Advice on cheapest gas provider and tariff

SPANIEL36

Hi, after not using any gas at all since 31st may, i have checked my pre payment meter today and its teling me i am almost £17 in debt, on closer insection i am being charged a standing charge which i'm not supposed to be charged. I dont really understand the charges/ tariffs very well thats whey i've come on here for advice.

Currently i'm with Npower, pre payment roughly i normally put on about £10-£15 per week when its getting cold and for hot water as its the only source of hot water i have apart from the shower.


Any help please

KimYeovil

There is a daily standing charge of anything up to 30p-odd per day on many tariffs. The alternative is a two-tier tariff where there is no daily standing charge but the first two or three units per day cost extra. Uncuriously enough the difference between the tier 1 and tier 2 rates will end up being 30p-odd! (Or whatever the corresponding figure is for your two tariffs.)

If you do make a payment in your meter then up to 70% of that can be claimed back to pay for unpaid standing charges - so if you do not top up regularly over summer come autumn every time you deposit £10 you will only receive £3 in available credit.

It is important to note that it is not necessarily a bad idea to cough up and pay this standing charge - you have to find out what your typical annual use is in kWhs and enter this on a comparison site like energyhelpline or uswitch. Remember to choose prepayment as current and future payment preference. You can then see how your nPower tariff compares in your region with the competitors.

SPANIEL36

THANKS very much for that advice, it makes alot of sense to me now, thanks again!

markharding557

It would make your budgeting easier if you credit extra to it during the summer,this way you build up a reserve of credit for winter

SPANIEL36

thanks mark, thats a good idea worth thinking about

Premier_2

SPANIEL36 wrote: »

...on closer insection i am being charged a standing charge which i'm not supposed to be charged. ...

I understand nPower make a standing charge on their pre-payment meter tariffs
http://www.npower.com/web/At_home/electricity_and_gas/types_of_tariff/repayment_meter_tariffs/index.htm

What tariff do you have from nPower that makes you think there should be no standing charge?