British Gas Essentials Tariff - advice please really worried

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  • kjsmith7
    kjsmith7 Posts: 519 Forumite
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    It's well worth switching now to the Essentials tariff if you can as the prices are fixed until April 2009. Therefore, you would now be paying LESS than when the prices went up. Click Energy 5 is likely to go up any time soon (probably after the other big suppliers have finished hiking THEIR prices up).
  • penypincher
    penypincher Posts: 116 Forumite
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    kjsmith7 wrote: »
    It's well worth switching now to the Essentials tariff if you can as the prices are fixed until April 2009. Therefore, you would now be paying LESS than when the prices went up. Click Energy 5 is likely to go up any time soon (probably after the other big suppliers have finished hiking THEIR prices up).


    when i spoke with BG they said the Essentials Tariff rose when the prices did, so i would be better off capping as a 35% price rise would mean the capped rate was less expensive than the Essentials Tarrif (10% less than least expensive).

    can anyone help? Is the Essentials Tarrif capped until april 2009?
  • Pete268
    Pete268 Posts: 219 Forumite
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    Hi,

    I have been on the Essential Tariff for a year or so now (well, since they stopped the winter rebates anyway). I qualify because of my War Disablement Pension.

    Basically it is the same price as their monthly Direct Debit tariff regardless of how you pay for your gas (ie Pre Payment, quarterly billing etc - everyone on Essentials pays the same as if on the monthly DD plan).

    Pete
  • chrism_scotland
    chrism_scotland Posts: 33 Forumite
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    wornoutmumoftwo wrote: »
    I am on BG essentials for electric (all electric house on Economy 7/white meter)

    My day time rate is 14p
    My night rate is 5p

    Exactely the same price as their standard tarif if I paid via dd (I'm on a PPM).

    If you are phoning BG then check out saynoto0870.com and get the landline number as it will save on the old phone bill

    This is the page leading to the prices for both gas and electric; toohttp://www.britishgas.co.uk/products-and-services/energy/all-products-tariffs-prices-glance.html

    Edited to say: prices above were before today's price increase

    British Gas has actually launched freephone numbers as of yesterday which should be on all bills/letters over the next few weeks which will save calling 0845 numbers,
  • chrism_scotland
    chrism_scotland Posts: 33 Forumite
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    Pete268 wrote: »
    Hi,

    I have been on the Essential Tariff for a year or so now (well, since they stopped the winter rebates anyway). I qualify because of my War Disablement Pension.

    Basically it is the same price as their monthly Direct Debit tariff regardless of how you pay for your gas (ie Pre Payment, quarterly billing etc - everyone on Essentials pays the same as if on the monthly DD plan).

    Pete

    Yes, it used to be done as a rebate on PP meters but now there are new tariffs that are applied to KBD Key meters or Gas PP meters that charge the Essentials tariff everyday rather than a rebate payment each quarter.
    On billing meters it has always been a seperate tariff.
  • Kevin_Blackstone
    Kevin_Blackstone Posts: 24 Forumite
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    Hi there this is my first post but just had to reply to let everyone know what i have just found out.

    Just got off the phone from British Gas and the gentlemen on the the phone confirmed that PRICE INCREASES WILL NOT AFFECTED PEPOLE WHO ARE ON THE ESSENTIALS TARRIFF AND RATES ARE FIXED TILL 2009. however will affect other tarrifs unless of course the rate is fixed on that tarrif.
  • elektra
    elektra Posts: 1,361 Forumite
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    Gas price
    For standard Gas registers, 4.192 pence per kilowatt for the first 12.526 kilowatts used a day, and 2.314 pence per kilowatt for the rest. Excluding VAT
  • john539
    john539 Posts: 16,966 Forumite
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    Pete268 wrote: »
    Basically it is the same price as their monthly Direct Debit tariff regardless of how you pay for your gas (ie Pre Payment, quarterly billing etc - everyone on Essentials pays the same as if on the monthly DD plan).
    I don't understand this.

    As far as I can tell Britsh Gas payment by Direct Debit & Cash rates are the same:

    BG Gas Rates
    http://www.britishgas.co.uk/pdf/Standard%20gas%20prices.pdf

    You don't get a lower rate when paying by DD, probably after outcry while back when people said they were being penalised for paying by cash on time.
  • TotallyBroke
    TotallyBroke Posts: 1,540 Forumite
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    You don't get a lower rate when paying by dd. You pay the same for the kilowatt but you do get a discount off the total bill when paying a monthly amount for a quarterly bill.
  • Gareth56
    Gareth56 Posts: 915 Forumite
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    jenhug wrote: »
    hello there, i have recently signed up for this tariff myself. the BG team told me the rates are as follows
    Gas 10.4% cheaper than their standard tariff
    Elec 4.8% " "

    the number to call is 0845 850 2207 that will take you straight through to the essentials tariff team.

    But don't ask them to quote you any prices as they haven't got a clue. To get the prices of the Essentials Tariff for your area you have to spend an age on the telephone waiting to speak to some one in customer service.
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