Recently, I switched to a single-rate tariff. But the heater circuit only goes live during off-peak periods (because I was on Economy 7 tariff before). So after read some replies on the internet, I had a two chats with OVO advisors via online chat and requested them to adjust the ALCS timing to make my heater circuit always live 24/7.
The 1st chat wasn’t helpful at all.
The 2nd reply I had : this isn't something our support team can carry out due to the functionality of the meter itself, with this being a dual rate and wired as such. The only alternative options would be to have this exchanged to a single rate meter at a cost.
Can anyone confirm this can be done remotely by adjusting the ALCS timing? If so How do I get the right person to do it?
Our metering engineers are not permitted to alter the wiring configuration of the customer's property as we cannot confirm that the customer's equipment that is currently connected to the off-peak circuit is suitable for a constant load. Some equipment such as storage heaters are not designed to be on 24/7, and doing so may lead to increased bills and potential damage.
In addition to this, altering the timing of the meter's ALCS connection to be permanently closed, would result in the Proteus EHC1 contactor being permanently engaged which would contravene the manufacturer's intended use.
In a scenario where a customer requests a tariff change from multirate to single rate, OVO would replace the meter and install an isolation switch. The existing off-peak circuit would be left disconnected from the new single rate meter installation, leaving the customer's electrician responsible for reconnecting the previously off-peak circuit to the new permanently energised isolation switch if they deem it suitable.
Thanks. This should be possible via SMETS Command. Ask OVO to try it one more time and if they resist for the same reasons, remind the agent that an OVO Forum Volunteer has confirmed it’s possible - that sometimes gets these unstuck.
Thanks. This should be possible via SMETS Command. Ask OVO to try it one more time and if they resist for the same reasons, remind the agent that an OVO Forum Volunteer has confirmed it’s possible - that sometimes gets these unstuck.
Let us know if that still doesn’t help!
In the 3rd chat I had they resisted for the same reasons(need a meter exchange as the wiring will need to be rewired) even after I mentioned OVO Forum Volunteer has confirmed it’s possible.
Your heating circuit is energized by the 100A Proteus contactor, which is controlled by the meter’s ALCS passing a signal via the thin grey cable. To have your heating circuit always on, you just need to bypass the Proteus. If Support can’t get the ECAUL request to reconfigure the ALCS calendar to work, I think a competent electrician could perform the bypass surgery quickly and easily, and indeed safely and reversibly.
Your heating circuit is energized by the 100A Proteus contactor, which is controlled by the meter’s ALCS passing a signal via the thin grey cable. To have your heating circuit always on, you just need to bypass the Proteus. If Support can’t get the ECAUL request to reconfigure the ALCS calendar to work, I think a competent electrician could perform the bypass surgery quickly and easily, and indeed safely and reversibly.
I asked one who did EICR for me, he said I will need to contact my energy provider to ask them to disconnect it as it’s their equipment.
The advisors don’t seem to have knowledge about this. They just get replies from the back office team and give me a conclusion without asking me to send a photo of the meter.
I believe it can be done remotely, but I never get through to the right person.
I don’t know what to do next, maybe I have to follow their procedure and book an appointment with them to get the meter changed.
I’m sorry to hear that, I wonder if you should use the webchat function & link the agent to this topic url @Johnson2025. As it also contains photos of your set up.
Webchat
If you select ‘chat with us’ at the bottom of the Help Centre page you’ll need to have personal info to hand, like your email address, home address and postcode.
After this you’ll be passed through to one of our advisors. They might also ask you some further security questions.
I’ve heard back from a manager in our Complex Metering team and he has confirmed:
We are not allowed to change a restricted supply to an unrestricted supply and vice versa. The ALCS/load switching functionality on the meter is not something at we would set to 24/7. This would only even be set to Economy 7, Economy 10 timings etc.
To change a supply from restricted to unrestricted would require the intervention of a qualified electrician.
I’ve heard back from a manager in our Complex Metering team and he has confirmed:
We are not allowed to change a restricted supply to an unrestricted supply and vice versa. The ALCS/load switching functionality on the meter is not something at we would set to 24/7. This would only even be set to Economy 7, Economy 10 timings etc.
To change a supply from restricted to unrestricted would require the intervention of a qualified electrician.
Hi, I have just received email from advisor with same replies:
“I got in touch with a metering specialist in regards to this and they have confirmed that we are not allowed to change a restricted supply to an unrestricted supply and vice versa. A meter exchange would also not resolve this matter.
It has been confirmed that you will need to get a private electrician out to complete this work.”
A few days ago I have asked one electrician who did EICR for me, he said I will need to contact my energy provider to ask them to disconnect it as it’s their equipment.
And now OVO has asked me to get a private electrician? I will need to forward this to my electrician to find out.
This is very strange. A complex metering expert says that OVO are not allowed to change a restricted supply to an unrestricted one, yet a private electrician is. The supplier - who owns the metering equipment - needs permission from somebody to make a change that an ordinary electrician can do at the customer’s request?
I could understand if the distributor had to be involved in a change like this, which would result in increased power draw during peak hours. Would the electrician have to have DNO permission to alter the wiring? If so, why did the expert not mention this? If not, whose permission other than the customer’s is needed?
We are not being told the whole story here. To my untrained eye, all that is preventing bypassing the Proteus contactor is a couple of SSE sticky labels, applied in lieu of tamper seals. I suppose it’s possible that a meter engineer doesn’t have permission to disable that switch, even though it was a meter engineer who installed it in the first place.
Perhaps the expert could expand on this curious situation.
AFAIK the reason that we aren't able to change a restricted supply to an unrestricted supply is due to the fact that any connected equipment may not be capable of safely running 24/7, this is why you would need an electrician to make the changes for you
… any connected equipment may not be capable of safely running 24/7…
While this may well be true, it sounds really unlikely to me. Circuits are restricted precisely because they serve heavy loads, often of the order of 20kW, so using them only during offpeak hours eases what might otherwise be an intolerable burden on the distribution network. There is no question of loads like that running continuously in an ordinary domestic setting, unless it’s keeping the nation’s biggest cannabis crop warm.
Our metering engineers are not permitted to alter the wiring configuration of the customer's property as we cannot confirm that the customer's equipment that is currently connected to the off-peak circuit is suitable for a constant load. Some equipment such as storage heaters are not designed to be on 24/7, and doing so may lead to increased bills and potential damage.
In addition to this, altering the timing of the meter's ALCS connection to be permanently closed, would result in the Proteus EHC1 contactor being permanently engaged which would contravene the manufacturer's intended use.
In a scenario where a customer requests a tariff change from multirate to single rate, OVO would replace the meter and install an isolation switch. The existing off-peak circuit would be left disconnected from the new single rate meter installation, leaving the customer's electrician responsible for reconnecting the previously off-peak circuit to the new permanently energised isolation switch if they deem it suitable.
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