New Home with THTC - how can I get support dealing with changing the meter and tariff?

Hi everyone,

I wanted to step in here with some extra context around total heat total control (THTC). There is lots of jargon in this message. If you have a THTC set up and you’re unsure with the information I’ve written, you can speak to trained advisors when calling from the number registered with your OVO account: 0330 303 5063.

THTC was a meter type specific to a region in Scotland (MPAN 17 to be precise) and to a specific supplier who’s customers have now migrated to OVO. If you have this type of meter you have 2 MPANS. Not all suppliers can support this meter type which may be why Octopus are suggesting issues working with the meter. 

OVO will be moving all THTC OVO customers onto a different meter type due to the radio time switch (RTS) switch off (please be advised that RTS still doesn't have a definitive date and it keeps getting extended) and we will be in touch with everyone when that change is ready to be put in place.

OVO should be the only supplier with this meter type however if you have THTC and you switch supplier away from OVO you will need the new supplier to set up all registers to be billed to the one unit rate, or have your meter exchanged by the new supplier.

On that note, other suppliers won’t have a replacement THTC meter to install, so they wouldn't be able to do a ‘like for like’ meter exchange. If that’s you and you still have storage heating what they'd likely need to do is change the meter to a standard economy 7/domestic economy set up. However with this solution the you could potentially require a private electrician to rewire the meter supply to avoid having two meters, one for heating/hot water and the other for all the other general supply. Just to reiterate the point, a meter exchange is definitely possible for anyone with a THTC meter that has switched supplier, although the vast majority of THTC customers will be supplied by OVO. 

Thanks for the information Tim_OVO.  That is useful.  As somebody who is stuck in the THTC hell I’d just like to ask what the reasons for the THTC unit prices being FAR higher than comparable dual rate solutions available to other OVO customers and other suppliers?  It seems to me like OVO are milking THTC customers because they know they can’t easily move suppliers. 

The very least OVO could be doing is offering a peak/off-peak tariff that is competitive with those available to other customers while they sort out the logistics of resolving the issues with migrating away from these meters.

Couldn't agree more.

Hi @dmacaulay75 

If you came over to OVO with THTC meters, it’s likely you’ve come over with the tariff you were already on as we don’t run any THTC specific tariffs ourselves, so any customers with THTC have come to us and continues on the tariff deal they were already set up on with the previous supplier.

Would you be able to share with us which tariff are you on at the moment? This may help us get a better understanding if the difference.

I’m on a 1 year fix at 28.32p per kWh which with storage heating is VERY expensive with seemingly no access to other options which are available to other customers.  I looked up the THTC plan rates at https://plans.ovoenergy.com/ and they are only marginally cheaper for night time rates and FAR more expensive for standard unit rates.  I don’t see how this can be justified.

I wasn’t on any other tariff previously or with another provider in this property as I have only recently purchased it and I am a new OVO customer.  

Interesting to read this, I'm in a similar position, small ex council house in Shetland, 3 meters. I'm looking to move to a single meter arrangement to allow us to install air to air heat pump heating and enable us to select the most suitable supplier.

I'm expecting OVO to be off no help whatsoever given the location, and they've already stated they have no plans to install smart meters in our region.

Even if they were to install a smart meter or 3! we're still stuck with only one supplier option.

I know moving to a single meter will involve house wiring changes that we'll need to fund, I just need to understand how to proceed with the move from a 3 meter arrangement to a single meter - even if it's the original ancient meter!

So I guess I'll be following the Ofgem complaint route.

I'll be raising a new post on the forum, just commenting on here so you know there's lots of folk in a similar position and it would be helpful if Ofgem could step in and force OVO to develop a process given we find ourselves in a position which ties us to OVO.

​​​

Property is in the Shetland isles, it's a type of THTC (storage htr) I know the house wiring will need work to move to single meter. OVO have already said there's no plans to install smart meters in this region, but replacement smart meter(s) won't enable to move to a single meter.

Is there an OVO process that would enable us to move the total supply to a single mpan?

Please do keep us updated with how your situation progresses @Infiltrator, it might be helpful for other Community Members in a similar position. 

Hey @Infiltrator,

There’s some helpful advice given by Tim_OVO on this topic: 

I wanted to step in here with some extra context around total heat total control (THTC). There is lots of jargon in this message. If you have a THTC set up and you’re unsure with the information I’ve written, you can speak to trained advisors when calling from the number registered with your OVO account: 0330 303 5063.

THTC was a meter type specific to a region in Scotland (MPAN 17 to be precise) and to a specific supplier who’s customers have now migrated to OVO. If you have this type of meter you have 2 MPANS. Not all suppliers can support this meter type which may be why Octopus are suggesting issues working with the meter. 

OVO will be moving all THTC OVO customers onto a different meter type due to the radio time switch (RTS) switch off (please be advised that RTS still doesn't have a definitive date and it keeps getting extended) and we will be in touch with everyone when that change is ready to be put in place.

OVO should be the only supplier with this meter type however if you have THTC and you switch supplier away from OVO you will need the new supplier to set up all registers to be billed to the one unit rate, or have your meter exchanged by the new supplier.

On that note, other suppliers won’t have a replacement THTC meter to install, so they wouldn't be able to do a ‘like for like’ meter exchange. If that’s you and you still have storage heating what they'd likely need to do is change the meter to a standard economy 7/domestic economy set up. However with this solution the you could potentially require a private electrician to rewire the meter supply to avoid having two meters, one for heating/hot water and the other for all the other general supply. Just to reiterate the point, a meter exchange is definitely possible for anyone with a THTC meter that has switched supplier, although the vast majority of THTC customers will be supplied by OVO. 

There might also be some helpful advice in the following topics: 

Ok, brief chat with a very unhelpful customer assistant who tells me they can’t help at all as their hands are tied by the government who dictate the smart meter roll-out programme, apparently I need a smart meter before one of my meters can be removed. And its also illegal for a private electrician to remove a meter. This appears to be at odds with the info given above by Tim_OVO above.

I guess its time to escalate and see if I get any further before taking the Ofgem route.