battery storage which the panels and turbine will feed into and an associated power dump protection once the battery is full. It is a relatively small system but something that will power lighting, cooling and a small heater in winter. Once all in place I will post some photos for info.

My landlord is having solar panels installed on the property tomorrow, will I need to do anything with my smart meter? Like inform electric company etc thanks

Updated on 17/01/25 by Abby_OVO Update on RTS shutdown: As part of the RTS Project development, we are really happy to share with you our progress: As you may be aware, the RTS signal that instructs some of our meters when to move to the “Off Peak Period” will be closing down soon and we need to arrange for all of our RTS customers to have a meter exchange so they don’t lose any of their meter functionality. The RTS signal will end for our customers on 30 June 2025. The period between 1 July - 30 September 2025 will then be used to close-down the RTS signal and allow us to manage any unexpected customers impacted. After a very successful pilot, from the 17th June 2024 we will begin writing to our Economy 10 RTS customers to invite them to call us to arrange for their meter exchange. We are continuing to work at pace to enable the same solution for the majority of our other RTS customers and our aim is to begin writing to these customers from Aug 2024. We will continue to update you on our progress. Multi-rate meters are also sometimes known as ‘complex’ or ‘exotic’ meters These older types of meter are being phased out and support for them will be ending soon. If you have one of these meters, and think you’ll be affected, don’t worry- we’ll be in touch to arrange an upgrade to make sure your heating and hot water keeps working properly. So, what is an ‘exotic meter type’ and why is support for some of these meters ending? Let’s find out more... We’re saying goodbye to Radio Teleswitch Meters (RTS Meter) and Dynamically Teleswitched Meters (DTS Meter). Support is ending for old electric meters that use Radio Teleswitches. The Radio Teleswitch System (or RTS) was created to help with electricity meters that had special tariffs (such as Economy 7) before smart meters came along. Even though it has a few features that are seen in today’s smart meters , such as automatically turning heating or hot water on or off, it isn’t quite as smart. It can’t send us your meter readings remotely to make sure your bills are correct. RTS Meters (sometimes known as Dynamically Teleswitched Meters), are old meter types. A Radio Teleswitch device would also be installed, alongside the electricity meter, to pick up the RTS signals and control the time switching features on the meter. The shutdown of the RTS service would mean that the teleswitching features, to allow electricity meters to be switched between tariff rates and to allow the switching of electrical loads such as heaters, would completely stop working. Older meter types aren’t being installed by suppliers anymore, and many of these meters are reaching their end (certifications). Here are some of the RTS/DTS tariffs: Economy 7* Economy 10 * Total Heat Total Control Weathercall HeatWise WarmWise Storage Heat Control White Meter Superdeal Flexiheat Comfort Plus Comfort Plus Control Twin Heat *Economy 7 or 10 meters with controlled load. Controlled load is a special type of electricity rate, or tariff, for high-energy appliances. It's ideal for things that use a lot of energy, like underfloor heating or hot water systems.* Want to find out more about this topic? Why not check out this helpful FAQ: Don’t forget- If you have a meter that’s affected, we’ll be in touch to arrange a meter and tariff upgrade to keep your heating and hot water working. Exotic Tariffs Storage heating control (SHC) With Storage Heating Control you usually have two separate meters. One meter records energy used during the off-peak periods, and the other records all other electricity used. Customers save the most if they have storage heating and hot water. These heat up during the off-peak times, on the cheaper rate, to last throughout the day. The standard meter records all the domestic usage (cooking, lights, electronic devices) in a home. There are no off-peak times for any domestic use, and these appliances can be used at any time. What about heating and hot water? SHC was designed to work with storage heaters. To benefit from the off-peak price, the storage heating and hot water would need to be connected to the off-peak meter. If you have this type of meter and are unsure if yours is connected, an electrician can check this for you. Out of off-peak times, any appliances connected to the off-peak meter won’t operate, so SHC isn’t suitable for direct acting heating, such as a towel rail or underfloor heating. As long as the storage heaters are connected to the off-peak meter, they’ll come on automatically during off-peak periods. SHC offers 8 hours per day for customers to charge their storage heaters and heat their hot water. At least 3 of these hours will be available from between 10pm and 10am. There’s also a minimum of 2 hours between 10am and 10pm. The times do vary which means we can’t give a customer the exact times their off-peak will operate. But, as long as the heating and hot water is connected to the off-peak meter, they should automatically come on when the cheaper rate is available. SHC doesn’t offer a cheaper rate for domestic appliances, which means regardless of the time these appliances are being used, they’ll always be charged at the standard rate. Dimplex Quantum storage heaters work in the same way as standard night storage heaters, by charging up during off-peak times at a cheaper rate. Quantum heaters have thermostats and a digital programmer, which means that operating them is much more ‘hands-free’. You can choose the times of the day when the heat can be released, and you can also choose the temperature. The heater automatically works out how much to charge overnight. A fan helps to draw air through the heater and warm up the room when the thermostat senses that the temperature has dropped. Quantum heaters are better insulated than older models, meaning that less heat escapes when it isn’t needed. This is better for both your wallet and the planet. Input/Output Dial Storage Heaters work by storing heat made by cheap off-peak electricity and releasing it during the day. An input setting allows customers to control the amount of heat that the heater stores during off-peak hours. The higher the setting the more heat is stored, but this also means running costs will be higher. An output setting allows a customer to control the amount of heat that the storage heater releases. The higher the setting, the quicker the heat is released into the room. The recommendation is to keep the output setting low when heat isn’t needed (like in the night or when the home is empty). Total Heating Total Control (THTC) How many meters? THTC is usually a two meter set up. Although pay as you go THTC meters normally only have one meter. What does it do? With THTC you normally have two meters with one rate on each. One meter records all of the domestic usage at the property (lights, sockets etc) and the other records the usage from the heating and hot water in the home. On the heating control meter there is the stored circuit which gives a customer between 5 & 12 hours daily based on the weather forecast to store heat, and around 5 hours 45 minutes to heat water daily. Because the off peak times are determined in part by the weather forecast we are unable to tell a consumer exactly when the peak/off peak hours are. There is also the 24 hour off peak circuit, this is for any additional heating and hot water in the home, panel heaters, focal point fires, electric towel rails, electric showers, and to boost hot water. What about heating and hot water? THTC was designed to work with storage heaters, and they should charge automatically during the off peak hours, along with the hot water. As long as any additional heating appliances are connected to the 24 hour circuit, they will be charged at the lower rate regardless of what time they are being used. This is not something we are able to check for a customer, they would need a private electrician to tell them what is wired where. To find out more about THTC and SHC please check out our helpful guide on the website . Superdeal Superdeal is usually a one meter set up. It is only available in the Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN) 20 area. Unsure what your MPAN number is or who your Distribution Network Operator is? Check out our handy Tutorial below: What does it do? With Superdeal you get one meter which has three rates of electricity; Day rate, Night rate, and Off-peak rate. The Day rate records energy used between 7am and midnight, the night records domestic (lights, electrical appliances, sockets) energy between midnight and 7am, the stored records for 5 hours overnight and has a 2 hour afternoon boost. Superdeal provides 7 hours of off peak electricity over 2 periods for heating and hot water appliances. It provides a 7 hour off peak period overnight for all domestic appliances. What about heating and hot water? Superdeal was designed to work with storage heating, a customer receives 5 hours of charge over night for their storage heaters and hot water, and an additional 2 hours afternoon boost. During these 7 hours, the heating and hot water should automatically come on. This meter is handy for customers who need to top up their heat during the day so they have enough for the evening, if they have older heaters or if they are at home and use their stored heat frequently throughout the day. Flexiheat Flexiheat is designed to work with electric storage heating The tariff offers 7 hours of cheaper, off-peak electricity for stored heat Energy used outside of the off-peak times costs more at the standard rate, so if you have this set up we’d encourage you to use more during the cheaper times Usually not suitable for homes with Gas or Oil heating How does it work? With Flexiheat you get one meter which has three rates. One rate records all the electricity you use during the day, another records all of the electricity you use during the evening and weekend period, and the third measures all the electricity you use during the 7 hours of stored heat. Flexiheat works by storing up heat and hot water using the lowest possible rate of electricity. All the electricity you use during the off-peak times is charged at the cheaper rate, not just your heating and hot water. When are the cheaper off-peak times? A consumer is supplied with 7 hours at the cheapest rate for stored heat. At least two of those hours will be during the day - which tops up heating and hot water. They would also benefit from cheaper electricity for all domestic appliances used on weekdays between 7:30pm to 7.30am, and weekends from Friday 7.30pm to Monday 7.30am. In addition to this, Flexiheat customers benefit from cheaper electricity for all domestic appliances used between 24 December and 1st January. There is more information about Flexiheat and Superdeal here . Heatwise Heatwise is designed to work with electric storage heating. It can be a 1 or 2 meter setup which is only found in MPAN 11. The meter(s) generally have a combined 3 or 4 rates and provide 10 hours of off peak electricity for hard wired heating and water appliances. It’s usually not suitable for homes with Gas or Oil heating How does it work? All the electricity used during the off-peak times is charged at the cheaper rate, not just heating and hot water. When are the cheaper off-peak times? Afternoons Monday to Friday – 3 hours between 1pm and 4.30pm Afternoons Saturday and Sunday – 3 hours between 1pm and 5.30pm Evenings Monday to Sunday – 2 hours between 5.30pm and 10pm Night’s Monday to Friday – 5 hours between midnight and 7am Night’s Saturday and Sunday – 5 hours between midnight and 8am Economy 10 Economy 10 provides 10 hours of off-peak electricity for everything in the home and can be suitable for a number of electric heating systems, including wet electric central heating and storage heaters. Storage heaters will automatically store at the off-peak times on the lower rate. Electric immersion water heaters will also usually heat automatically during the off-peak hours and you may want to install an external timer to regulate when and for how long the water heats. The off-peak hours offered with an Economy 10 plan add up to 10 hours during each 24-hour period – which is why this plan is known as Economy 10. (MPAN) 10,11,12, 14,15,16,19,20, 21, 22, 23 (Traditional, Pay as you go & Smart) 12.00am - 5.00am 1.00pm - 4.00pm 8.00pm - 10.00pm (GMT) 1.00am - 6.00am 2.00pm - 5.00pm 9.00pm - 11.00pm (BST) 18 & 13 (Traditional) 4:30am - 7:30am 1:00pm - 4:00pm 8:30pm - 12:30am (Paygo & Smart) 4:30am - 7:30am 1:00pm - 4:00pm 8:30pm - 12:30am (GMT) 5:30am - 8:30am 2:00pm - 5:00pm 9:30pm - 01:30am (BST) 17 (Traditional) 4:30am - 7:30am 1:30pm - 4:30pm 8:30pm - 12:30am (Pay as you go and Smart) 4:30am - 7:30am 1:30pm - 4:30pm 8:30pm - 12:30am (GMT) 5:30am - 8:30am 2:30pm - 5:30pm 9:30pm - 01:30am (BST)

Hello. How long does it take to receive change of ownership notification and more importantly given the current financial situation when will I receive the monies generated by the solar panels feed in tariff. I purchased my home on the 28th of February 2023 the lady I purchased from was an ovo customer and had her FIT set up. The estate agent is now asking me on behalf of the seller when she is going to be released from ovo control. Thank you.

Updated on 17/01/25 by Emmanuelle_OVO: Interested in getting Solar Panels? Find out more here: OVO are now installing Solar! 😁​​​ Have you got Charge Anytime & Solar Panels? SEG - Smart Export Guarantee - Your FAQs What is the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)? The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) gives micro-generators (such as homes with solar panels) the chance to earn money for every kWh of energy they export to the national grid. This replaces the Feed in Tariff (FIT), which was closed to new applicants in 2019. The key difference between the FIT scheme and SEG that generator are only paid for the energy they export on SEG rather than the energy they generate as well, as they were with FIT. Who can sign up to the SEG tariff? Generators (or homeowners) who own one of the following technology systems; anaerobic digestion, hydro, micro-combined heat and power (with an electrical capacity of 50kW or less), onshore wind, and solar photovoltaic exporters with up to 5MW. In order to apply for SEG you mustn’t be receiving FIT export payments, however your FIT generation payments can be continued if even if your export payments are relinquished. How much can I be paid via SEG from OVO ? The SEG tariff is decided by supplier so unlike FIT this may differ between suppliers. Here are the details of the current OVO SEG payments: Name of Tariff Price per kWh Technology Type System Size Initial Contract Length OVO SEG Tariff (AET20) 4.00p/kWh All eligible technologies Solar, Anaerobic Digestion, Hydro, Wind up to 5MW capacity, Up to 50kW for Micro-combined heat and power (Micro-CHP) 12 months When does my SEG contract start? Your contract starts once an Export MPAN has been set up and we have received your first export meter reading. The initial contract term is 12 months. Can I switch to OVO's SEG if I already receive FIT payments? If you receive the Feed-in Tariff from OVO, then you are able to sign up to SEG, but your Feed in Tariff export payments will stop. If you did want to opt in or out of the Feed-in Tariff export payments, just be aware under the regulation of the scheme you can only do this once every 12 months. If you currently receive FIT payments from another supplier you can sign up to SEG with OVO, but your Feed in Tariff export payments will stop with your current supplier. You’ll need to let them know before you sign up to SEG. Where can I find the application forms? You can find our application form and supporting documents guide here. Once completed you’ll need to email this (as well as the supporting documents) to our SEG team at seg@ovoenergy.com. They’ll review your application and if eligible you’ll receive a welcome email confirming the tariff and payment information within 6 weeks of applying. When do I need to give a reading? We request export readings 4 times a year: March June September December As a SEG customer, you will be sent a read reminder with a link to provide your reading via an online form. You need to take the reading from your export or smart meter - if you’re unsure of how to do this, you would need to contact the installer or energy supplier. If it’s an OVO smart meter, see this guide for Secure meters, and this guide for Aclara/Honeywell meters. When do I receive a statement and payment? Quarter Statements posted on (+3 working days for post): Payments requested on (+ 3 working days for bank processing): January - March 2022 By the end of April By the end of May April - June 2022 By the end of July By the end of August July - September 2022 By the end of October By the end of November October - December 2022 By the end of January 2023 By the end of February 2023 Can I switch my SEG to another supplier? As generators, you can switch away to another SEG licensee if you wish. However, if you do this whilst still in your contract then a exit fee will apply (£15) - unless you’re moving house or the generator has passed away. You’ll need to stop your SEG contract with us before signing up to a new SEG contract with another SEG licensee. What happens if I move into to a property receiving SEG? If you’ve just moved in to a house which already receives SEG, you’d need to sign-up to a new tariff using the application form. Further to this, we’ll require some proof as evidence that you are now the legal owner of the solar panels: Photo ID - As part of the application we need you to prove your identification. Please send a clear copy of your photo driving license or passport. Proof of Ownership - Written confirmation from Solicitor or Fixtures and Fittings form (TA10) accompanied by a Land Registry certificate. This must clearly evidence ownership of the panels. What do I need to do if I’m moving out of a property receiving SEG? In order for us close your SEG account, all we need to confirm is your final export meter reading and the date you left the property. Email this to the team directly seg@ovoenergy.com ensuring your include your SEG ID, name and address along with your new address so we can send your final statement. Once we have received the readings, these will be applied to the account and will send the final statement on the next statement date. The statement dates fall in April, July, October and January, with payments following two weeks later. Where can I get more information about SEG? You can find yet more information via our FAQs on the OVO website or the Ofgem website. If you can’t find the answer, you can email the team on seg@ovoenergy.com or why not comment below as out knowledgeable community members might be able to offer advice.

I have just signed up for switching to a new supplier but remembered that I also have an active boiler cover with OVO until October. Will this switch have any impact on the cover itself?

Can OVO provide a new gas boiler?

Does OVO supply a type of In Home Display unit for smart meters which also shows generation from solar panels? Where can I find user and installation instructions? I want to know if there is a meaningful comparison of electricity usage vs generation (including setting FiT rates), and I want to know how it connects e.g. to inverter’s wifi or current clamp onto solar wire.

Wondered if anyone can answer my query Im an existing FIT payment receiver (solar panels installed with single string inverter 11 years ago) so receive a decent FIT payment. Recently had installed a EcoFlow 3.6kw inverter with 10kw battery storage, the generation meter was changed to a bidirectional meter as instructed and followed the correct schematic. However the meter is showing a negative number and I can’t seem to work out what the solar panels are generating apart from what shows in the EcoFlow app We charge the batteries up at night using an off peak rate and then any solar during the day tops the batteries up. am I correct in thinking there should be another meter of sort between the solar panels and inverter just to monitor the generation from The solar panels? installers seem to think by summer it will change to a positive but that’s no good to me right now when I’ve generated about 30kw of solar