[Kodak]

@retrotecchie
Thank you so, so much. I'm lost for words.

[meldrewreborn]

@Kodak

While you say Eon Next haven't been of much help, as @retrotechhie has explained yours isn't an RTS setup, and everything downstream of the meter(s) is your responsibility and entirely within your gift to organise as you wish. I call things as I see them and feel that perhaps you're expectation of Eon Next were a tad too high in respect of a meter change, although they have long persisted with a charging regime which is clearly wrong and they haven't done too much to resolve that, have they?

At least Eon Next facilitate this forum, which you concede has been a great deal of help in advising you on the way forward.

Ovo has a similar forum, but I'm not sure whether any of the other big 6 does.

[Kodak]

@meldrewreborn
My criticism of eON is mostly down to the poor communication over the meter changes.

Their call centre had on my record that my complex meters were to be changed, but they hadn't told me about it.

I found out about the need to change the meters and their March deadline only when I raised a query about the naming of my tariff when I called to give a meter reading.

To date, they still haven't formally told me, though the call centre operator did write and send me an explanation when I asked for details.

Had I not raised the query that led to the discovery, I may still be unaware that they planned to change the meters.

Having said that, I was told by eON.Next that they would install an appropriate meter once I had my side of the supply sorted, and thanks to the help and advice I've received from yourself and @retrotecchie, I'm confident that the changes will work.

[retrotecchie]

@Kodak

I've had a look at your photos and here's my thinking.

The two existing meters need replacing with a single E7 smart meter. Simples.

The two Henley blocks need to be repurposed to split the output from the meter. That gives the usual Live and Neutral feeds to the existing larger consumer unit. No problem. There seems to be a two pole isolator feeding that second Contactum consumer unit which looks like your heating supply. The unit has been marked with a big red cross in your photo, so I assume that consumer unit is redundant. If so, we're onto a winner.

All the gubbins from there (apart from the RCD on the right) can be replaced. A single 40A MCB for heating and a 6A MCB for control can be fitted in there along with a 63A contactor. If those MCBs already exist, they can be repurposed The heaters are fed from the contactor which is controlled by a Honeywell controller and optional thermostat. Controller is powered from that 6A breaker and the heating demand line controls the input to the contactor.

Because the output from the meter is permanently Live, the heating is available any time of day or night, but obviously you run the heaters for 7 hours on the cheap rate and you can have a boost period whenever you need it on the normal day rate.

Any competent electrician should be able to work it out from my description.

Repurposing the Contactum box and reusing any breakers won't cost anything, a 63A two pole contactor is around £20-30 (like this one), a Honeywell or similar programmer is about £60 and if you need the optional thermostat, add an extra £50. A bit of triple and earth cable to run the controller (Live, Earth, Neutral and Heating Call) and a run of twin and earth for the stat if needed....not a massive job 👍

[Kodak]

@retrotecchie
Thank you for all of your help. It is very much appreciated.

I'll pass your guidance on to my electrician to ensure the setup they install functions correctly, and I'll arrange with eON.Next to have the meters switched once everything is in place.

Your help has lifted a weight from my mind. Thank you.

[Kodak]

Hi, an update after installation of the single E7 smart meter that replaced the complex config.

The household circuits run OK on the E7, but the supply to the storage heaters is a problem.

The previous setup had an afternoon boost to the heating and it was supposed to be possible to recreate it via the timer I'd have fitted on my side of the board.

This was supposed to be possible because the 4 tail E7 Smart Meter was supposed switch between tariffs, but deliver power all day to all connected circuits, including the storage heaters, and the timer would manage the times these would switch on/off.

Now the new smart meter is installed, it manages the supply to the heaters, turning them on and off overnight. There is no supply during the day to the heating so it cannot be switched on using a timer as required/intended.

Also worth noting that even though I've explained ad nauseum to Eon Next that the system is not RTS, they insisted it was and that they must change it.

Now I have a Smart Meter I didn't want that delivers a basic E7 supply that's not suitable.

I've raised it as a complaint with Eon Next.

In the meantime, I've a question regarding the setup on my side of the board.

What changes, if possible, would I need to make to configure the E7 Smart Meter supply so that it feeds the storage heaters 24/7 via my timer so I can restore the afternoon boost via my timers?

[meldrewreborn]

@Kodak
@retrotecchie is the guy for this but in the interim.......

I think you are describing a 5 tail smart meter that is feeding the heaters overnight from the switched 5Th tail.

Whereas what you would like is a split feed from the normal permanently live tail, into a timing device which would activate your heaters according to your own schedule, nightime @ cheaper rate and a boost @ peak pricing in the afternoon, or possibly an additional feed via your timer into the heating fuse box - I've no idea what conforms to regulations though.

Over to @retrotecchie

As an aside, while you are used to the afternoon boost, have you considered adding 1 or 2 additional modern thermostatic control storage heaters instead? Running costs would be much lower.

[Kodak]

I'd specifically asked for a 4 tail smart meter to be installed. I did so with eOn Next, twice, and with the installer who said it was a 4 pole meter.

If they've installed a 5 tail, it's not what they said they'd do and means they ignored me.

The image I've attached is of the meter they installed. I'm not an expert, but it appears to have 5 tails.

[meldrewreborn]

@Kodak

Agreed - it looks like 5 tails, and I presume one of the live tails goes to you heating fuse box.

[retrotecchie]

Yep...I concur. Not what was required which is a four tail meter and a separate contactor that could be driven by conventional heating controls to give seven hours off-peak plus on peak boost wherever needed.

But trying to get them to come and replace a five tail with the appropriate four tail will be a bit of a fight with Customer Services.

But I agree that separate non-storage thermostatic heaters to effect a boost, run from the regular sockets or even a dedicated circuit from the conventional consumer unit would be a workaround.

My company usually deals with police and military training facilities but already I'm booking in jobs to reconfigure old 'legacy' complex heating systems for domestic clients that have been stuffed with an improper meter replacement!