# Dual rate electricity meter weirdness **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 4, 2012, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dual-rate-electricity-meter-weirdness/636680 "2012-10-04T12:42:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dual-rate-electricity-meter-weirdness/636680/1 "2012-10-04T12:42:30Z")
I am on an “Economy 7” electricity tariff, which provides cheaper power for 7 hours at night. (The trade-off is that power during the day is a bit expensive than standard, but it makes sense for me as I have electric storage heaters that come on at night.) According to my electricity supplier, the off-peak tariff should run from 11.30pm-6.30am GMT (that is, 12.30am-7.30am during summer time), but it can vary “slightly”. A few months ago, I started to notice that the meter was showing the cheap rate in the evenings, around 8 or 9pm, which presumably meant it was going back to the higher rate much earlier, too. I try to run appliances eg dishwasher, washing machine, tumble drier, overnight on a timer, so I was a bit concerned that they might be using the wrong rate. Recently, the timings seem completely random - a few days ago it was on cheap rate all day, from about 9am, then it was back to night time but not the correct times. It totally has a mind of its own. I’ve called the electric company and someone is coming to look at the meter, but does anyone know how this can happen? When I first reported the problem, they told me that a signal comes down the power line to change the metering tariff, so the whole neighbourhood will switch at the same time. How do these things work? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dual-rate-electricity-meter-weirdness/636680/2 "2012-10-04T12:54:09Z")
You might do some random Googling of Smart Grid or Smart Meters, but I don’t know the answer to your quesiton. What I would recommend is that you contact your state’s utility commission. They take matters like that pretty seriously (of course, if the power company takes care of it for you, then all’s well that ends well). ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dual-rate-electricity-meter-weirdness/636680/3 "2012-10-04T13:03:09Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > You might do some random Googling of Smart Grid or Smart Meters, but I don’t know the answer to your quesiton. What I would recommend is that you contact your state’s utility commission. They take matters like that pretty seriously (of course, if the power company takes care of it for you, then all’s well that ends well). Sorry didn’t make it clear in my post but I am in the UK. I’m wondering how long this has been going on without me noticing. I do keep a record of meter readings using a phone app, so if they do fix the meter times I should be able to see the effect on my bills and hopefully claim a rebate… ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dual-rate-electricity-meter-weirdness/636680/4 "2012-10-04T13:36:41Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > I have electric storage heaters that come on at night. What is an electric storage heater, a space heater run in a storage space? ---
**Author:** ![Silophant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Silophant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silophant)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dual-rate-electricity-meter-weirdness/636680/5 "2012-10-04T13:52:43Z")
[Storage heaters.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storage_heater) Essentially, a mass of clay bricks or water or something like that is heated at night, when electricity is cheaper, then continues to radiate heat all day. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dual-rate-electricity-meter-weirdness/636680/6 "2012-10-04T14:45:01Z")
> [@Silophant](#): > > [Storage heaters.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storage_heater) Essentially, a mass of clay bricks or water or something like that is heated at night, when electricity is cheaper, then continues to radiate heat all day. Yes. They’re not a brilliant heating solution, as they tend to run out of stored heat by the evening, which is just when you often want some extra warmth. However we don’t have gas for central heating, and it is relatively economical as far as electric heating goes. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dual-rate-electricity-meter-weirdness/636680/7 "2012-10-04T15:22:05Z")
Cool, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dual-rate-electricity-meter-weirdness/636680/8 "2012-10-04T16:12:45Z")
Sorry I can’t give you an answer but you’ve got me thinking. Fairly recently my power supplier noticed that my old mechanical economy-7 meter was reading 24/7 at the lower off-peak/night-time rate and so I now have a shiny new digital meter. I’m not entirely sure which rate is which on the new meter but it says I’m using about 55%- 45% of rate one vs rate two. Deep breath, the story continues… I recently had a letter from aforesaid\* supplier ominously tagged _credibility_, asking me for morning and evening ‘daytime’ readings. I guess they still don’t trust the meter, or think I’m siphoning off some of the juice? I only used two units (OK, I’m a frugal bloke) but they appeared to be off-peak rate, that is R2 on the meter, R1 didn’t change through the day. So maybe the meter is wired the _wrong way round_? But if it is and they fix it I will actually be better off since I use more R1 anyway? Anyhow, my results might well be because my meter is acting like yours. > [@Colophon](#): > > How do these things work? My old meter was sort of clockwork, it had a revolving disk that physically switched\*\* circuits. The new digital one I have no idea. I’ll have a peek at it when I get home, maybe it does display what it’s up to? \*[Miranda Hart]Aforesaid… aforesaid… aforesaid… oh I’ve said it too much now![/Miranda Hart] \*\* except that apparently it didn’t 🙂