Low kwh V Low Standing Charge

mettlemickey

Hi,

We've recently moved home and im comparing energy tariffs. Im trying to figure out if its better to have a lower kwh rate or lower standing charge.

It seems swings and roundabouts to some extent, where you gain on the kwh rate you lose on the standing charge or if you go for a low standing charge the kwh rates go up.

We've only been in the house for 2 weeks but have an interim bill which suggests we're using quite a lot of energy, probably due to the cold weather and not yet properly understanding how the heating works.

In 2 weeks we've used:
217 kwh of electricity
1446 kwh gas

I will be taking steps to reduce usage and i guess it will reduce in the summer anyway, but.... im trying to find out if theres a better tariff for me. They all seem quite similar when i go on the compare sites.

So the question is, if i plan to reduce usage a bit, am i better to go for a tariff with a lower kwh rate but that consequently has a slightly higher standing charge, or the other way around?

Thanks in advance
MM

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

mettlemickey wrote: »

Hi,

We've recently moved home and im comparing energy tariffs. Im trying to figure out if its better to have a lower kwh rate or lower standing charge.

It seems swings and roundabouts to some extent, where you gain on the kwh rate you lose on the standing charge or if you go for a low standing charge the kwh rates go up.

We've only been in the house for 2 weeks but have an interim bill which suggests we're using quite a lot of energy, probably due to the cold weather and not yet properly understanding how the heating works.

In 2 weeks we've used:
217 kwh of electricity
1446 kwh gas

I will be taking steps to reduce usage and i guess it will reduce in the summer anyway, but.... im trying to find out if theres a better tariff for me. They all seem quite similar when i go on the compare sites.

So the question is, if i plan to reduce usage a bit, am i better to go for a tariff with a lower kwh rate but that consequently has a slightly higher standing charge, or the other way around?

Thanks in advance
MM

Those figures seem a little on the high side, but nothing too dramatic. Average annual UK consumption is 3,300 KWh elec, and 16,500 KWh gas. Obviously you can't extrapolate your figures from the last 2 weeks, as you'll use next to no gas between April and October.

Ignore trying to identify a tariff by standing charge vs KWh - it essentially doesn't matter; all that matters is what you pay for 1 years energy. Enter the average consumption into a price comp site with your postcode, and go from there.

StuC75

Based on the avgs quoted by Bluebirdman, can you place what kind of consumer you were at previous house.. Then compare the old and new property in terms of what that might be like to maintain - e.g. is the boiler the same, is it new build (more efficient) or old cottage..

Then with a profile of Low \ medium \ high usage - can see what the approximate costs would come out at - e.g Low usage favours low standing \ higher unit, and higher usage favours higher standing charge and lower per kwh..

Cardew

In general terms, a low standing charge favours those with low consumption. Those with high consumption are generally more interested in the kWh price.


One thing to bear in mind with the new tariff structure, where a standing charge is mandatory(albeit it can be zero), is that it might pay to have gas and electricity from separate companies.


You obviously lose the dual fuel discount, but other savings might more than compensate.