Should I switch to a company without a standing charge?

lstar337

MSE_Dan_L wrote: »

There's some useful points on this thread. For most people the no standing charge tariffs on the market (I believe currently there is only EBICO, but earlier in the year Npower had some tariffs without charges) are more expensive unless you're a very low user.

Change that 'very' to 'extremely'.

It is region dependent of course, but we use on average 3 units a day (I consider that pretty low), and we are still better off with a standing charge tariff.

Ebico are very far down the list in our region!

silverwhistle

lstar337 wrote: »

we use on average 3 units a day (I consider that pretty low),

Is that units on the meter (I consider that high;)) or kwh (I'd agree!)?
I'm with Ebico but you do need to be a very low user. My last gas bill was £1.76, the next one will be zero and the one after that will also be quite low - £12/14.

My circumstances are that I've got PV solar panels and an immersion tank plus a woodburner but there'll be few people with my annual bill of under £70. Not sure exactly where the cut-off point is and you need to do your own calculations, which the companies make very difficult by hiding their unit rates and standing charges.

lstar337

silverwhistle wrote: »

Is that units on the meter (I consider that high;)) or kwh (I'd agree!)?

Oops! got my wires crossed for a minute there. Electric is 3kWh, gas is more like 7m3 or 11.8kWh a day.

modsandmockers

A feature of the Ebico business plan which has not been discussed is that, if they succeed in attracting large numbers of low or extremely low users, then it's only a matter of time until they become unprofitable and shut up shop.

MSE_Dan_L

modsandmockers wrote: »

I think that a large number of energy users would fail to understand the significance of the question, and would not understand why there is only a single company in the 'list' of results. If Ebico offers the best deal for any individual user, then surely they will appear at the top of the 'general' list anyway?

Yes, absolutely - this functionality was developed following high numbers of requests to see these tariffs. Right now it has limited benefit, but as an example Npower recently had a tariff (Price Fix Feb 2017) which had no standing charges and worked out cheapest for some lowish users.

Taiko

Indeed that NPower did. The problem for most was that:

A) It was NPower.
This, from my experience, wasn't available to IGT customers.

On the plus side, because of how bad NPower's admin were, they missed the estimated switch date, and didn't respond to my complaint within the 8 weeks. The ombudsman awarded me £150, and I'm still with Ebico. Only using about 1000 kWh a year (with gas central heating) for my 2 bed flat, it has meant that NPower have effectively paid my gas bill for the next two years.

Ilona

modsandmockers wrote: »

A feature of the Ebico business plan which has not been discussed is that, if they succeed in attracting large numbers of low or extremely low users, then it's only a matter of time until they become unprofitable and shut up shop.

Ebico is a 'Not for Profit' organisation. The bills come from SSE who provide the goods. I've been with them for 18 months, works for me because I am an extremely low user.
Ilona

modsandmockers

Ilona wrote: »

Ebico is a 'Not for Profit' organisation. The bills come from SSE who provide the goods. I've been with them for 18 months, works for me because I am an extremely low user.
Ilona

Unfortunately, 'Not for Profit' does not necessarily translate into 'Willing and Able to Operate at a Loss'. On my most recent gas bill from Ebico/SSE, my annual 'projection' is £3.14!

Stevieboy118

silverwhistle wrote: »

Is that units on the meter (I consider that high;)) or kwh (I'd agree!)?
I'm with Ebico but you do need to be a very low user. My last gas bill was £1.76, the next one will be zero and the one after that will also be quite low - £12/14.

My circumstances are that I've got PV solar panels and an immersion tank plus a woodburner but there'll be few people with my annual bill of under £70. Not sure exactly where the cut-off point is and you need to do your own calculations, which the companies make very difficult by hiding their unit rates and standing charges.

I've got the same setup as you, the quest to get the import down as low as possible is never ending!