Double check your night rate starting time

yankinlk · 26-03-2023 7:44pm #1

Edited!

I looked up the EI night rate today and found its 1am in winter and 2am in summer for norther ireland.

https://www.electricireland.com/residential/help/billing/i-have-a-day-night-meter-what-time-does-the-night-rate-start

Down here its:

Day/Night Timetable: Day (winter): 08.00- 23.00, night (winter): 23.00- 08.00, Day (summer): 09.00 – 24.00, night (summer): 24.00 – 09.00

Be sure to check your setup and adjust accordingly!!

graememk · 26-03-2023 7:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058289881/double-check-your-night-rate-starting-time

Northern Ireland! That's the economy 7

Glaceon · 26-03-2023 7:50pm

My family had day/night 30 years ago and it was the same back then, the timer doesn’t take daylight saving into account.

bullit_dodger · 26-03-2023 7:54pm

Interesting.

Didn't think it was possible with the old D/N meters as they work on just two registers which doesn't log the time (the meter itself always stay on UTC all the year round) and it doesn't facilitate knowing if you used electricity between midnight and 2am.

Could it be simply a mistake on behalf of the person who wrote the HTML page? E.g. if you changed providers the meter wouldn't change, so how would it/they know that you are on a 00:00 -> 09:000 taffif then? Seems dubious to me.

yankinlk · 26-03-2023 7:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120403925#Comment_120403925

Thanks edited and fixed!

Redlim · 26-03-2023 8:23pm

Also worth checking the actual time that your meter is displaying. My day/night meter clock is somehow 25 mins slow so I have to schedule my EV charging for 00:25 - 09:25 for the summer. Same applies for winter but it's 23:05 - 08:25.

If I hadn't spotted the incorrect time then I'd be paying full day rate for about 3 kWh at the start of each charging session.

micks_address · 27-03-2023 1:39pm

smart meters included?

27-03-2023 1:48pm

I think I read on here before that the start time for night rate metres was set differently. Metre to metre to avoid sudden surges in the grid which would happen if they were all set to the same time?

So this is the case. It shouldn't matter. If your metre is 20 minutes ahead or behind of the night rate times.

bullit_dodger · 27-03-2023 2:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120406694#Comment_120406694

Very true, you'll still get your 9 hrs - but if someone was unaware that their clock might be (say) 20-30 minutes off, they might be setting their washing machine to kick off at 23:05 or so and then paying day rate to heat the water.

Worse if they are charging batteries etc thinking they are doing it at night time, but in reality paying day rates :-(

Muahahaha · 27-03-2023 3:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120404059#Comment_120404059

Email ESB networks and they will come out and reset the timer for free. Mine was almost 30 minutes after 11pm, I got sick of waiting till then to turn on washing machine, dishwasher etc for the night rate plus I wait till they are finished their cycle before going to bed (fire risk) so I was going to bed later than I had to. The engineer took about 10 days to come out and he stuck it back to the correct time of 11pm.

Redlim · 27-03-2023 3:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120407271#Comment_120407271

It actually doesn't really bother me. I might even prefer it that way as I tend to time the dishwasher and washing machine for the morning so I can supervise them then. Those extra 25 mins are handy in the morning for that.

Chris_5339762 · 27-03-2023 3:59pm

We have a day/night and I make sure my charging is done between say 1am and 3am, that way it works in both summer and winter!

Muahahaha · 27-03-2023 4:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120407349#Comment_120407349

fair enough, it works in your favour using appliances in the morning so no point getting it fixed given you can automate the EV charging for a specific time

the_amazing_raisin · 27-03-2023 8:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120406694#Comment_120406694

Tbh, I don't think it's that well thought out

Grid balancing is somehow a very exact and science and also total guesswork at times

Basically they're just forecasting demand and making sure there's enough generating capacity available to meet that demand, otherwise bad stuff happens

By bad stuff I mean anything from a localised blackout to the whole island being put back to a preindustrial society (not entirely exaggerating with that last one)

As long as the grid operator knows that everyone is going to switch their dishwasher on at the same time they can plan ahead for it

the_amazing_raisin · 27-03-2023 8:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120407355#Comment_120407355

I've a similar system, the cars are set to charge from 1am to 8am, so I don't need to mess around with the start times when the hour changes

Although recently I've only been charging the ID.4 from night rate at weekends, I'm getting enough solar to cover my daily drive 😁

slave1 · 28-03-2023 5:14pm

My D/N meter is a static 9 minutes off, I set all my devices around this with a 10minute time shift

Ginger83 · 01-04-2023 10:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120404059#Comment_120404059

What would be the best way to check and test this?

Redlim · 01-04-2023 10:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120429487#Comment_120429487

Just have a look at your meter. If it's a modern meter with a digital screen you might need to press the button a couple of times till it brings up the time.

graememk · 01-04-2023 10:14pm

Look at your meter and press the button until the time comes up, It will be 1 hour behind now

Ginger83 · 01-04-2023 10:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120429507#Comment_120429507

Yes it was a digital meter fitted around 2012. Will it show the set times?

Redlim · 01-04-2023 10:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120429524#Comment_120429524

You just need to check the time on the meter and see if it matches the time on your watch/phone, i.e. that it matches the current time. If it's not matching then adjust the time you start your appliances etc by the time difference.

Double check your night rate starting time

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