Standing Charge...

Michaelw

Most meters are leased these day's from finace companies',also theres the smart gas meter problem,there was an old argument that prepayment meters cost more to maintain but every smart meter falls now under that umbrella hence likely to shut the supply regardless of direct debit or prepayment if a fault develops.

Theres been so much made about energy use saving's and all they did is raise the standing charge to compensate.

The_Economist

I spoke to customer services that are now supplying my gas & electric & asked the question why is the standing charge so high.

They said its because of the Smart Meters.
But I don't have one or want one as it will not benefit me having one.....

The response was if you have one or not your basically going to pay for it.
How can this be fair.

Gerry1

The_Economist said:

How can this be fair.

It isn't.

We're being charged (via higher bills) around £475 per household for a toy that it's officially estimated may save just £11 per year.

Not exactly a bargain.

The_Economist

Gerry1 said:

The_Economist said:

How can this be fair.

It isn't.

We're being charged (via higher bills) around £475 per household for a toy that it's officially estimated may save just £11 per year.

Not exactly a bargain.

Can I respectfully ask how you worked out its around £475 per household...
I agree that's all it is, a toy that has no obvious benefit end of.

Gerry1

The_Economist said:

Gerry1 said:

The_Economist said:

How can this be fair.

It isn't.

We're being charged (via higher bills) around £475 per household for a toy that it's officially estimated may save just £11 per year.

Not exactly a bargain.

Can I respectfully ask how you worked out its around £475 per household...

It was £367 in this 2016 Parliamentary Report (Ref.45) when the rollout cost was estimated at £11bn.

It had risen to £420 in 2017.

In September 2019 the total costs of the programme over the appraisal period were estimated to be £13.4bn ( Page 33) and there were 27.8 million households (Main Point 1).  That's £474.82 per household.

QED !

jbuchanangb

The bill calculations during the period of so-called "No Standing Charges" tariffs were complicated. The number of units charged at the higher rate in any billing period depended on the number of days in the billing period. Looking at my records for bill dated 22/12/2009, there were 84 days so the first 207 units were charged at 10.34p/unit and the rest at 7.67p/unit. According to my records this equated to a quarterly (91.25 days) standing charge of £4. 

I switched supplier on 27/3/2010 to a single rate supplier (EDF) with a quarterly standing charge of £18.81 but all units charged at 7.07p/unit. I must have thought it was a good idea at the time. The daily standing charge was 20.61p but I notice I was receiving a 6% combined direct debit discount and dual fuel discount. Those latter discounts don't exist any more. The former has gone away and suppliers now offer different tariffs dependent on payment methods, and the latter was abolished by OFGEM because it was unfair on customers who didn't have gas!

rp1974

Standing charges will always stick in the gullet,but things have to be paid for somehow.
I'd prefer them to be either abolished,or standardised possibly by supply area,like unit costs are.
Like many regulatory bodies OFGEM is debatably unfit for it's purpose.

Zellah

From a selfish point of view (low energy user), I would prefer it if some providers gave the option of the old no standing charge tariffs, whereby you paid a higher unit rate for the first x kWh  per quarter and then any units above that were charged at a lower rate. For average/high energy use customers there was no real difference in costs but for customers like myself, bills were much much lower.

matelodave

Does it cost less to provide and maintain the infrastructure to your house and sort out the billing because you are a low user than it does to someone else who uses more? Just asking?

Zellah

matelodave said:

Does it cost less to provide and maintain the infrastructure to your house and sort out the billing because you are a low user than it does to someone else who uses more? Just asking?

Of course it doesn't and I never said otherwise. I was simply pointing out that the old no standing charge tariffs were excellent value for money for low energy users such as myself. But anyway its a moot point, since I can't ever imagine energy co's re-introducing such tariffs again, though I would love to be proved wrong!