Your usage indicates you may be a Business User!

deaks_2

Have after months of apathy just got round to looking at switching my gas and electric - ended up with NPower Sign on Line and they say I will have potential savings of approx £500 a year!

I did have to laugh though (or should it be cry) as I put our consumption figures into one website and the got a message back saying that they couldn't quote me as my consumption indicated I may be a business user! - that is when you realise you use a lot of fuel!!

I should add that until recently both me and OH worked from home!

I was with Powergen and was on a capped tariff - I couldn't believe how much higher it was than other tariffs with them even, never mind other companies ... and I only changed last year.

for all you lazy sods out there like me, and those who think they have recently completed a review, do it every few months, I certainly shall from now on! and am now making an effort to turn lights off, thermostats down etc

Cardew

Let us into the secret! How many kWh do you use for Gas & electricity to trigger that response!

Terrylw1

Do you by any chance use more than 34 units of electricity a day? If so, you have exceeded the deminimus rule where VAT changes to 17.5% and get your Climate Change Levy (CCL) added to your bill.

Many business' use less but thats the point at which your tax liability changes so maybe thats what the calc is set to.

Some domestics do use it though,

Cardew

Terrylw1 wrote: »

Do you by any chance use more than 34 units of electricity a day? If so, you have exceeded the deminimus rule where VAT changes to 17.5% and get your Climate Change Levy (CCL) added to your bill.

Many business' use less but thats the point at which your tax liability changes so maybe thats what the calc is set to.

Some domestics do use it though,

Does that apply to someone who uses E7 for heating?(I appreciate not the OP)

12,400kWh a year would be a lower than average consumption for electricity only houses on E7(around £800 or so)

Terrylw1

It's the line for business customers. So, anyone paying business rates with 5% VAT becomes liable for 17.5% Vat & CCL.

It certainly applies to the combination of the whole supply in the case of businesses.

I'm just wondering what they have the calc set to and whether it got that in there. If so, it's going to say that to a lot of people.

Here's the industry take on usage:

Profile Class Annual Usage (Kwh) Equivalent Tariff
PC1 3,660 1 rate non E7 Domestic
PC2 6,400 2 rate E7 Domestic
PC3 12,200 1 rate non E7 Non Domestic
PC4 23,200 2 rate E7 Non Domestic
PC5 77,500 Non Domestic
PC6 100,800 Non Domestic
PC7 119,300 Non Domestic
PC8 150,900 Non Domestic

This is how the industry determines a customer based on Kwh usage alone so 34 units a day sits in PC3 as 1 rate bus or 2 rate bus in PC4 if E7 metered. PC5+ are totally different. 34 units crosses the threshold for a potential business in pure PC terms, although we all know that a domectis can't be forced to change to business as it's not a usage issue but a status issue.

So, I wonder if Npower have built their calc with a view to profile class which thesedays is highly misleading in the PC1-4 usage sector since we all use a lot more power thesedays.

I know I've seen some people try to consider usage this way, so I guess it depends on who & how it was built. If the above factors are in without an option to select yourself as Domestic or Non Domectic, then it will not work for everyone.

deaks_2

we used 29586 kwh of gas last year
and
9436 kwh of electric

about £2k worth! - thing is I kept reading about changing, but thought I was on a good tariff with Powergen as I had not that long ago changed it, but it was the capped tariff, which great might be capped with guaranteed no price increases until 2010, but the rates are much HIGHER than other tariffs - I was obviously being a bit thick and didn't realise this until I did the comparison sites - now I am definately going to be checking this every 6 months or so - especially with our consumption - although I should add I am going to try very hard to reduce this.

By switching = potential savings of £500 a year!