Loud bang sound when economy 7 meter switches over.

[eveares]

My grandparents live a bungalow with modern central heating that has a economy 7/dual tariff meter that according to them is making a loudish bang sound when it switches over at night and in the morning.

Note that they do not have any storage heaters or any other high night time loads and only the main consumer unit connected up to the meter. The economy 7 is simply left over and still active from the previous owners of the bungalow.

Now their meter is simply a 2-rate meter with a LCD display. Now I presume the sound is some sort of switch/contractor in side the meter that is making the sound, but is it supposed to be loud/very noticeable?

Also, is their any benefit of them being on a dual rate tariff?

 

[stillp]

If the sound is coming from the meter, that would worry me. They're also paying extra for their daytime usage on Economy 7, which is not generally worthwhile unless their night-time usage is more than 10% of their total usage. I suggest they contact their supplier and ask to come off E7, which will probably result in the meter being changed.

 

[JohnW2]

If the sound is coming from the meter, that would worry me.

True. However, I would add that my E7 system (I think the timeswitch, rather than the meter) makes an incredibly loud 'clunk' (which can be heard two or three rooms away) when it switches - and has done so for 25+ years.

They're also paying extra for their daytime usage on Economy 7, which is not generally worthwhile unless their night-time usage is more than 10% of their total usage. I suggest they contact their supplier and ask to come off E7, which will probably result in the meter being changed.

I agree. With most suppliers (certainly mine), you need at least 30%-35% of total usage to be at 'night rate' before E7 ceases to be more expensive than a standard 'single' tariff.

Kind Regards, John

 

[stillp]

My bills have reduced since coming off E7, in spite of the fact that we used to only use the dishwasher and tumble drier at night.

 

[JohnW2]

My bills have reduced since coming off E7, in spite of the fact that we used to only use the dishwasher and tumble drier at night.

I'm not sure I understand the "in spite of only using ..." - I would have thought it was "because of only using ...". A DW and dryer are surely never going to use 30%+ of your daily total.

Kind Regards, John

 

[PBC_1966]

However, I would add that my E7 system (I think the timeswitch, rather than the meter) makes an incredibly loud 'clunk' (which can be heard two or three rooms away) when it switches - and has done so for 25+ years.

Indeed - I had E7 for years at my last home in England and the sound of the contactor opening and closing could be heard a couple of rooms away when it was very quiet at night. As you say though, more of a loud "clunk" than a "bang," but people's descriptions of sounds can differ somewhat! With an older mechanical meter you can also hear the sound of the solenoid switching over the drive, but that's much quieter.

 

[phatboy]

Is it possibly a contacter very close to the meter? I had one in my CU as it was dual tariff, and also a BX2000 unit for the hot water. Both made quite a noise when they switched in or out

 

[stillp]

My bills have reduced since coming off E7, in spite of the fact that we used to only use the dishwasher and tumble drier at night.

I'm not sure I understand the "in spite of only using ..." - I would have thought it was "because of only using ...". A DW and dryer are surely never going to use 30%+ of your daily total.

Kind Regards, John

What I wrote is what I meant, but there are 2 ways of reading it! Perhaps I should have written "using the DW and dryer only at night". We have little else in the house that is high electrical power, except the WM and kettle.

 

[kai]

I had economy seven in a previous home, it sure did make a loud clunk, as the heavy duty contactors switched in and out accordingly.

 

[stillp]

Mine (dual-rate meter) was totally silent.

 

[JohnW2]

What I wrote is what I meant, but there are 2 ways of reading it! Perhaps I should have written "using the DW and dryer only at night".

Fair enough - we obviously read it in those two different ways!

We have little else in the house that is high electrical power, except the WM and kettle.

Again, fair enough - but I would be very envious if your total electricity usage were only about 3 times that attributable to (presumably, at most, for an hour or two per day) of a DW and dryer!

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

Indeed - I had E7 for years at my last home in England and the sound of the contactor opening and closing could be heard a couple of rooms away when it was very quiet at night. As you say though, more of a loud "clunk" than a "bang," but people's descriptions of sounds can differ somewhat! With an older mechanical meter you can also hear the sound of the solenoid switching over the drive, but that's much quieter.

That sounds very similar to what happens here - but, in my case, it really has to be the timeswitch making the noise. There's no contactor, the output from the timeswitch just being a 'signal' line to the electronic dual-tariff meter.

Kind Regards, John

 

[stillp]

Low energy lighting almost throughout, a couple of fairly modern TVs, fridge, freezer, my PC...
The DW and dryer both have eco modes, but can run for 4 hours or so.

 

[stillp]

My dual-tariff meter did not have a separate timeswitch.

 

[Iggifer]

The only dual tariff digital meters I've lived with have been totally silent - AIUI the new meters that only supply one board don't really need to any actual switching, they just switch over from counting rate 1 and begin to count rate 2.

I would get rid of the E7 asap, I've gotten rid of it everywhere I've lived that's had it (no storage heaters etc). If I recall, it works out 5p a unit more expensive in the day, and about 3 or 4p a unit cheaper at night to run E7 (Different suppliers may vary)