Energy Supplier Discussion

Thanks both. Curious how smart switches on white goods work in practice. On our washer/dishwasher I would need to press a button to start the cycle. Is the smart switch a preventative measure to stop you using it at the wrong times? And what might the payback look like to cover the cost of a switch in the first place.

I do have several Alexa and Hue devices…

Smart switches are pretty much pennies to run per year so that shouldn’t really be a worry as such.

I know my washer has a hold function. Tell it what program I need and then how many hours until I want it to start. Not sure what happens if I put the dryer on and then kill the power to resume it later. I suspect it doesn’t just pick up where it left off.

I have a Kasa KP115 smart plug (with energy monitoring) into which the dishwasher is plugged.

Load the dishwasher, set the cycle, press ‘go’ and shut the door. The dishwasher then starts as normal, but as soon as the KP115 detects and reports load, the linked reactive.energy service shuts off the smart plug and waits until the next cheapest timeslot(s) Once the timeslots arrive, it activates the smart plug and the dishwasher then has power and so continues as if nothing has happened. It’s great!

I can also switch the dishwasher on/off via voice using Google Home, but the reactive.energy service takes priority over any others.

I would also put the washer/dryer on the same connection, but MrsW has expressed a huge need for manual override here, so because the washer/dryer has a delay-start feature, we’re loading it up and then delaying it until the optimal daytime 2 hour slot as reported by the Octopus Watch app.

EDIT: To test if your white-goods appliance is happy with being de-powered and powered, set it going and then switch it off or unplug it at the mains. Wait a minute, the switch on/re-plug. If it comes back to life and starts washing, it’s all good. If it sits there in an ‘off’ state, it won’t be happy with a smart-plug set-up.

1 Like

We nearly got a new set of meters today. Took a day off and everything but…No.

The guy took one look under the stairs and backed off in case the main fuse contains asbestos. To be fair, if there’s a risk I can’t blame him but given that I’ve had the meter and the fuse box replaced since we’ve lived here the thing has been opened at least twice is the last 10 years.

So I’m still reading meters and won’t be investigating exciting smart tariffs any time soon I think.

We can’t have them as we have a 3 phase supply. (Domestic 3 phase supplies can’t have them but buiness ones can)

Ocotpus don’t charge a higher standing charge for them luckily.

We are better off with their regular fixed price tariff as alot of power is used at peak times by other people in the house.

In my new flat I’ve got smart meters (yay!) but they are on a Economy 7 tarriff (boo) which is no use for working from home.

Annoyingly, Bulb say they can’t switch them over to a normal tarrif, but apparently that will be " a thing" soon.

Does anyone no of a supplier who can digitally switch them; apparently it’s something the energy supplier has control of.

Either way, I’m not sure why a middle-floor flat in a small block would get use out of economy 7. Can’t even imagine running the washing machine at times it’s useful for the metering, whilst still being a good neighbour.

I’ve asked and was told they’d need to change the meter. That could be because mine is as old as the dinosaurs and the usual Northern Ireland lagging 100 year behind

1 Like

Just switch to a modern smart provider such as Octopus. They’ll have this easily sorted out I imagine. Bulb and Smart Meters are not a great mix.

This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.