Got a question for Gov't energy and climate change secretary, Ed Davey?

joncombe

Why did you support or require the OFGEM retail market review? The intent was apparantley to make it easier to compare tariffs, but it did not make it easier to compare and in addition made many users energy costs increase, often by a huge percentage.

For example under the old system, many tariffs had a 0 standing charge and two unit rates. This has now been changed to a standing charge and a single unit rate. However because the standing charge can vary by a large amount, anyone wanting to compare still has two things to compare, the standing charge and the unit rate, compared to having to compare two unit rates previously. To work out the best tariff is therefore still complex because you need to know expected consumption to work out if it's better to be on a tariff with a low unit rate and a high standing charge or vice-versa.

If the intention was to make it easier to compare tariffs then we should have either:-

1. A standardised standing charge across all suppliers and a single unit rate.
2. No standing charge and a single unit rate.

Only then could direct comparisons between tariffs be made easily. The Tariff Comparison Rate (TCR) is a fudge to attempt to make it easier to compare tariffs, but because it is based on some "average" usage, it can be very wrong for customers not using the average amount.

In addition the changes have meant virtually all "no standing charge" tariffs have been abolished. As a result low users now find themselves paying a lot more in many case. There is now just a single supplier (Ebico) offering such a Gas tariff, removing any competition from the market which is required in a healthy market.

Nada666

Why do MPs and committee members waste time moaning about such a non-issue as commission charges between suppliers and comparison sites and agents? The consumer doesn't care and doesn't need to know. Why on earth should the comparison tables include that additional information? If consumers can't handle two-tier tariffs...

Yes, consumers have to learn that comparison sites can be used only for comparisons and have to know they can check if a cashback site will share some of the commission with them. But to waste so much committee time on such an inconsequential brouhaha is silly.

Mojohobo

What exactly do OFGEM do? What have they delivered?

Since we as the taxpayer fund them, and we fund them again through our utility bills when they demand information from the utility companies, which involve manhours and IT effort to produce, which of course needs to be paid for somehow...I'd LOVE to see how much they have cost the big six over the last few years

henmuffin

Why is the Green Deal so complicated to use? Can the government simplify things because the feedback on this forum has been very critical?

Cardew

Can we be given the actual and projected cost of the subsidies for renewable energy - FIT, RHI etc


What proportion of those costs fall on consumers and what proportion on the Exchequer.

sheffield_lad

Smiley_Dan wrote: »

What are you doing to reduce our domestic energy consumption? ECO, GDHIF et al are nowhere near ambitious enough.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30518649

"UK using less energy despite growing economy, report finds"

I don't know Dan it's not all that bad.

sheffield_lad

My question's to Mr Davey would be,

1, Why don't the government spell out to the public that in comparison to most other EU countries our prices are actually very competitive?


2. When are we going to get an investigation into the dealings of comparison websites and clear information on how much such companies make in profit via churn?

Smiley_Dan

sheffield_lad wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30518649

"UK using less energy despite growing economy, report finds"

I don't know Dan it's not all that bad.

It's nowhere near good enough!

marleyboy

Wow, to think he not only manages to answer these questions prior to his arrival. He even manages to answer the questions using other memberships.

sheffield_lad

Smiley_Dan wrote: »

It's nowhere near good enough!

I guess it depends on where you want the saving to come form.

If it is to insulate more via CWI or EWI we have to decide where the money is coming from.

Just think about where we are now compared to 10yrs ago. We generate 12% via renewables, thousands of periodic properties now have EWI (and more to follow), take up of wall/loft has been good. Insulation such as Kingspan is now used extensively. Condensing boilers are mandatory. smart controls (nest/hive), take up is fantastic. Building regs improving inc last year. DG now use's low-e, RHI, megaflow cylinders.

To name just a few improvements over the last 10yrs.