How To Read an Economy 7 Meter

How To Read an Economy 7 Meter

There are two meter readings visible on the Economy 7 meter:

1. One reading indicates your usage during the day.
2. The other reading indicated your usage during the night.

The night reading is the reading at the top and is shown beside “low “.

The day time usage is the reading at the bottom and is beside “normal “

To take the readings, you should write down the numbers from left to right.

Don’t include any number after the decimal point (Red color)

What is the Economy 7 Meter?

Economy 7 meters are often used in homes that use electricity for heating purposes rather than gas.

An E7 meter charges you with 2 rates, a day time rate and a night time rate. At night time (The 7 hours off peak), you will be charged at a rate lower than the day time rate.

Caution: The timeframes can vary according to the supplier so make sure to ask your energy supplier.

Understanding Economy 7 Tariffs

Regular energy tariffs charge a fixed price per unit of energy (Kilowatt hour), so no matter when you use electricity it charges the same rate. However, this is not the case with the economy 7 tariffs. With the economy 7 tariffs you will be charged a rate depending on when you use electricity. The rate during night time will be cheaper than of the day time.

As indicated by the name, the tariff offers 7 hours of cheaper electricity rates every night.

This means that if you use appliances like air conditioners, dishwashers and washing machines at night, it will benefit you greatly to use the economy 7 meter.

You are however charged at a higher rate than usual during day time, so this might not be suitable for everyone.

Peak vs off peak

As mentioned above, the economy 7 meter displays two readings. One reading for the day time usage and the other reading for the night time usage which are included in the specified hours in the economy 7 tariff.

Who is the economy 7 meter for?

The economy 7 meter will be beneficial to you if you tend to use electricity more during night time than day time.

For example, if you work a late shift or you just stay up late every day and use a lot of appliances during the night time then the economy 7 meter is for you.

Is the economy 7 tariff for gas as well?

Unfortunately, it does not support gas as the majority of gas usage occurs during the day (Cooking/Heaters). If you heat your water/home using a gas supply, then the economy 7 tariff will still be useful to you.

Electric Cars and Economy 7

More and more people nowadays are choosing to get an electric car, so in that case the economy 7 tariff is perfect for you, since these cars can be charged overnight when the electricity rate is lower.

You should also note that some energy suppliers have tariffs tailored for electric cars, so before choosing your energy supplier you should see if offers this.

Smart Economy 7 Meters

Is getting a smart economy 7 meter possible and what are the benefits? Basically, the smart economy 7 meter sends readings directly to the energy supplier. However, this feature is not available at all energy suppliers, so contact your energy supplier for more information.