High user, whats my best option please?

N9eav

Morning.


I am a relatively high user of electricity only. Despite having solar on the roof, I still use 6000kw per year. Mostly due to having a large family and kids spending too long in the 10.5 kw shower.


Anyway. My tariff ends next month and what ever supplier I look at my bill will rise.


Am I best going for a long term fix? Energy price rises to come?

Also a lower KW per hour and higher standing charge or higher unit and lower standing charge.


I am looking at British Gas Aug 2019 fixed at 13.46 a unit, which is better than I have now but 26 p day standing charge! I figure as a high user I need a lower unit charge?


Thanks


Steve

[Deleted User]

Just go to a comparison site, input your actual usage and see which supplier comes out cheapest for you.
Also nobody knows what will happen going forward with prices so just pick what you feel happy with. The longer the fix the more you pay per year so it may not be best to go for a two or three year. But I don't really know and if I did, I would be extremely rich and not offering advice here.

macman

As above, you are over-complicating it. Just put in your postcode and annual kWh usage and let the comp site do the maths. The S/C matters little when you are using that many units, it's only £94pa.
No one has a clue where prices will be in 6m, let alone a year or two. The point of a fix is that you know exactly what you will pay for the next x months-think of it as buying an insurance policy. It's not guaranteed to be cheaper. You can always look for a fix with no exit fees of course.
That BG fix is more than their SVT, so unless you think there will be steep rises in the next 2 years, forget it.
Powershop Easy Saver is coming out cheapest for you in my area (South East).
Given your exceptionally high leccy usage, I'd look at both dual fuel and separate options. And put a timer on the shower supply...

matelodave

I'm also a high user - around 7000kwh a year, sometimes more if the weather is cold. We heat, cook, hot water, clean etc etc with leccy. Our heating uses a heat pump so wont benefit from E7 oe E10 like storage heaters would and we are at home all day evey day (except holidays etc)

I'm on a single rate tariff as my energy useage is mainly during the day and evenings and drops down to a relativley low level over night so an split tariff wouldn't work. Neither would solar power be all that useful as I use 70% of my energy in the winter when the sun don't shine, the days are short and the weather is cold.

Depending on how you heat your home and hot water will depend on what sort of tariff is best.

IMO 12 month tariffs are best, especially those without an exit fee so you can leave early if a better deals becomes available. I check tariffs every month to six weeks or so to make sure that I'm on the best tariff.

Try teaching yourselves how to reduce energy consumption by not wasting it, either by standing in the shower for ages, leaving stuff turned on and making sure that the washing machine, dryer and dishwasher are used with full loads.

Read your meter frequently and record your consumption so you'll know what you use and when you use it - that's the way to contol your consumption. I've got seven years of weekly readings so I've got an pretty good idea of my consumption and can monitor my bills down to the penny.

Bigphil1474

OP, the unit price is far more important for you than the standing charge - 26p a day works out at about £8 a month, whereas a difference of 1.6p per kw will save you more than that at your consumption. As others have said, use the comparison sites, and they should show you what you'll pay based on your consumption, and will include the overall cost of units and daily charge.

N9eav

Thanks.


I have been using the comparison sites and the difference in increase is about £30 PA across multiple suppliers and tariffs. Seems they are all about the same. MY current tariff was very cheap, but then all prices went up this year and so my next tariff will be more expensive.
I like the idea of no exit fees and keep switching if need be....


I live in the South West, so not sure if we pay more.

firefox1956

£30 per year saving is not worth the hassle of changing.
My opinion only of course

N9eav

That's where it gets tricky as the comparison site looks at what tariff I am on now and compares it. Not what tariff I will be moved on to when the current deal ends. If I use the standard variable tariff, I can save £200. Then I also have to compare against the best tariff the current provider can offer....


I like what my friend in the USA has. They buy their power from the city. Its always cheap and kept at the lowest price for its citizens. It was crazy privatising the utilities and being subject to companies making profits from our necessities.

poppasmurf_bewdley

N9eav wrote: »

I like what my friend in the USA has. They buy their power from the city. Its always cheap and kept at the lowest price for its citizens. It was crazy privatising the utilities and being subject to companies making profits from our necessities.

But what used to happen in the glorious days before privatisation of the gas and electricity companies was that they used to make colossal losses and the taxpayer had to make up for these through taxation.

Everybody working for these companies - from the top to the bottom - knew they would get paid whether the company made a profit or not, so most did as little as possible, making the companies amongst the most inefficient anywhere in the world.

Now I sit back and await the vitriol being poured on me from the Corbynistas.

footyguy

N9eav wrote: »

That's where it gets tricky as the comparison site looks at what tariff I am on now and compares it. ....

Why does that make things tricky? :huh:
Have you looked at a comparison site using your figures? :huh:
Do you not see that it lists all the suppliers and tariffs in order of annual cost based on the info you supply??? :huh: :huh: :huh:

Good luck! :cool: