Storage Heater/ Economy 7 Question

[cupotee2]

Can anyone explain this situation to me please.

We have Electric Storage heaters. Two have been turned off for a couple of weeks but I switched them on again 2 nights ago but they were stone cold in the morning.

I didn't have time to do anything about it until this afternoon. Checked fuses etc but nothing seemed amiss.

Switched them on again expecting / hoping they would heat overnight as per usual. No..they started to heat right away. Many hours before the time for the Economy 7 setting.

Does anyone understand how Economy 7 can work "out of hours".

They are automatic and as far as we can see there is no way to alter the timing on them.

Thanks for reading

[RATTER15]

Are you sure that the heaters weren't just releasing heat as opposed to charging during the day. Do you understand the function of the two knobs on the heater clearly.

[ladyalex]

Check your meter and see if you can see the timing device.
Ours got stuck once and the storage heater came on at odd times. It is such a long time ago that I cannot remember what we did...sorry....
You may have to contact your power company for help.

[Old_Geezer]

Can you websearch for a user guide on how they work and are set up ?

[Maydup]

Its possible that the clock has gone wrong on the meter. Can you go to it and see what time it gives?

If the clock is correct then phone the supplier and report it, as the low power is being deliverd at the wrong time. Make the most of it and use your appliances during that time until its fixed!

[Hopkirk]

Some heaters have a daytime boost feature, where you can get extra heat at full price electricity for very cold days.

I suspect the instant heat you got was from this.

[cupotee2]

Thank you all for your input.

Hopkirk I think what you mean is the Economy 10 where you get an afternoon boost. We don't have that.

So, I got round to ringing e-on today who are going to install a new meter in a couple of weeks.

Meantime as its turned mighty cold even tho its June 1st..I put them on again this afternoon waiting to see if the problem was still there. Yes it is we have hot heaters now where as they aren't meant to switch over to economy 7 for another hour.

Many thanks.

[Quizproquo]

Economy 7 is meant to store energy overnight and release it in the day, so in theory you should turn on your tap at 4pm and get hot water, that is unless you have used it all already,
Same applies for heating, if you turn your radiator on you will release stored heat until it's topped up again overnight.
I was rubbish at understanding it when I first had it and it cost me a fortune. I would never have it again.

[cupotee2]

Thanks Quizproquo

I know how to use it, but for some reason the heat is being stored from later afternoon rather than overnight.

We have no choice as the apartment is all electric. We had new modern heaters installed when we moved in over 9 years ago. They suit us just fine, with other back up should the weather be exceptionally cold.

Hopefully the new meter will sort out the timing again.

[Hypognosis]

@cupotee2

The last time I had Economy 7, the entire thing was under radio control and a small box, next to the meters would emit a loud "k-clack" noise, late at night.

Due to a sleep disorder, I would often catch this thing switching back to full price electricity at 3am. I challenged my electricity provider about this and, whilst the telephone operator said this was 'normal' under contract terms and to discourage the widespread use of washing machines at night (a known fire hazard, alledgedly), the practice ceased, soon after.

The storage radiator only had two controls: a charging rate control and a vent control. It had a switch on its wall socket (30Amp grade) so I could cut its power if I felt it was charging on full-rate electricity.

The point of explaining this is that there was no "clock" attached to my electrics, in that house. It was all remotely controlled by a radio signal, sent locally. The provider said that switchover timings are "flexible", town by town and depend upon both local demand and the state of the national grid, in general. The transition from the household's use of a few lights, a TV, a computer to one or two multi-kilowatt storage heaters needs to be carefully timed.