Conservatives promise cap on energy prices

lstar337

EachPenny wrote: »

Interesting article, but maybe doesn't consider the issue of economies of scale? Small energy companies can only offer lowest prices by having a skeleton staff that leads to customer service issues which some customers find unacceptable (like call centres not being open in the evening or on Saturdays).

Not always true. I am with Zog for gas and they have a customer service that is second to none!

They don't even have a call centre, but look at how the people rave about the CS on the Zog feedback thread.

Small supplier doesn't = poor cs!

lstar337

Cardew wrote: »

Whilst the above is true, it is pertinent to point out that many of the zero DSC(Ebico etc) customers are well off who have Ebico for their holiday homes etc.

I was going to say this. In my experience, it is mostly second homers who are loving the zero standing charge.

Otherwise it is people who wrongly think that zero standing charge automatically makes a tariff cheap. I am a very low user and there is always a steady list of about 30 suppliers above the cheapest zero standing charge tariff.

EachPenny

lstar337 wrote: »

I am a very low user...

Depends how you define 'very low user'. There will always be a 'sweet spot' where one tariff becomes cheaper than another.

Elsewhere on the forum there is a question about an elderly lady whose main (only?) home consumption is 10000 kwh p/a for electricity and about 50 kwh p/a for gas. I'm sure she isn't the only one.

The problem for people like her is unless you have someone to help you, or you understand the market yourself, figuring out the best deal in that situation is almost impossible using comparison websites.

Not everyone who could benefit from zero standing charges is a wealthy second home owner, and many of the people who could benefit simply don't know or understand.

lstar337

EachPenny wrote: »

Depends how you define 'very low user'. There will always be a 'sweet spot' where one tariff becomes cheaper than another.

Ok, maybe very low is a stretch, but between 1.5 and 3 units a day depending on what the solar panels are kicking out.

Even with my consumption, I have failed to find a ZSC tariff that beat a normal tariff.

EachPenny wrote: »

Not everyone who could benefit from zero standing charges is a wealthy second home owner, and many of the people who could benefit simply don't know or understand.

I never said everyone, I'm careful about that. I said mostly, and 'in my experience'. so I am mostly talking about what I see here at MSE. Lots of people with extremely low or zero consumption are advised to go on zero standing charge tariffs.

Pincher

This tariff was around October 2016, and some people should still be on it.

E.On Saver Plus Fixed 1 Year v2 Online

Gas 1.607p Standing charge 66.654p per day

Electricity 8.736p Standing charge 32.981p per day

Notice that £1 ~=66.654p + 32.981p

So, £365 a year, in standing charge, and then ridiculously cheap energy.

If they cap just the unit rate, the standing charge goes up, which tends to favour high users. That's ME. :beer:

Cap away.

phillw

EachPenny wrote: »

Anyway, I though Brexit was meant to be taking us back to the 1950's?

Things were good in the 50's, optimism after the war and lots of money being spent. People were happy to be alive.

The mood in the 70's is more like brexit. Loads of racism, lots of entitled feeling.

Depending on where they set the cap, it may not be far off nationalising.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Pincher wrote: »

This tariff was around October 2016, and some people should still be on it.

E.On Saver Plus Fixed 1 Year v2 Online

Gas 1.607p Standing charge 66.654p per day

Electricity 8.736p Standing charge 32.981p per day

Notice that £1 ~=66.654p + 32.981p

So, £365 a year, in standing charge, and then ridiculously cheap energy.

If they cap just the unit rate, the standing charge goes up, which tends to favour high users. That's ME. :beer:

Cap away.

These tariffs were part of a trial we did towards the back end of last year Pincher. We withdrew them from sale last October although, as you say, there'll be customers still on these products now.

We were looking at various different options as part of the product review Helena and I spoke about at the time. As you say, the Saver Plus tariff had higher daily standing charges and lower unit prices than we usually have. There was another tariff running alongside with lower daily standing charges and higher unit prices. The results of these trials have been used during the redesign of our product portfolio. This is still ongoing as we continue to look at various options not just with prices but also with the products we offer and the way we let customers know about them.

Hope this is of interest Pincher.

Malc

Pincher

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc wrote: »

There was another tariff running alongside with lower daily standing charges and higher unit prices. The results of these trials have been used during the redesign of our product portfolio. This is still ongoing as we continue to look at various options not just with prices but also with the products we offer and the way we let customers know about them.

Hope this is of interest Pincher.

I am fascinated, but E.On is hardly going to tell me what they find.

I look forward to a 0.99p Gas, and 5.99p Electricity unit rate tariff, with a £1 per day per fuel standing charge.

So, £730 = £365 x 2 standing charge.

28,000 x 0.99 = £277.20 for Gas
7,000 x 5.99 = £419.30 for Electricity

Annual cost £1,426.50 = 730 + 277.20 + 419.30

Sadly, there seems to be lots of people who just copied somebody else's maths homework, and is now floundering when confronted by the simplest calculations.

Be assured that I do my own homework.