Help on standing charge

Loose_Cannon

Hi all,

I haven't owned a gas appliance, and therefore haven't used any gas, for over six years. However, I still have a meter, as my tenancy agreement prevents me from taking it out.

My latest bill arrived, and instead of the zero I was expecting, British Gas wanted £10 out of me!

It seems they introduced a standing charge in November - alleged they wrote to me, but it must have been at some point while I was in the sleep-deprived haze of paternity leave, because I can't find that letter.

I called BG complaints, and they have credited me the £10, but say that all their tariffs now have a standing charge and the only way to avoid it is to have my meter taken out... which I can't do!

So I'm looking to switch to a supplier that doesn't have a standing charge, but looking at USwitch, etc. is really confusing. Is there a simple way of finding this out?

All help appreciated!

molerat

https://www.ebico.org.uk/

Ilona

I am in the process of changing from BG to Ebico, because as a low user, I don't want to pay the standing charge.
Ilona

Loose_Cannon

Thanks both - I just completed the switching process to Ebico!

spiro

OFGEM requires all suppliers to only offer single tier tariffs with a standing chanrge although the supplier can set the SC to £0. In the short term this will work but if very large volumes of low/no users move to a single supplier their income won't cover their fixed costs, billing, meter rental etc and they will go bust of stop having to offer £0 SC tariffs.

Consumerist

spiro wrote: »

OFGEM requires all suppliers to only offer single tier tariffs with a standing chanrge although the supplier can set the SC to £0. In the short term this will work but if very large volumes of low/no users move to a single supplier their income won't cover their fixed costs, billing, meter rental etc and they will go bust of stop having to offer £0 SC tariffs.

Their strategy will probably be to transfer the fixed electricity costs on to their gas tariff. Looking at their tariff, this is probably already happening. In my comparison list Ebico is the most expensive (for dual fuel), at the very bottom of the list at £330 pa more expensive than the cheapest.

Nada666

Consumerist wrote: »

Their strategy will probably be to transfer the fixed electricity costs on to their gas tariff. Looking at their tariff, this is probably already happening. In my comparison list Ebico is the most expensive (for dual fuel), at the very bottom of the list at £330 pa more expensive than the cheapest.

I don't understand your first point - is that the correct way round? Surely it is the gas costs that would be cross subsidised as almost no-one uses no electricity.

And your comment about it being expensive is unfair, or at least unsurprising. They charge the one price regardless of payment type - for average consumption they cost exactly the same as a typical standard tariff paid quarterly (last time I checked.) I would say they are doing surprisingly well price wise. Of course, they are a waste of money and useless for ninety-nine percent of households.