[DavidYoung]

I would like to get a smart meter but e.on next say that it is not possible because of the type (the SSC) of my current meter. The meter is indeed an old design, but the wiring is conventional, so it's hard to see the problem. My neighbour had the same kind of meter and managed to get it replaced.

I've discussed this in detail with e.on next's support, but have got nowhere. Can anyone suggest a way of taking this forward?

More detail if it's relevant: The current meter supplies two circuits, one unswitched which goes to the consumer unit and one switched which goes to a single storage heater via a safety device. The meter produces 4 readings, and has been allocated 2 MPANs, though in fact there is a single supply to it.

Once the old meter was removed, all that would be left would be the wiring, so it's hard to see why its SSC should matter. I'd be happy to pay to have a separate time switch installed for the storage heater circuit if necessary.

Any ideas about how to get e.on next to look at this more constructively? Thanks!

[retrotecchie]

Sounds like the house was originally fitted out in a very odd legacy electric heating configuration that was only supported by a very limited number of specialist tariffs from a couple of suppliers. Think of the 'Heat Electric' adverts from the 70s...and if you are too young, they are on Youtube!


The tariffs are long gone, as are the types of system you have.

Your meter is essentially two meters within the same enclosure, hence why you have two MPRNs. Your main half of the meter is a conventional enough dual rate (Economy 7) meter which powers everything that connects to your consumer unit. The second half of the meter connects via a time switch (possibly mechanical but more likely radio controlled by Radio Tele Switch) to your old storage heaters. The original tariff would have billed you for day/night rate on the conventional house electrics and had a special deal for 8 hours off-peak heating, plus a 3 hour 'boost' during the day.

Your four readings correspond to 'Day Use', 'Night (off peak) Use', 'Night heating Use' and 'Day Heating Boost Use'.

This system is so legacy that Noah possibly had one on the ark. Even the couple of companies that have taken on, or grandfathered, these old early 70's setups and tariffs are desperate to completely phase them out.

If you completely removed the switched heating system, including all wiring as far back as the meter itself, you could argue the case to have the meter replaced with a standard meter. This can then be upgraded to a smart meter later on. That said, your meter will be so out of date and outside the certification period, it should have already been replaced by now several times over...

Once you are down to a single meter, you can apply to have the second MPRN removed. As it stands, with two MPRN's you are paying 2x the daily standing charge.

@theunknowntech will be able to give you a little more info, I'm sure, because metering is his thing. I'm just a humble electrical engineer.

[theunknowntech]

I could do with seeing photos of everything if that's OK. I think I've got this figured out but I don't like to speculate and prefer being sure first!

[retrotecchie]

I had a setup like this in my first house. Bloomin' nightmare.
@DavidYoung a picture is worth a thousand words...and I'm willing to bet the CU is possibly an antique too! He's a good lad, is theunknowntech. He'll do his best to decipher it for you.

[meldrewreborn]

If its out of certification shouldn't it be replaced?

[retrotecchie]

It may be that it has an exemption for being 'unreplaceable' with anything newer...

[meldrewreborn]

@retrotecchie

how do I get one then?

[retrotecchie]

Now why didn't I see that coming 🤣

[DavidYoung]

Thank you for the replies!

Here's a picture of the meter, which was installed in May 2016 (replacing an older meter of similar design, I think).

The supply comes in at top left. The consumer unit is off to the left. The supply to the single storage heater goes through the RCD box on the right.

[retrotecchie]

Depending on where you are in the UK, that looks very much like either a 'Total Heating, Total Control' or 'Storage Heating Control' system (Scotland) or a Flexiheat/Superdeal system (England).
@theunknowntech will know more about these things than I do.

As far as I recall, this sort of package didn't get offered in Wales. Nor did hot and cold running electricity until fairly recently...