White meter heating timer problem

[Nigel]

i have just recently moved into a rented flat. it has white meter
heating using a horstmann economy 7 quartz timer.
the problem is that this timer has a clock dial which i presume should
cycle through the normal course of the day. in fact the dial does not
move, i take it that it is broken. i can use the boost button if i
swith the "timer" switch to on.
i have spoken to my landlord who states that i should just use the
boost button if i need hot water.
my main concern is that i know that electric heating of any sort is
expensive.
i know white meter heating is meant to heat up storage heaters cheaply
at night and then release the heat during the day (yes great idea i
know when you are out at work) but if this timer dial is not rotating
does this have an effect on when the storage heaters charge up, in
other words will they possibly be heating up during the day at most
expensive rate and giving the heat out during the night, or what i am
hoping is that the charging up of the heaters is controlled by the
actual meter in the house.
if this is the case what is the purpose of the horstmann timer as it
seems an expensive item to replace just to have a tank of hot water in
the morning. my electric shower would be more efficient than that.
any advice would be greatly appreciated

[wanderer]

"Nigel" <nigeld...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:7255a32c.03051...@posting.google.com...

<snip>

> if this is the case what is the purpose of the horstmann timer as it
> seems an expensive item to replace just to have a tank of hot water in
> the morning. my electric shower would be more efficient than that.
> any advice would be greatly appreciated

Unless someone previously has done something quite stupid, the controller is
only there for the immersion heater. It shouldn't have any effect on the
storage heaters. The idea is to let the immersion heater come on during the
cheap rate period only to give you a full tank of hot water. It doesn't need
the full 7 hours, setting it to come on at about 4 a.m. is plenty long
enough to heat up the water. The boost button gives you an hour of immersion
heater during the daytime if you've used all the 'cheap rate' hot water. Go
back to the landlord and tell him you'd like it replaced, it's his problem!