E7 digital meter to single rate smart meter and RTS box removal

  • andyelcomb's Avatar
    Level 2
    Good morning all,
    We are considering giving in to the many requests for us to have a smart electricity meter.
    Before we do that though we have a few questions that unfortunately direct emails to E-on have not answered, so...

    Current situation is that the house used to use E7 storage heaters so has a large RTS box in with the meter and fuseboard. Single supply cable comes into the house and is then split with one feed into the RTS box and then to the meter and the other direct to the meter (I think). The old night rate circuit is just used for other regular parts of the house circuits. Nothing gets switched on or off at night - whole house works just the same whatever the time.

    We no longer have storage heaters and have no use for a dual circuit, so we are now on the same rate for day & night readings from the digital meter. That's OK, but we would prefer to just change it to a single reading with no day/night rate elements anywhere.
    That means removal of the the RTS box and change from the dual rate meter to a single rate meter.

    However when we ask the question "What gets removed?" we are only told that whoever fits the smart meter will remove the old one and we don't get an answer about the RTS box and other gubbins. We are also told that it's not a problem if we still get day & night readings as they are on the same rate - but we would like to move completely away from that method and free up some space in the cupboard.

    Q1 - will the RTS box and other splitting connectors be removed along with the digital meter?
    Q2 - If we insist, can the smart meter be a single rate one that is connected directly (or at least through a simple UKPN fused connector)?

    Photo below showing mains power in at the very bottom - fed to bulky 4 tail (3 grey, 1 blue) UKPN fused connector - then split 1 grey, 1 blue to RTS box and then rest to the dual rate meter in top left and away to fuseboard on left.

    Does that make sense?

    Andy

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  • 7 Replies

  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    @andyelcomb

    No reason why that can't or won't be changed to a single rate meter and the RTS gubbins removed.
    Don't shoot me, I'm only the piano player. I DON'T work for or on behalf of EON.Next, but am willing to try and help if I can. Not on mains gas, mobile network or mains drainage. House heated almost entirely by baby dragons.
  • andyelcomb's Avatar
    Level 2
    @retrotecchie thanks.
    Do you know how best we insist on single rate?
    I'm sure if we just book an appointment they will replace the 2-rate meter with a similar smart meter.
    I presume that they will have to amend our billing details anyway as the new meter will have a different serial number, so would it be exactly the same if fitting a single rate meter?
    We were with Symbio who intimated that there would be a charge to completely change the type of supply, but I can't see it's anything more than changing the main connections in from the UKPN supply and fit a single rate meter with a single feed to the main fusebox?
  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    @andyelcomb

    If both your day and night readings have the same tariff, you are effectively on single rate already.

    Swapping for a single rate meter should not be a problem, but customer services will need to tweak your account so it only displays the one standard unit rate and the account allows you to submit a single reading manually.
  • DebF_EONNext's Avatar
    Community Team
    Hey @andyelcomb,

    Lovely to meet you! Like @retrotecchie has said you would just need to get in touch with customer service and this could be done no problem when you are having your smart meter booked in.

    Like Retrotecchie mentioned, if you wanted to keep E7 in case you decided to have storage heaters installed again in future we could place you on a flat rate e7 tariff which would mean you are charged at the same rate for day and night 😊

    Please come back and let us know how you get on!
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  • andyelcomb's Avatar
    Level 2
    Good morning all,

    Got round to asking Customer Services about changing to single rate at same time as having a smart meter installed.

    Disappointed to receive the following reply:
    "A meter exchange is free, however a meter downgrade from duel rate to single rate is a chargeable job at £157.86. We usually advise if you do not use much on the night, continue with the free exchange like for like and go onto a a single rate tariff."

    Seems a bit much when surely the only changes to be made are paperwork ones? Can't imagine the meter installation would be significantly different?

    Any advice on this would be appreciated.
    Andy


    Hey @andyelcomb,

    Lovely to meet you! Like @retrotecchie has said you would just need to get in touch with customer service and this could be done no problem when you are having your smart meter booked in.

    Like Retrotecchie mentioned, if you wanted to keep E7 in case you decided to have storage heaters installed again in future we could place you on a flat rate e7 tariff which would mean you are charged at the same rate for day and night 😊

    Please come back and let us know how you get on!
  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    @andyelcomb

    You have a dual rate meter. They will replace it with a dual rate meter. This is to do with the Supply Number (MPAN) which means that the meter will need to be swapped for one that has the same Time Profile Code.

    But panic not. Once the meter is swapped, the account can be tweaked so that both day and night rates are charged at the same flat rate.

    So have the meter swapped. Then contact Customer services to have the account changed.
  • andyelcomb's Avatar
    Level 2
    @retrotecchie thanks for your advice.
    We are already on the same rate for day & night so its not the end of the world if it stay the same as before.
    Was just rather hoping we could get the MPAN changed to a "1" code rather than the current "2" code - and for free!

    We'll probably just get a dual rate smart meter and be done with it.

    Thanks again, Andy