Gas Price increase of 80% from 1st April

MWT

flustered said:

MWT said:
The cap is set separately for gas and electricity, it isn't one cap for them both.

MWT - Thanks.  I understand that (I think).  But my electricity comes from a different company (Octopus - 2-year fixed rate). 
Are you saying that if I had both gas AND electricity from British Gas, the combined 2 unit rate increases would not have exceeded 54% ?

No, it doesn't matter where they come from the headline '54%' number is across both electricity and gas in total, not a 54% rise on each, and it is also based on the typical user consuming 2900kWh or electricity and 12,000kWh of gas and further, is an average across the UK.

So your specific price rise will work out to be higher or lower than 54% depending on where you are in the UK and how much of each you use....

QrizB

flustered said:

MWT said:
The cap is set separately for gas and electricity, it isn't one cap for them both.

MWT - Thanks.  I understand that (I think).  But my electricity comes from a different company (Octopus - 2-year fixed rate). 
Are you saying that if I had both gas AND electricity from British Gas, the combined 2 unit rate increases would not have exceeded 54% ?

It's worse than that. If:

• you have gas and electricity from the same supplier; and
• your current rate is exactly at the October 2021 cap; and
  
• your rate from April will be exactly at the April 2022 cap; and
• you use exactly 2900kWh/yr of electricity and 12000kWh/yr of gas; and
• you live in the "average" UK region; and
  
• you pay by DD
  

... then yes, your current annual bill of £1277 will be increasing to £1971, an increase of 54%.

If any of those statements do not apply to you, your increase will be a different %.

flustered

EssexHebridean said:

But your gas standing charge has gone up by LESS than 54% - and if you look at your electricity rates, you'll find that while the Standing charge has increased hugely - 100% for a fair number of folk - the unit rate has increased by a lot less of a percentage (for most - the exception will be those on E7 tariffs with Utility Warehouse). This is my point - you need to look at the whole picture to get a proper grasp of the increase - not just take selected bits of it and say they're too high. The "54%" quoted on the cap is an average across the two fuels.

EssexHebridean - Thanks for the full response. I take your point and I am looking at the whole picture as far as my gas charges are concerned.  And I am certainly not saying that the charges are "too high"; I was only trying to understand why the gas unit charge has risen by over 80%.  As I said, I can't include my electricity in this since it is supplied by a different company. 
Anyway, thanks for your help.  

flustered

MWT said:

Are you saying that if I had both gas AND electricity from British Gas, the combined 2 unit rate increases would not have exceeded 54% ?

No, it doesn't matter where they come from the headline '54%' number is across both electricity and gas in total, not a 54% rise on each, and it is also based on the typical user consuming 2900kWh or electricity and 12,000kWh of gas and further, is an average across the UK.

So your specific price rise will work out to be higher or lower than 54% depending on where you are in the UK and how much of each you use....

MWT - Thanks again.  

Ultrasonic

Ultrasonic said:

I may be missing the point of your question, but the cap is increasing on 1 April, hence prices rising then.

Ultrasonic - I realise that the cap is increasing on 1 April.  It's the 82% gas unit rate rise (see reply to EssexHebridean above) that I am querying.

I'm guessing you live in the Midlands? The change in gas unit price you quoted matches the change in the cap price on 1 April for this region.

As others have said, the calculation of the 54% figure is for the total energy cost for a dual-fuel household for a defined 'typical' usage. Changes to individual elements of the bill (e.g. the gas unit price) can and do differ from the 54% figure whilst the change to this total is 54%.

flustered

Ultrasonic said:

I'm guessing you live in the Midlands? The change in gas unit price you quoted matches the change in the cap price on 1 April for this region.

As others have said, the calculation of the 54% figure is for the total energy cost for a dual-fuel household for a defined 'typical' usage. Changes to individual elements of the bill (e.g. the gas unit price) can and do differ from the 54% figure whilst the change to this total is 54%.

Ultrasonic - For what it's worth, I live in the Gloucester area. 

Ultrasonic

flustered said:

Ultrasonic said:

I'm guessing you live in the Midlands? The change in gas unit price you quoted matches the change in the cap price on 1 April for this region.

As others have said, the calculation of the 54% figure is for the total energy cost for a dual-fuel household for a defined 'typical' usage. Changes to individual elements of the bill (e.g. the gas unit price) can and do differ from the 54% figure whilst the change to this total is 54%.

Ultrasonic - For what it's worth, I live in the Gloucester area. 

I had a quick Google to check and that is in the Midlands energy region.

C_Mababejive

I think one of the biggest cons is that the standing charges are also going up dramatically and that the SC varies from one supplier to another.

I feel there is a real lack of transparency as to how the SC is calculated and whats included in it.

A check with OFGEM reveals that the SC includes the transportation charges from the national grid and DNO,a plethora of green levies and charges and also rolled up into it are the costs associated with failed energy providers.

QrizB

I am struck by the mental flexibility needed to state that the standing charge isn't transparent and then immediately list the things Ofgem uses to calculate it.