Issues with ENERGEX and AGL re: Tariff 33 Hot Water

uniqualz on 24/01/2017 - 11:39
Last edited 24/01/2017 - 11:41

Hi All,

I have two electricity meters at my house here in Brisbane - one on 'peak', one on 'offpeak'. The offpeak one (I presume for hot water) only ticks over 4 kwh in the 3 month billing period. The other one ticks over 2600 kwh in the same 3 months. I just got a new hot water system installed and because the ON-peak meter's red light flashed like crazy when he connected the new hw system, the guy said it was wired incorrectly to the PEAK meter, instead of the off-peak one, which I guess seems to make sense when the off-peak meter's only moved 4kwh in 3 months.

So, I asked Energex to come and check that their meters are wired in correctly, and they say it's not their issue, and won't come out. AGL say the same thing. I'd rather not pay for an electrician to come out if it's their fault, or not required.

Anyway, all I wondered was can anyone confirm that their 250litre hot water system for a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 teenage kids) should be drawing way more than 4kwh for 3 months? I'm worried it's hooked up to the on-peak meter and that's why that meter reads high.

Thanks,
Uniqualz

Home & Garden

Comments

  • Ferros on 24/01/2017 - 11:56
    +1

    Your hot water system should absolutely be using more than 4KWH for 3 months, even on tariff 33. The reason AGL and Energex won't help is because this is a screw up by your electrician. Energex is only responsible up to the meter, anything wired into the meter is your responsibility. Call your installer and advise of the error and they'll need to come out and rewire it.

  • djkelly69 on 24/01/2017 - 11:57
    +1

    I vaguely remember this was a dodgy builders or electricians (used to?) do - HWS is/was supposed to be hooked up to off-peak so that it only heats up during off-peak hours, but if you wire it to peak you can have your HWS heated at any time (and pay associated costs).

    I am not 100% on exactly how it works, but I think it is something like that.

    Can't you just ask the guy who came to wire up the HWS to move it to off-peak if you are happy with that?

    • uniqualz on 24/01/2017 - 12:46

      Thanks DJK. I also have two big reverse cycle air conditioners (which the family leaves running with all the doors/windows OPEN - just to p*** me off!!!). Those, and the HW unit seem to be the big expenses. So based on that old scam you mentioned above, can't I make my bill way cheaper by telling the electrician to rewire the HWater system AND those two airco units over onto the off-peak meter?

      • djkelly69 on 24/01/2017 - 13:03

        I honestly have no idea - this is just something I vaguely remember from about 20 years ago when my parents had a house built. Maybe someone else with actual electrical knowledge can chime in.

        Not sure what exactly peak or off-peak hours are, but might render the RCAC fairly useless if it only runs in the middle of the night.

        • uniqualz on 24/01/2017 - 13:07

          Oddly for us, we only use the airco at night anyway - the 10 year old son.. it's a looong story! :-D

      • PVA on 24/01/2017 - 13:09

        If you can do it why would you want your air cons only running at midnight and never during the day. Just hide the remotes and they can't turn them on, that's a cheap way of doing it.
        But I don't think you can have the air cons hard wired into off peak anyway.

  • nocure on 24/01/2017 - 15:34
    +1

    those two airco units over onto the off-peak meter?

    Only problem with running hardwired AC on the cheaper tariff is they will not operate between 5.45pm and 9pm.

    • uniqualz on 25/01/2017 - 14:23

      Does that peak period time thing depend on the elec Provider?

      • nocure on 25/01/2017 - 14:26

        Times are set by Energex.

  • boccos on 19/10/2017 - 08:37
    +1

    315 ltr HWS averages 2.8kwh per day over the last 444 days. I live in the Tropics.

  • Euphemistic on 19/10/2017 - 13:06
    +1

    our HWS uses around 6kwh per DAY. Not sure of the size, but probably around 300L for 2 adults, 3 kids. The kids often have a combined shower and I often shower at work, otherwise we'd use more.

    Get an electrician out to switch your HWS back to off peak.

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