Variable direct debits

Gerry1

Astria said:

 I thought that was the idea of smart meters - alerting you to high usage in a timely manner and sending in regular meter readings?

The ultimate idea of smart meters is all about Demand Side Response, basically ensuring that you use energy when it's convenient for the grid, not for you.  That's why a host of features such as Load Limiting and Load Shedding are baked in.

Most people seem to put the shiny toy at the back of a drawer after a week or two when the novelty has worn off, so they won't spot high usage in a timely manner, if at all.  They'll only become aware when the DD is re-evaluated, perhaps six months away or more when the damage has been done and it's far too late to do anything.

However if you're on Variable DD you get a warning the moment the next monthly DD notification is received. Much better system, and high time that dozy Ofgem made it the default. Variable DDs as standard would also stop Ponzi companies increasing the Fixed DDs until they go bust and have to be bailed out by all the other users.

BikingBud

I would like to run it like I do my credit cards, I know what I spend and reconcile the bill and about 3 weeks later it gets taken from my current account by DD.

How simple is that?

BikingBud

Direct debits are designed to be flexible.

One might say that energy companies should be operating Standing Orders as they are fixed but this would require customers to take greater ownership, something that is not always apparent.

RogerBareford

Gerry1 said:

Astria said:

 I thought that was the idea of smart meters - alerting you to high usage in a timely manner and sending in regular meter readings?

The ultimate idea of smart meters is all about Demand Side Response, basically ensuring that you use energy when it's convenient for the grid, not for you.  That's why a host of features such as Load Limiting and Load Shedding are baked in.

That's not correct. No energy supplier wants to be limiting the energy they supply to people because that means less income.

In actual fact the reason smart meters are pushed so hard is that they will be used to provide many more data points of how much energy is being used and where it is being used specifically. If you do some research online about "balancing the grid" you will see how important it is for them to know how much and where energy is being used and the better the balance it the more efficiently they can produce energy.

So the more data points the more efficiently they can produce the energy and know exactly where it needs to be going when they are planning the future of the national grid.

Load Limiting and Load Shedding are going to be features for emergency use only effectively when something goes very wrong with energy supply.

If you think they will be primary features of a smart meter, then that's like saying aircraft manufacturers plan to regularly decompress planes mid-flight because each plane is designed with an oxygen mask for each seating position...

jazzy

tunde10 said:

I always pay by Variable D/D. I am not strapped for cash or bad at budgeting that i need an energy company to even out the amounts for me.

I prefer to pay as i use and budget accordingly over the year. I won't choose a company that do not support Variable D/D's. It should be all compulsory for all energy suppliers to offer the option with probably 1 month payment in advance at the start as we have with most other Utilities.

What energy companies offer Variable Direct Debit?

bristolleedsfan

jazzy said:

tunde10 said:

I always pay by Variable D/D. I am not strapped for cash or bad at budgeting that i need an energy company to even out the amounts for me.

I prefer to pay as i use and budget accordingly over the year. I won't choose a company that do not support Variable D/D's. It should be all compulsory for all energy suppliers to offer the option with probably 1 month payment in advance at the start as we have with most other Utilities.

What energy companies offer Variable Direct Debit?

Larger suppliers Octopus, E.ON Next, EDF. Scottish Power, British Gas all support Variable direct debits,

Spies

bristolleedsfan said:

jazzy said:

tunde10 said:

I always pay by Variable D/D. I am not strapped for cash or bad at budgeting that i need an energy company to even out the amounts for me.

I prefer to pay as i use and budget accordingly over the year. I won't choose a company that do not support Variable D/D's. It should be all compulsory for all energy suppliers to offer the option with probably 1 month payment in advance at the start as we have with most other Utilities.

What energy companies offer Variable Direct Debit?

Larger suppliers Octopus, E.ON Next, EDF. Scottish Power, British Gas all support Variable direct debits,

I don't think octopus support a fixed one if you have smart meters so they? 

QrizB

Spies said:

bristolleedsfan said:

Larger suppliers Octopus, E.ON Next, EDF. Scottish Power, British Gas all support Variable direct debits,

I don't think octopus support a fixed one if you have smart meters so they? 

I'm with Octopus for electricity, have a smart meter and pay by fixed DD.

[Deleted User]

RogerBareford said:

Gerry1 said:

Astria said:

 I thought that was the idea of smart meters - alerting you to high usage in a timely manner and sending in regular meter readings?

The ultimate idea of smart meters is all about Demand Side Response, basically ensuring that you use energy when it's convenient for the grid, not for you.  That's why a host of features such as Load Limiting and Load Shedding are baked in.

That's not correct. No energy supplier wants to be limiting the energy they supply to people because that means less income.

In actual fact the reason smart meters are pushed so hard is that they will be used to provide many more data points of how much energy is being used and where it is being used specifically. If you do some research online about "balancing the grid" you will see how important it is for them to know how much and where energy is being used and the better the balance it the more efficiently they can produce energy.

So the more data points the more efficiently they can produce the energy and know exactly where it needs to be going when they are planning the future of the national grid.

Load Limiting and Load Shedding are going to be features for emergency use only effectively when something goes very wrong with energy supply.

If you think they will be primary features of a smart meter, then that's like saying aircraft manufacturers plan to regularly decompress planes mid-flight because each plane is designed with an oxygen mask for each seating position...

In a number of countries, Demand Side Response is used to switch off meters but not in the way that has been suggested. A consumer can enter into a contract to limit the instantaneous power taken from the Grid at certain peak times of the day. For example, the agreed limit might be 4kWs - enough to power a kettle or oven but not both at the same time. By doing this the consumer gets a cheaper overall tariff.

If the agreed kW limit is exceeded then the consumer gets IHD; SMS and email warnings. If these warnings are ignored, then the supplier has the legal/contractual right to disconnect the property from the Grid. The consumer can then call a dedicated phone number for reconnection. Frequent breaches of the contract will be dealt with by moving the consumer onto a more expensive/less restrictive tariff.