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

victor2

Suggest they make things simpler by charging for gas by volume, instead of converting it to kWh?
You would then have a rate per HCF or cubic metre, which relates directly to the meter reading, as does electricity. The only variable in the volume to kWh conversion is the gas calorific value, and that varies so little anyway, with only pennies in value on the typical domestic bill. In the case of Stornoway, where LPG is pumped at a vastly different CV, a different rate could be used. Rates are currently regional anyway. The CV used for billing is the supplier's "average" of the actual daily figures produced by National Grid and IME is a bit less than the calculated average.
From what we see on here, users discuss their usage in pounds money, not kWh, which is pretty meaningless to them. We don't buy petrol by its potential energy value, but by volume...

Martyn1981

Nada666 wrote: »

Have a look at Ebico's prices and see how sane that idea would be in practice. How are electricity-only properties going to cope if they have to pay 17p for panel heaters if on one rate or 20p for cooking if on E7? What about disabled or older people paying 5.5p for all their gas heating instead of less then 4p? It only takes 6,000 kWh to pay off the £95 standing charge.

Why not campaign for forecourt prices in supermarkets? That would result in far higher savings. People spend £100 of energy per month but can spend £100 a week on food - and pretty much every line nowadays in supermarkets carries a standing charge.

Assuming the costs of standing charges are applied equally across the unit price of energy, then there'd be no net change in total energy costs/receipts. The only change would be that low users would pay a little less, and high users a little more. Why should low users subsidise high users of energy? What if your 'disabled or older people' are low users of energy?

I don't pay a daily charge to any supermarkets just for the right to go in there and buy goods from them. Would you argue that all drivers (including old and disabled drivers) have to pay a daily fee for the right to use a petrol station in exchange for a slightly lower unit price?

Mart.

victor2

Martyn1981 wrote: »

I don't pay a daily charge to any supermarkets just for the right to go in there and buy goods from them. Would you argue that all drivers (including old and disabled drivers) have to pay a daily fee for the right to use a petrol station in exchange for a slightly lower unit price?

You don't have a fully stocked grocery van and petrol tanker parked outside your house either. Do you?
I don't mind paying the SC to have electricity and gas always there at the press of a switch or turning of a dial.

molerat

Mr Davey

When are you going to make OFGEM really regulate the market and enforce licence requirements. Currently they are just tinkering at the edges making high profile announcements so they are "seen to be doing something" rather than actually making a difference in the interest of the consumer. Why do they not investigate and check that a supplier has really made the improvements asked of them rather than just taking their word for it. Is the regulator going to check that any new to the market supplier has an infrastructure in place to provide accurate and timely billing before issuing them with a licence ?

Are you going to do something about the ridiculous situation of Scottish generators having to pay to put electricity into the grid ?

savemoney

Why have some people not been compensated for Green Deal assessment when it was quickly closed for a while last year, Its all gone quite I lost out on £150 on that.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/utilities/2014/08/moneysavingexpert-maintains-pressure-on-the-government-to-refund-those-hit-by-green-deal-cashback-closure

Hasher

Energy Comparison sites project annual charges using a standard tariff once your current contract expires.
Please can we adopt the concept of an Energy Budget (for the next year) as opposed to "Savings"?
I would like to be presented with an Energy Budget: Actual previous year v. next year on proposed tariff with same consumption.
If inflation becomes significant, we would be looking for the lowest increase as opposed to the highest savings.
Also, can Calorific Value be published monthly?

Dave_save

Why can't you scrap comparison sites completely, and use your own department to provide a standardised database to which all suppliers subscribe, and from which all consumers can retrieve the best deal. The main reason comparison sites exist is due to the complexity of tariffs. We really don't need this layer within the market when a couple of civil servants with a laptop and a website could tell us all we need to know.

Smiley_Dan

Dave_save wrote: »

... We really don't need this layer within the market when a couple of civil servants with a laptop and a website could tell us all we need to know.

Not been involved in a Government IT project then?