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December 8, 2024
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Is my PAYG meter impacted by the RTS shutdown?

  • December 8, 2024
  • 48 replies
  • 1618 views

We are all electric and on THTC, or so we believe, we moved here in March 2021 and we have been trying to switch since we moved in, due to our apparent meter type we were with SSE then switched over to OVO. Currently going through energy ombusman to get a different meter/tarriff, due to living in the countryside we have to travel to a shop and due to weather it is not always possible and being pay as you go its not sustainable and we were told absolutely no way can we get a different meter and we would just have to wait until the RTS shuts down and hopefully we can get a smart meter(apparently this is not possible at the moment due to signal, yet others on our street have smart meters)OVO have argued that we are on a THTC tarriff..but the rates he gave me dont match the rates on our actual meter, each rate on our meter being 1pence more per kw. We have been told by someone, that our meter is infact an economy 7/10 meter. I cant seem to see the RTS box or the second meter they are claiming we have? We have one meter with 2 rates but that is all. Attached are photos of our electricity cupboard. Can anyone shed some light on what type of meter this is as seem to be passed from pillar to post! 

Best answer by Lukepeniket_OVO

Updated on 26/08/26 by Abby_OVO

 

Lukepeniket_OVO wrote:

‘I've got it. I've checked with paygo teams. You are THTC setup. You have a 24hr domestic supply and 24hr heating supply which is why everything is on all the time.

 

Your 24hr heating rate is slightly lower than the 24hr domestic supply but not by a lot. 

 

In terms of what needs to happen I'm unsure as to what to advise you. You have storage heaters which would benefit from an off peak supply. Your current tariff code is 145. I believe you should move to an off peak supply but you would need to liaise with OVO CS to decide the best tariff for yourself.

 

In short;

You have storage heaters

You have a THTC setup’.

 

@Vreid92. Very unlikely to be a THTC setup as there is only 1 meter. 

There is many Economy setups, E7, E8 E9 E10 and Evening weekend. I doubt itll be E/W but im unsure of what it could be at all. this should be relevant on your online account. 

E7 times would be 0000-0700 (Ish)
E10 is multiple times throughout the day, 0000-0500, 1400-1700 (Unsure) and 2000-2200.

 

I dont know the timings for the other systems.

I would have to have a look at any consumer units and heaters you have to advise you on how to use them.

Hope this helps??

 

48 replies

Vreid92Author
Rank 2
December 11, 2024

Hey all,

 

Looking at the diagram on the front of the existing meter it does indeed look like a 5 terminal meter, initially I believed it to be a dual element meter but I don't now think this is the case. 

 

If you are in a LMA area we currently cannot conduct these installs within OVO, I do not know about other suppliers. Very soon we are going to pilot to be able to install in LMA areas.

 

@Vreid92 do you ever hear a clunking sound from the meter throughout the day or just once nightly? About midnight?

 

What type of meter do you think it could be? Is a THTC meter a 5 terminal? Im so clueless on these types of things! 

 

There has been alot of work being done at the electricity poles around our area, unsure if this is anything to do with it or not?

 

I have never heard any clunking atall, but it is very rare we are still awake at midnight anyway and our electricity cupboard is downstairs and we are in a back bedroom so probably wouldnt hear it. I will make a point of staying up this weekend to see if I can hear anything.

 

Thank you for your help!

Blastoise186
Super User
Super User
December 11, 2024

Oh yeah, I guess I forgot to tell you about our Sekrit Weapon. Luke is one of OVO’s most powerful Smart Meter Engineers - and he’s amazing at the job too! We call on his advice if we get badly stuck ourselves. You should see what he’s been able to pull off! :)

Everything I’ve found so far suggests that particular unit is more likely to be running on either Economy 7 or Economy 10.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!
Vreid92Author
Rank 2
December 11, 2024

Oh yeah, I guess I forgot to tell you about our Sekrit Weapon. Luke is one of OVO’s most powerful Smart Meter Engineers - and he’s amazing at the job too! We call on his advice if we get badly stuck ourselves. You should see what he’s been able to pull off! :)

Everything I’ve found so far suggests that particular unit is more likely to be running on either Economy 7 or Economy 10.

Honestly I cant thank you all enough! Why oh why did i not join this forum sooner🙈 nobody has even requested photos of my meter or as much as offered to come out and assess. 

So my next question is...if there is no RTS box and this meter is possibly economy 10 or 7..does that mean that because the charge times on the big heaters are set from 00:00-00:00 for each charge cycle. They could possibly be charging during peak time? Does £600-£750 a month seem right to you for a couple of hours morning and night of timer being set to be on? My heaters are mostly set at 19-20 aswell so not even taking the mick with temperatures.

Thanks a bunch😁

OVO Engineer
December 12, 2024

Updated on 26/08/26 by Abby_OVO

 

Lukepeniket_OVO wrote:

‘I've got it. I've checked with paygo teams. You are THTC setup. You have a 24hr domestic supply and 24hr heating supply which is why everything is on all the time.

 

Your 24hr heating rate is slightly lower than the 24hr domestic supply but not by a lot. 

 

In terms of what needs to happen I'm unsure as to what to advise you. You have storage heaters which would benefit from an off peak supply. Your current tariff code is 145. I believe you should move to an off peak supply but you would need to liaise with OVO CS to decide the best tariff for yourself.

 

In short;

You have storage heaters

You have a THTC setup’.

 

@Vreid92. Very unlikely to be a THTC setup as there is only 1 meter. 

There is many Economy setups, E7, E8 E9 E10 and Evening weekend. I doubt itll be E/W but im unsure of what it could be at all. this should be relevant on your online account. 

E7 times would be 0000-0700 (Ish)
E10 is multiple times throughout the day, 0000-0500, 1400-1700 (Unsure) and 2000-2200.

 

I dont know the timings for the other systems.

I would have to have a look at any consumer units and heaters you have to advise you on how to use them.

Hope this helps??

 

OVO Operations Excellence Manager and Former Field Operations Team Leader
Vreid92Author
Rank 2
December 12, 2024

@Vreid92. Very unlikely to be a THTC setup as there is only 1 meter. 

There is many Economy setups, E7, E8 E9 E10 and Evening weekend. I doubt itll be E/W but im unsure of what it could be at all. this should be relevant on your online account. 

E7 times would be 0000-0700 (Ish)
E10 is multiple times throughout the day, 0000-0500, 1400-1700 (Unsure) and 2000-2200.

 

I dont know the timings for the other systems.

I would have to have a look at any consumer units and heaters you have to advise you on how to use them.

Hope this helps??

Its funny you say that, because I tried to make an online account and it wouldnt allow me to, when i queried it with complaints handler, he said I cant have an online account when you are PAYG. But when you type my address into OVO..it says Economy 7..its strange, because when im queried other companies before and given them my address they have said 'sorry you have two meters at your address, you have a complex system, we cant take you on' im pulling my hair out saying WE DONT HAVE 2 METERS, but its still registered as having 2 meters. 

 

I contemplated setting charge times to E7 and then try another day for E10 just to see out of curiosity what the price difference was..i will send a picture of my bigger heaters. I know the panels & bathrooms are only wired to 24hr off peak supply. 

Thank you!

OVO Engineer
December 12, 2024

@Vreid92 no my mistake, you are paygo so won't have an online account. I'm trying to remember if you can see switching times on the meter, we used to issue keys with certain tariffs... I'll pass the MSN onto the paygo team to try and get clarity??

OVO Operations Excellence Manager and Former Field Operations Team Leader
Vreid92Author
Rank 2
December 12, 2024

Thank you! I know I can definetly set charge times on my big heaters(dont even know what they are called🤣) so maybe worth a try. Its alot of money considering we are not being silly with the amount of time we have them on and the temperatures. I was looking back my meter reading pictures from when we moved here in March 2021. We have topped up £14,199 since then..absolute madness🙈 I did send in photos, unsure if you got them? Im not sure if they need to be approved or not.

Vreid92Author
Rank 2
December 12, 2024

There is something really not adding up here, my Off peak meter reading on 1st March 2021 was 71942.15 today..it is reading lower ALOT lower at 2326.64 i thought the reading should rise? Not fall? My peak was 44771.05 on 1st March 2021 and today it is 70245.75. Doesnt make sense atall? 

Vreid92Author
Rank 2
December 12, 2024

Also, whilst we are on the subject of the heaters..i was told that the 'off peak' switch should only be lit up when charging on off peak and the boost lit up all the time..my off peak switches on every single one of my big heaters is orange all the time, day and night. It never goes off.

OVO Engineer
December 12, 2024

Something amok. 

 

Can you attach photos here of 1 of your heaters and your consumer unit (fuse board) connected to the far right hand cable??

OVO Operations Excellence Manager and Former Field Operations Team Leader