Removing standard charge - how would you interpret this?

Ectophile

If you do it right, there's no need to wait exactly a year to avoid standing charges.

It's down to the wording of the Gas Act, and the way the courts have interpreted it.  If you have not "taken a supply", then you can't be a deemed customer.  But if you agree to a contract, then you are a customer.

So when you talk to them, make sure that they know that you don't intend to use any gas for now, and you don't agree to be a gas customer.  That way, they have no right to charge you a standing charge at all.

MWT

dn852k4 said:

I need to set up a deemed account for gas and inform them that I won't be using any gas, should I mention it won't be needed until the winter or avoid any time scales?

You are not setting up a deemed account, the meaning of 'deemed' is that it is a contract account that you didn't set up but have entered into through your other actions... in this case that would be using gas, so don't do that.

The crux of your position is that you cannot be considered to be in a deemed contract because you have not used any gas, and until you do use the gas there is no contract under which to bill you for the standing charge...

This is why I suggested you make sure that the previous owner/landlord turns off the gas when they submit their meter reading and doesn't just leave the boiler running as that would leave you in a deemed contract...

Ultrasonic

dn852k4 said:

Mobtr said:

You will still need to set up an account for gas as although you say you won’t be using any, you are still responsible for it. The link says you need to remain on a standard/deemed tariff & show no gas is used to get a refund. It also says it’s refunded after 1 year of using no gas. 

How will you be using no gas until winter? What about hot water or is that electric? 

It's all electric apart from the gas boiler for the central heating. 

What about hot water? Just checking as it would be unusual if this wasn't provided by the gas boiler too. 

dn852k4

Ultrasonic said:

dn852k4 said:

Mobtr said:

You will still need to set up an account for gas as although you say you won’t be using any, you are still responsible for it. The link says you need to remain on a standard/deemed tariff & show no gas is used to get a refund. It also says it’s refunded after 1 year of using no gas. 

How will you be using no gas until winter? What about hot water or is that electric? 

It's all electric apart from the gas boiler for the central heating. 

What about hot water? Just checking as it would be unusual if this wasn't provided by the gas boiler too. 

It's a bit of a strange set up  the heating is run off a boiler and the hot water a separate immersion heater. We're going to either go the solar panel route or put in a combi boiler when we get a new bathroom which probably won't be until next year. 

Robin9

PS I have asked MSE to create a separate thread   (done using the Report button)


@Juliefu Mine is £4.77, but the unit charge is under 5p - what is your unit cost as its the overall cost which is important ?

Xbigman

If you use no gas for 120 days you'd save between £35 and £40. Are you really going to faff around for a saving that size with all the complications that moving house entails? I do appreciate that for some people that is a lot of money but you are talking about Solar panels and Combi boilers which cost thousands. You do need to put these things in perspective.


Darren 

wrf12345

won't work, they wait for a year to check that you have not used any gas, if you use it after five months then you will have to pay it for the five months... BG are a slightly better company and are offering low s/c fixed for a year if you want to change companies but they will try to ramp up the DD at the first opportunity and no variable DD on their new accounts. Would wait for the next set of Ofgem caps as there is some pressure to lower the s/c's, although Ofgem have deliberately increased them to help out the energy co's in the recent past.

Scot_39

Have you considered the Utilita option.

Zero SC per se - in reality built into first 2 units and a slight premium on others based on quotes seen here in past.

But if not using for 6-8 months of the year for now it may be an option if they will take you on.

But as soon as you switch to combi it won't be cheapest option.

Iirc they won't take gas only applications online - if phone ? - as they too I suspect are wise to the implications.


I am not sure why you'd wait for the bathroom. 

One winter of electric HW - in my case for 1 is c4kWh per day inc small hw tank and its losses and 1 cold fed electric shower.  At svt electric that's c£1 - less on a good e7 off peak if have it - but still likely more that for gas @c£0.24.  So SR 75p well ahead of the savings on gas SC. 

born_again

For posters today. This is a 2 year old thread. 
So it's fair to say that the @dn852k4 solved the issue. Would be interesting to know if they got away without paying for the few months of no gas.