Off peak/stored heat tariff doesn't come on

[Kizzmish]

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone might have some insight into a dilemma I'm having with my electric. I have an electric only flat supplied by SSE. The tariff is Super deal so we have three rate: Day, Night and Stored Heat. The stored heat is supposed to give us 7 hours of cheap electric to run the storage heaters and also an immersion water heater.

Since we moved in last September we haven't been able to use the storage heaters as storage heaters - they don't work. And we haven't been able to use the immersion element in the bottom of the water tank that's supposed to only come on during the 'stored heat' hours.

The top heater element which just comes off day/night rate works. And the storage heaters have a convection boost facility which also works on day/night rate.

The storage heaters and the immersion heater are on a separate bit in the fuse box, so I assume a separate circuit?

Reported the heaters not working to the landlord. He got the Electrician out, who said there was no fault in the property and to contact SSE. SSE told us it was a wiring fault and to get an electrician in to fix it. We went back and forth for months. Finally SSE agreed to come out and fit a new meter.

We now have a new meter, and the landlord's electrician claims there are no faults in the property... but still the storage heaters don't work as storage heaters (which I don't mind in this heat wave but I did mind in January) and the cheap rate immersion heater doesn't work meaning we're paying to heat water at Day Rate unless we remember to switch off the top heating element during the day and then turn it back on over night which is a bit of a nuisance.

Has anyone got any bright ideas of what we might be missing? Where are likely places to find a fault? Who should I be talking to- SSE or the landlord? I'm really at a loss.

Thank you all very much for any help you can provide. And let me know if I can clarify anything for you.

 

[OwainDIYer]

I can't see but it looks as as though a red wire has fallen out of your meter? Clearer photos of the entire meter/service intake area, and the consumer units, please.

 

[Kizzmish]

Hi,

The new meter was only installed this week and that red wire was never connected to it or the old meter. Just like the brown cable.

Hope these photos help?

 

[flameport]

Meter has the correct number of wires, but it may be that one or both of the disconnected red & black wires with taped ends are in fact the ones which supply the off peak circuits.

Other than that, the meter is not switching the off peak output (this is exceptionally unlikely, as it should have been tested when the meter was installed).

 

[crystal ball]

But why the 4 tails going up the conduit, either check the meter after 22 30 and see if the rate has changed from 1 to 2 or vice versa, or take meter readings for both rates and see if there is any change

 

[Taylortwocities]

@Kizzmish the problem with off-peak faults is that live testing has to be done in unsociable hours!
If you have a two probe Mains voltage tester, or a multimeter, you could firstly test if there is 230v appearing at the incomer of the off-peak part of your consumer unit.
This is only something you can undertake if you are comfortable working inside a consumed unit.

The alternative would be to invite a friendly local electrician to stay with you overnight to test it for you.

 

[Kizzmish]

@crystal ball - Rate 1 and Rate 2 have increased since the meter was installed. These are Day and Night. Rate 3 however has remained at 0. And never increased on the old meter from when we moved in.

@Taylortwocities - I have no idea what any of that means. So I think what I'm realising is I'm going to have to call the Landlord and get him and his electrician out again? But he'll say there's no fault as he spent hours here a few weeks ago "testing" things. Sadly I was at work so have no idea what was actually done. But this was during the day, not during the hours the Stored Heat tariff would be active.

 

[crystal ball]

Sounds to me its down to the landlord to sort anyway

 

[Kizzmish]

I was just hoping it was something that was obvious that we'd all just missed. The Landlord's electrician was adamant it was a meter fault. And now I have a new meter and still have the fault. I was really hopeful it was a meter fault as the cost of our electric since moving in has been ridiculous!

Thanks for your insight.

 

[JohnD]

You need to be there when it is checked, and preferably take some photos inside the CU when the cover is off.

It would be interesting if the landlord and his electrician can come up with an explanation for two cables not being connected to the supply, and all the off-peak circuits not working.

I can think of one.

 

[flameport]

with off-peak faults is that live testing has to be done in unsociable hours!

That particular meter has a temporary test function where if the power is disconnected from it and then reconnected, the orange button on the front can be used to switch the different outputs on and off for about 5 minutes.

 

[winston1]

I was just hoping it was something that was obvious that we'd all just missed. The Landlord's electrician was adamant it was a meter fault. And now I have a new meter and still have the fault. I was really hopeful it was a meter fault as the cost of our electric since moving in has been ridiculous!

Thanks for your insight.

Sounds as if your landlord needs another electrician.

If he is not enclined to do that with holding rent might focus his/her mind.

 

[333rocky333]

If you have a two probe Mains voltage tester, or a multimeter, you could firstly test if there is 230v appearing at the incomer of the off-peak part of your consumer unit.

Is that off peak part via its own RCD main switch although not 100 percent proof it would be worth pressing the TEST button during OFF peak hours, it may give some idea if theres power, without the need to remove the cover it should trip off when pushed

 

[333rocky333]

Is it just me, I dont see how that main switch could do as it says on the label "For ALL circuits" now we also have these dual rcd boards with a single main switch, it seems to be so easy to work on one of these dual supply boards, thinking the main switch has totally isolated the board, when it has not, should there not be a warning label on the cover.

 

[Kizzmish]

Thanks for all your suggestions everyone.

Today we have hot water and heating! The landlord came back out to talk it through with us. And he decided to do some investigating of his own, rather than just leave it to the Electrician.

Turns out there was no fuse in the socket for the water heater element. So that was never going to work... Not sure how no one noticed that in almost a year but... never mind!

Replaced it.

Now everything works. Hot water and storage heaters. No one is really sure why the heaters didn't work because of a fuse in the water tank but.. problem solved!

The mind baffles.