Standard Variable Tariff(SVT)

[Deleted User]

Hi,

have a look HERE, might help.

Maddang

I wonder if I can persaude Octopus to give me the previous fixed rate considering I've struggled to get hold of them to discuss an issue with them over estimating me by 3 times on a smart meter and missing billing for Nov and Dec - nightmare to try to work out my usage over the 2 years so could calculate the fix options.

I'm Electricity Profile 1 Usage Tier (Low - with a Typical domestic consumption value of 1,800 kwh). My usage is static with only a fan in a heatwave for seasonal variation). I think my last years usage iwas 1430 and I can't pay their projected monthly costs for an averag household. they still don't update my estimated annual usage so thier quotes are wrong and I had to battle them on this last year to the extent that my payments have been reduced to £10 pm due to the credit I had.

QrizB

Maddang said:

I wonder if I can persaude Octopus to give me the previous fixed rate considering I've struggled to get hold of them...

That's quite unusual; when I've had to contact Octopus by email they've replied promptly, usually the same day. You must have been unlucky.

... an issue with them over estimating me by 3 times on a smart meter and missing billing for Nov and Dec

Is your smart meter reporting correctly now?

Maddang said:

they still don't update my estimated annual usage so thier quotes are wrong and I had to battle them on this last year to the extent that my payments have been reduced to £10 pm due to the credit I had.

You should be able to adjust your monthly DD online in your Octopus account.

QrizB

QrizB said:

In brief:

New cap, new explainer. Most of it the same as the last one, TBH.

Here is how it works:

• Ofgem publish a set of tables here showing maximum annual costs for the standing chage (SC) and for typical users. There are different tables depending on how you pay and whether you have single-rate or multi-rate electricity (eg. E7).
• The tables for a dual-fuel, single-rate customer are based on 3100 kWh/yr elec and 12000 kWh/yr gas
• If you divide the SC cap by 365 you get the daily SC cap
• If you subtract the annual SC cap from the 3100 kWh/yr electric cap, then divide by 3100, you get the kWh price
• Ditto for the 12000 kWh gas cap.

In practice there's a little bit of flexibility as suppliers can charge less SC and then bump their kWh rates up proportionately. The hard cap on electric kWh is the cap/3100, and for gas kWh the cap/12000.

Ofgem's published figures don't include VAT so add 5% to whatever you calculate (assuming a residential property).

Here is my own calculation of how the rates work out for each region, including VAT in the final steps:

If you've got Economy 7 or Economy 10 or some other multi-rate tariff, it's more complicated and I can't produce a simple table with rates. See this post for an explanation of why.

If you don't trust my sums and would like confirmation of the above rates, here is EDF's standard variable rate card, or the same thing from Octopus.

Dizee123

QrizB - thank you for this.  I have learned a lot about energy prices over the last few weeks .
I have searched for how you find out what region you are in, but may possibly be looking in the wrong place.
Is there a link where you can put in your postcode and it tells you what region you are in?

Also, is there a simple explanation of why the price varies by region?

QrizB

Dizee123 said:

I have searched for how you find out what region you are in, but may possibly be looking in the wrong place.
Is there a link where you can put in your postcode and it tells you what region you are in?
Also, is there a simple explanation of why the price varies by region?

There's a map of regions here (they date from the days of nationalised electricity and the regional electricity companies):

https://www.energybrokers.co.uk/electricity/pes-distributor-areas

The prices are made up of lots of individual factors. some of these vary by region. For example Scotland has a relatively low population density and so has more miles of electricity cable per customer than does London, so the network costs are higher.

Gerry1

Dizee123 said:

I have searched for how you find out what region you are in, but may possibly be looking in the wrong place.

Just look at the S number on your bill.  The figure in the bottom left of the grid (13) tells you the region (Merseyside and North Wales).

glensmen

QrizB said:

QrizB said:

In brief:

New cap, new explainer. Most of it the same as the last one, TBH.

Here is how it works:

• Ofgem publish a set of tables here showing maximum annual costs for the standing chage (SC) and for typical users. There are different tables depending on how you pay and whether you have single-rate or multi-rate electricity (eg. E7).
• The tables for a dual-fuel, single-rate customer are based on 3100 kWh/yr elec and 12000 kWh/yr gas
• If you divide the SC cap by 365 you get the daily SC cap
• If you subtract the annual SC cap from the 3100 kWh/yr electric cap, then divide by 3100, you get the kWh price
• Ditto for the 12000 kWh gas cap.

In practice there's a little bit of flexibility as suppliers can charge less SC and then bump their kWh rates up proportionately. The hard cap on electric kWh is the cap/3100, and for gas kWh the cap/12000.

Ofgem's published figures don't include VAT so add 5% to whatever you calculate (assuming a residential property).

Here is my own calculation of how the rates work out for each region, including VAT in the final steps:

Thank you for all the work you do - it's madness that Ofgem don't present things as clearly as you do. I had tried to do the same calculations myself, but wasn't aware that the extra 5% had to be added which makes a not-insignificant difference!

Dizee123

Thank you for the map ref, bill pointer, and explanation - makes sense.
In Southern Region so mediumly expensive, but could be worse

coupleuk

As I thought, my Standing Charge for electric is up 96% and kWh is up 20% (on existing cap).

As others have said, penalised for low usage.

Did someone somewhere mention global warming?