MSE News: Npower to up energy prices by 10%

Chiddles

You clearly missed the points that
1) high energy prices don't just punish the "socially irresponsible class" but also those who are most needy in society and
2) high energy prices are occurring despite a long standing trend towards reduced energy consumption in the UK

Skymist

Dan-Dan wrote: »

It stands to reason that if all the energy companys act as sheep , then swopping , and using comparison sites , really , isnt going to save a great deal , surely ?

Its like trying to buy a pack of 20 embassy number 1 for the cheapest price , you would only ever save 20p or so because all the supermarkets work together to fix the price

Politicians and their ilk urging people to switch etc , annoys me , if all of them are putting prices up ,where the hell are you supposed to switch to ? and really , what`s the point ?

:T:T:T SO TRUE Dan-Dan. It annoys me too, all this "switching" hog-wash that is dished up daily to people of this over-taxed and daily-lied-to country. Maybe it just helps them sleep at night....but I seriously doubt that they even have a conscious problem with what they dish out to us!!!!

Chiddles wrote: »

SC ought to be abolished imho.

TOTALLY AGREE...although that's not what the energy industry and all the suppliers say, as they justify it with a positive spin by saying it's fairer, as per this article from March (Sorry to Daily Mail haters, but I found this in a search, and I'm sure other papers will have put forward the same issues!)

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2295905/How-new-simple-energy-bills-cost-elderly-more.html

DragonQ wrote: »

I suppose the "silver lining" of rising energy prices is that the trend is towards using less energy in the first place. The fact is energy use is dropping and that (in simplistic terms) is a good thing. If that means investing in insulation, turning down the thermostat, being more efficient with boiler and radiator settings, turning off appliances, manufacturers making more efficient products etc. then that's good. If it means shivering because you can't afford to have the heating on for more than 2 months a year then that's a big problem.

Sorry, I know this is an Npower thread, and I'm with Scottish Hydro, but I do and follow all the suggestions that DragonQ posted about, yet this morning I recieved a letter from SH saying that as they where now shifting all customers to standing charge tarriffs of £100/year, (and I'm an extremely low gas user), rescinding all former discounts...under the new "fair rules"..... as well as introducing price rises, my gas bills are waayyyy over the top, as I'll basically be paying money for old rope, er sorry, for the delivery of gas to my front door, not for what I use :eek:

Here's an eg. My last gas bill ( no standing charge, but two-tier charges) was £8.95, and my bills go up to an approx max of £15/quater during the last three years. Well, with the lack of discount, the rise in prices, PLUS an extra £25/quarter in standing charge fees.....:eek::eek::eek:

SORRY for the long rant, but wanted to just advise....I phoned them (Scottish Hydro) up and have been put on Quaterly DD, which, after giving an exact meter reading online(or for those who aren't online. over the phone), I will be be billed for THAT amount, and only pay THAT amount. I don't know whether this method of payment applies to all energy companies, or only to OAPs, of which I am one, but it's certainly worth checking out for you or friends and family, as it will save me £40 from each duel fuel yearly standing charge!

S

Nada666

Skymist wrote: »

SORRY for the long rant, but wanted to just advise....I phoned them (Scottish Hydro) up and have been put on Quaterly DD, which, after giving an exact meter reading online(or for those who aren't online. over the phone), I will be be billed for THAT amount, and only pay THAT amount. I don't know whether this method of payment applies to all energy companies, or only to OAPs, of which I am one, but it's certainly worth checking out for you or friends and family, as it will save me £40 from each duel fuel yearly standing charge!

Scottish Hydro are SSE. All their new tariffs are now standing charge only, I think. Your new tariff may have lower standing charges than your previous supplier but you will not 'only' pay for your quarterly units. They have just increased the standing charges from £100 to £180 and then given you an £80 discount. You are still paying a £5 per month per fuel standing charge.

Skymist

Nada666 wrote: »

Scottish Hydro are SSE. All their new tariffs are now standing charge only, I think.

Correct.

Nada666 wrote: »

Your new tariff may have lower standing charges than your previous supplier but you will not 'only' pay for your quarterly units. They have just increased the standing charges from £100 to £180 and then given you an £80 discount. You are still paying a £5 per month per fuel standing charge.

Not according to the guy I spoke to and arranged my DD with. My electricity tarriff is already inclusive of a standing charge, so I was just dealing with the gas, which is being changed from £0 No Standing Charge tarriff to £100 Standing Charge tarriff per annum. He said this would now be £60 per annum, because I'm paying it by quaterly DD, minus another £6 for the paperless billing, which I have been doing for quite a while now !

I've been with the same energy company for 12 years now.

S

DragonQ

Skymist wrote: »

Sorry, I know this is an Npower thread, and I'm with Scottish Hydro, but I do and follow all the suggestions that DragonQ posted about, yet this morning I recieved a letter from SH saying that as they where now shifting all customers to standing charge tarriffs of £100/year, (and I'm an extremely low gas user), rescinding all former discounts...under the new "fair rules"..... as well as introducing price rises, my gas bills are waayyyy over the top, as I'll basically be paying money for old rope, er sorry, for the delivery of gas to my front door, not for what I use :eek:

Have you checked if there's a better deal on comparison websites? There are a couple of tariffs left that don't have standing charges, which may be much cheaper for you.

Nada666

Skymist wrote: »

Originally Posted by Nada666 Your new tariff may have lower standing charges than your previous supplier but you will not 'only' pay for your quarterly units. They have just increased the standing charges from £100 to £180 and then given you an £80 discount. You are still paying a £5 per month per fuel standing charge.

Not according to the guy I spoke to and arranged my DD with. My electricity tarriff is already inclusive of a standing charge, so I was just dealing with the gas, which is being changed from £0 No Standing Charge tarriff to £100 Standing Charge tarriff per annum. He said this would now be £60 per annum, because I'm paying it by quaterly DD, minus another £6 for the paperless billing, which I have been doing for quite a while now !

Sorry? What you go on to describe is different from what I surmised in what way? (other than it's only a different tariff, not supplier).

And, as DragonQ says, if you were paying £15 per quarter for tier 1 gas then you should really be switching your gas supplier to one that does not charge £15 per quarter in standing charges.

Skymist

I need to clarify.....anywhere between £8.95 to £15 was my total bill for a quarter, when they had, and I was on, their two-tier tarriff which did not have a standing charge.

Now from November, when the new price rises are introduced , they are doing away with the No Standing Charge two-tier tarriff, and ALL their tarriffs....gas and electric...will include standing charges.

Having looked on price comparison sites, for me, it will make no difference as to which energy company I use, 'cos I use so little gas anyway!

I was just pointing out that Scottish Hydro have offered me quaterly DD , depending on my usage, based on my meter reading (and of course now including the standing charge costs) as opposed to a set rate monthly DD charge. Nowhere on their site is this form of payment mentioned, so I thought I'd post about it in case it is of use to anyone else!

S

minislim

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

They haven't been the first to rise prices in the last 4 years.

In fact, the only thing BG have been first for, was to lower prices early last year.

well it was only a couple of years ago i helped several people leave BG due to their announcement as the first to hike and have the cheek to also report record profits too.

even so, yes BG where the first to actually lower prices. but even their lower prices werent as cheap as the others.

Kite2010

So 3 down, 3 to go?

Any money on the next of the big 6 to announce their price rise?

DragonQ

Kite2010 wrote: »

So 3 down, 3 to go?

Any money on the next of the big 6 to announce their price rise?

EDF, then E.On, then Scottish Power.