Night rate/Day time rate: time different every day

lucalux

Hiya I'm just wondering about why the time of my meter switching over from day rate to night rate, or vice versa, would vary by a few minutes every day?

It used to be exact at 10 minutes past the hour, but had the meter switched out to a smart meter a few months ago. Since then it's on the hour-ish, but it varies by as much as 10 minutes each day

example:

00:00 one night

00:04 the next night

same with the mornings, but I'm not here as much in the mornings in summer time so I've not been keeping track of it as such

Anything weird about that? Just seems it shouldn't be varying, especially with a new meter!

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058352660/night-rate-day-time-rate-time-different-every-day

Hi, how do you see this change-over happening, is it just by looking at the ESBn downloaded data or are you looking at the meter itself?

There might be a diversity setting applied somewhere so that not all meters cut-over at exactly the same second - certainly that used to be done with individual apartments within blocks running off electrical heating - it would be done to prevent spikes on the local grid, but I don't know how that would apply to a smart meter… tell us more.

CrazyEric

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122168700#Comment_122168700

It wouldn't make any difference with meters, the load doesn't change so no need for diversity settings, I am wondering if it is random time snapshots i.e. it switches over at 00:00 but the next " snapshot " of your usage is at 00:04…

drury..

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122175984#Comment_122175984

What does your first sentence mean

Are you talking about grid or installation load

They both change when extra load kicks in at night

It's hard to understanding the point you're making

CrazyEric

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122179165#Comment_122179165

The old storage heating set up was that it was brought on when night rate was activated, thus causing a sudden spike in usage so in order to lessen that surge they could be set at a few different minutes past the actual official time. Smart meters just change the rate you are being charged not the actual load.

Borys22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058352660/night-rate-day-time-rate-time-different-every-day

Hi, I have a feeling we may have a similar problem. I moved to the apartment block with the storage heaters. I have noticed in November that the heaters come up 4 minutes every day. It took weeks for the ESB Network Ireland to send the technician. The 'switch' (night/day) is located in the same box where the meters are. The switch was reset in February. That made the problem even worse. The day had 23 hrs instead of 24 (LOL), meaning the night time tariff was kicking in every day 1 hr earlier. Although it may feel like it is beneficial sometimes, it creates a constant chase with the time, as all is affected by it, hot water tank setting, cooking, washing, etc.

The switch was reset again in July (2 weeks ago). Still, no luck, it keeps changing every day.

The problem became even bigger now, when the old meter has been replaced by the new - smart meter. The ESB confirmed today, what I suspected, that the new meter is not linked to the 'switch'. It means that if not resolved, I will be overcharged for the time when the storage heating is in use.

Currently, there is one ticket logged with ESB since January, with emails going back and forward, and at least 8 different people are already involved on their side. And, what is even worse, they do not read other emails in the thread.

I have attached the photo of the 'time switch', well there are two for my block. The left is wrong, the right is correct (for different apartments). They both should be same, and correct.

Hope your problem is less complicated, but apparently this is 'common' issue. I think the Electric Ireland has on their website a note like this: 'if your storage heating turns on at different times, contact the ESB network'

They had to have a good reason to put an advise like this, don't you think?