Smart meter installed as Economy 10 - how will this affect my cylinder water supply?

That's great, OVO got back on the chat today just to say it'll take 6 weeks for it all to synch, and then the boost option should appear on the IHD, and also link up with the new regime. Hours were still to be confirmed they said due to synching. 

Anf the chaps name it's terrible i forget, but a nice guy from Cardiff! Who was staying up in dreich Dunoon for 2 weeks. Liam was on the OVO chat this morning, also very helpful.

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Thanks for all help guys and aye I'll keep posted. I mentioned to ​@Firedog on another post that i was just a bit baffled as was told the IHD has no boost feature, but then OVO said it will take up to 6 weeks to happen? And just to continue using the old e7 boost box if needed, but i thought that was redundant. Hopefully the need to boost will be less anyway if heating off peak in the afternoon anyway.

Sorry for the delay - I was on fire service volunteer duty all day and only just got back.

The Aclara SGM1416-B does support Boost functionality - you’ll find it somewhere in the menus IIRC if it’s available to you. It may also be available via the IHD in some cases.

But yes, as you’re on E10 you probably won’t need Boost Mode anywhere near as much anyway.

If you need any further advice, you know where we are! :)

​@Blastoise186 not a problem just appreciate you all helping out! When you say 'menus IIRC' is that on the meter itself ie outside on the Aclara? Ie pressing the A or B button? The IHD in the house doesn't offer anything in the menu i can see so far to do with boosting.

​@Albot81 I explained this in your other thread;

• The meter’s boost function simply provides power to the switched circuit if it’s not currently live. There are usually options for, say, 15- minute, 30-minute or 60-minute boosts. This can be used to supply power to the storage heaters’ charging circuits to heat up the bricks if they’ve gone cold, and if the immersion heater’s main element is also on this switched circuit, it will also have power available during a boost session.

Because the menus on the Aclara are configurable, I can’t say precisely where you’ll find Start Boost, but it’s probably on Button B somewhere. If you get stuck on a particular menu item, just walk away - the meter display will soon revert to its default state as if nothing had happened.

The sort of scenario when you might use it is, say, when you come back to a cold house after a few days’ absence, but there are hours until the storage heaters next start charging up even though you switch them on as soon as you get home. 

I also wrote earlier today:

• The meter’s boost function (to override its load control switch) was available on some old IHDs (like the first one I had, the Secure Pipit 500) but I don’t think any modern one has it. You’re not likely to miss it.

So far, realise it's early days with the setup. Deliberately used lots of hot water this morning after 4.30-7.30 heat, on checking this PM around 5, no new hot water ie from off peak heat from the afternoon hours 1.30-4.30pm. Had a check with the meter itself, button B, no option for boost at all?

That is a bit disturbing. The boost box has a lamp on it which glows when one or the other elements is active, so I suggest you check it when the main bottom element supposed to be on, bearing in mind that if it’s following the right schedule, it will start a few minutes after the nominal time. If it was switched on (‘TIMED’) but the lamp wasn’t lit when you checked at 17:00 today, something’s not right.  Check again at 21:00 and - if you’re able - at 00:30. It should be on at 21:00, but not at 00:30. Let us know what you find.

Don’t worry about it. I don’t think you’ll need it.

If you find yourself without hot water, use the boost box. Because there’s now some doubt about the way your meter is configured, you should do this only at times when you know you’re on the offpeak rate. Your IHD indicates that this is happening at the right times, with the switch from offpeak to peak taking place a few minutes after 07:30, so check that you see the same sort of ‘Next tariff’ notice before 16:30 and 20:30. If that’s as it should be, you should be safe to use the boost box during the afternoon and evening offpeak slots. It may be that your heating is coming on at midnight, so the first 4½ hours will be at peak rate. Let’s hope that’s not the case.

Your careful observations will make it possible for us to work out what you should ask Support to do. If the problem is the one it’s looking like, the fix should be quick and easy.

​@Firedog thanks again. There was no light on at 5 or 9pm on the old boost box, although it's on timed. The IHD display is on red at present i presume that means something is occurring?! Nothing else running differently to norm at this time of night. This is what i wondered would happen basically, waiting for timings to align or otherwise, that we would need to boost our water manually. It does mention tariff changes on the IHD also, upcoming so to speak, next peak should be at around 00.30 so will check, off peak around 04.30.

Meant to add too, when i messaged OVO they said the new tariff/system could take up to 6 weeks to synch up? They were unable to give me the new times/tariff details also as yet. We have hot water this morning, but i think it's heated up the cylinder based on the old e7 way ie 00.00-7am, or it has heated for 3 hours from 04.30-7.30. The engineer is kindly still around these parts so is kindly popping around to check the wiring and box etc. And yes, will use the boost box if at all needed in the pm/eve. 

Get his name this time!!! :D

If you do, tell us who he is and we’ll make sure he gets a little… Surprise...

Latif from Cardiff!

Thanks! In that case… ​@Ben_OVO can you do the honours? XD

​@Blastoise186 I'm intrigued?!

Hehehe, we have… Ways… Of getting feedback sent through to the teams…

If we feel someone’s earned it, any of us can ping a Forum Moderator and run it past them. If they agree, that individual may find themselves receiving positive feedback from their manager. And in some cases, a little bonus surprise.

​@Firedog just to clarify the IHD does display tariff change countdowns around the expected tariff times i was initially given, the boost box light wasn't glowing at 5pm but am guessing it shouldn't be as think the PM off peak tariff slot is 1.30-4.30pm, so should glow during this time as is set to TIMED? Today I'll check jt better as fell asleep before 00.30 last night! Rock n roll.... Will check at times was given when booking the slot for sorting, which is 04.30-07.30, 13.30-16.30 and 20.30--00.30. Unsure why OVO couldn't confirm details after set up.

Yep, sorry about that. I spend a lot of mental energy converting am/pm times to the 24-hour clock to avoid the confusion that always arises otherwise, and somehow ended up with your 5pm inside the 13:30-16:30 slot, which of course it isn’t 😳

The overlap between your tariff timings and what may be your switching times mean that the only tell-tale you can reasonably capture is at about 00:15 (quarter past midnight!) when the tariff should be peak, set to change to offpeak at 04:39. The red light at the booster box shouldn’t be on, and if you can find your way to the meter, the little icons in the corner of the screen should look just like they do in your earlier screenshot (you can press button A to light up the screen):
  

So, no red light, and no different switch icons on the meter display means things are set up just as they should be. Red light and different icons mean trouble, so be sure to come back and tell us what you found. 

The next hurdle to be cleared is to find out why the water tank didn’t heat up between 13:30 and 16:30 yesterday. At least you can use the boost box during those hours if necessary.

PS I don’t think you ever did reveal where you are in the country. I’ve been assuming from the various clues you’ve left that you are in fact in the Scottish Hydro region (north of the Firth of Clyde). I’m sure I mentioned that this is vital information in so many respects.

​@Firedog as ever thankyou again. All makes sense. The last time i was at the meter the symbols and light etc were just as they are. Latif checked the wiring and box today kindly, battling the suspended ferry service and drove the extra round by road from Glasgow back to Dunoon in Argyll, or Cowal if you like. So it all seems set up correct, tomorrow night I'll be doing the graveyard shift to investigate a bit more the 00.30 finish and the 04.30 off peak start and will see if can figure out the immersion. Latif wasn't sure why it would take 6 weeks for OVO to divulge the tariff details, and to make sure that it was definitely charging during those 3 off peak sections etc, said he would make some enquiries himself. If not a bother i will keep you guys updated, as it is more than helpful believe me, realise we all struggle with energy bills etc, and considering we aren't on any radar for grants etc for solar, pumps etc, 8 years ago we were quoted 12,000 just to get mains gas connecting. A few folk round here rely on oil heating and heat recovery/stoves etc.

Thanks. I hope Latif was suitably rewarded for what is obviously service above and beyond the call of duty. 

At 00:30 (actually, probably nearer 00:40) you should see the tariff change on your IHD.  What I’m hoping you won’t find is that the heaters come on at 00:10 and the little bottom icon on the meter changes from its open state (o´o) to something else. 
 

That’s a magical part of the world you live in - thanks for telling us. 

So on checking the meter box at 6.15am, is in off peak mode, guessing the icons look a wee bit different as hopefully can see on the picture. I'll recheck at 7.45 ish when will have switched to peak mode. The red light was flashing on the meter box at this time too, slow intermittent. The IHD shows an orange middle light, and the next tariff change countdown is correct and showing. Will update after 7.45 see if the icons have switched...