[theunknowntech]

Yeah, there's a reason why they got deprecated! And it's probably that. :)

Blastoise also mentioned that there's another problem too. The RTS Service won't be around for much longer, so you can't keep those Heatwise meters indefinitely either. Soooo... That's just going to make things even more fun!

[JS9719]

@theunknowntech

thank you all for the information, much appreciated!
I’ll definitely investigate OVO but will hang fire for now.

Eventually this will need to be switched to an economy 7 setup, or even better, modern panel heaters on a standard tariff, but that would be down to my landlord, as I think even doing a meter exchange is going to need some form of a re-wire

[retrotecchie]

Originally Posted by theunknowntech

Yeah, there's a reason why they got deprecated! And it's probably that. :)

Blastoise also mentioned that there's another problem too. The RTS Service won't be around for much longer, so you can't keep those Heatwise meters indefinitely either. Soooo... That's just going to make things even more fun!

RTS is scheduled for switch off in December 2023. A little birdy tells me that this has been put back as there are still 1.8 million RTS meters out in the wild, the majority in commercial installations. Arquiva will still be maintaining Droitwich for another two years at least. The Environment Agency still use RTS too.

[theunknowntech]

Have you ever visited Arqiva's sites? Me and Blastoise both went out to the Droitwich Transmission Station a few months ago (took us absolutely ages to get there!). We couldn't get in for extremely obvious reasons, but there's tons of places very close by where you can get a good look at the monster safely and without getting done for trespassing. It really is one of the biggest structures of its type in the UK!

[retrotecchie]

@theunknowntech

Not been to Droitwich but have been to a couple of their other sites. Droitwich is a beast, that's for sure. Their ELF stuff in Cumbria is pretty impressive too. They still transmit Loran - C on 60kHz from there but not much use for navigation as they shut down the rest of the chain. I know you are a busy bunny, but if you ever have a spare five minutes, have a look at Web based SDR radio...there's some fun stuff to be discovered in LW and below. I can even receive and decode RTS!

[Crunchie66]

Originally Posted by JS9719

Good Evening All,

I'm hoping someone may be able to assist as I really have not been able to get anywhere with customer service via telephone or email, no one seems to understand what meter I have or what times the different rates are active.

I am currently living in a rented flat with an old 'Heatwise' meter with which powers storage heaters.
This meter has 4 readings.
(A1) is for my 24hr usage on the ring main.
(B1) is a 'Boost' function designed to give an hour of power to the immersion heater (I've never used the boost button)
(B2) is my evening/overnight reading linked to the storage heaters&immersion only
(B3) is an afternoon period linked to the storage heaters&immersion only.


From my research, I understand that all of the 'B' rates are the heatwise side of the meter, and these would have all been charged at the off-peak rate.
My A reading is a standard meter linked to a standard tarif.

I have only lived in this flat for a few months, and I understand that heatwise is no longer an active tarif. Instead, EON have put me on a standard tarif for the A readings, and an economy7 tarif for the B readings.
This is not suitable, as I am being charged a peak rate for the B2 reading where the storage heaters come on automatically in the afternoon. I have no control over this as they switched on by the meter as this was traditionally an off peak time.

I have tried to explain this at length with customer service but no one understands the meter I have, and no one can explain when it cuts in and out.

Surely I need to be on a tarif where all the B readings are off peak, like originally intended on heatwise?
I also suggested switching to an economy 7 meter, but apparently it is not as simple as that.

Any help much appreciated. I cannot continue with the storage heaters kicking in the afternoon on a peak rate.

theunknowntech I understand you may know a bit on this topic

Thank you
Joe

You need to request a smart meter, but make sure it is a true E7 5 leg meter - the 5th leg only controls your heating circuits so is dead outside the E7 times. Your storage heaters then only come on in the E7 off peak hours, you will lose your afternoon boost. The rest of your electricity will be on E7 too. If you don't use enough power in the off peak time you may be better off on a flat rate tariff.

We have been in a similar position. It took 6 months and the ombudsman to get us precisely nowhere. EonNext simply won't admit they still have customers on these old tariffs, or on E10. They have, of course. So an E7 or flat rate meter is your only way forward. It doesn't take hours to install and you don't need an electrician there when they do it.

[PeterS]

Originally Posted by Crunchie66

It took 6 months and the ombudsman to get us precisely nowhere. EonNext simply won't admit they still have customers on these old tariffs, or on E10. They have, of course.

My neighbour has a similar problem.

He was on the old Northern Electric Board npower 'SuperTariff' for his storage heating - basically 7 hours overnight with a 2 hour boost in the afternoon (on a complex meter with 2 mpans).

When Eon.next took over from npower, they simply moved his 'heat' readings from 'Supertariff' to single rate NetFlex SVR as they said they didn't offer 'SuperTariff' and had no obligation to do so. The Ombudsman Service backed them up saying they couldn't force Eon.Next to offer a similar tariff to 'SuperTariff' and they could move him onto any tariff they deemed suitable. Their view of a suitable tariff being the flat rate SVR - Netflex!

To add insult to injury they won't change his complex meter for a smart meter as they keep saying they do not have a smart meter compatible with his current meter settings. Again this went to the Ombudsman Service who again came down on the side of Eon.next. Basically saying if Eon.next can't change his complex meter then he is stuck with it.

It really is a scandal and the Ombudsman Service are really useless as I don't think they undestand the position those on complex meters are in.

My neighbour is now getting into a real mess with his heating and billing. I am having to read his meter for him (He is on the PSR and NPower used to send a meter reader quarterly as he can't read his meter as he is nearly blind, however Eon.next do not seem to want to send a meter reader). He then has to ring up with his readings as his online account won't accept his complex meter readings (4 readings of which one is always 00000).

It really is a mess and neither Eon.next or the Ombudsman Service seems to be doing anything to help those on legacy systems.

[Crunchie66]

@PeterS I'm sorry about your neighbour. He may have to accept defeat and have an E7 meter fitted. He will lose the afternoon boost but pay a much lower night rate than his old tariff. He could consider switching to EDF as their night rate is lower at least in some regions. If EDF will fit him an E7 smart meter he won't have to deal with EonNext at all to do it.

[PeterS]

Originally Posted by Crunchie66

@PeterS I'm sorry about your neighbour. He may have to accept defeat and have an E7 meter fitted. He will lose the afternoon boost but pay a much lower night rate than his old tariff. He could consider switching to EDF as their night rate is lower at least in some regions. If EDF will fit him an E7 smart meter he won't have to deal with EonNext at all to do it.

Thanks @Crunchie66

He has tried that, but EDF do not support the old North East Electric Board region for SuperTariff for new customers now. They do for E10 etc, just not SuperTariff!

I agree E7 seems the only option for him.

It just smacks of Eon.next riding roughshod over their customers by not supporting tariffs that were available before Eon.next subsumed npower. It was after all an RWE business decision to move npower customers to eon.next, not one imposed on them by the regulator or as a 'supplier of last resort' etc. Eon.next seem to have used it as a reason to jettison legacy tariffs.