Any mathematicians about to work out tarrif?

jadey2024

Hi, 

Maths is not my strength and I need help understanding how to work something out if anybody is willing to explain what is probably going to be simple working out. 

I have fixed with Eon v14 today. Before October 21 and before this April I twice didn't fix thinking I'd be okay on the cap but seriously regretted it as I would have been better off fixing on the fixed tarrifs they then pulled and which was replaced with extortionate tarrifs. I don't want to make same mistake again before October because I would have been better of fixing on those tariffs conpared to now on price cap. There is no exit fees on this tarrif so thinking I can just pull out if it turns out I made wrong decision.

Anyway, Martin advises on possibly fixing if the fix tarrif is no more than 30% what your current prices are. How do you work that  out? 

I'm on E7 and obviously I will be paying more between now and October gone up 7p on day rates from 32p to 39p and night rates up from 17p to 24p. I just want to know if going by his percentages  if I likely made the right choice for this coming October on fixing now (Chances are eon will soon pull this tarrif like they did the others I was looking at but didn't fix on and replace with even more expensive fixes. This particular tarrif is just slightly better than the fixes they previously offered me after the good ones I missed out on. My DD has now gone down  from £90 to £85 pm although I obviously know it depends on how much energy I use on how much I actually end up paying on bill.

My energy last winter between Oct- to end Feb was increased by about £40 per month on top of normal amount with heating being on. (And that was with heating on much less than previous winters and where we were in rooms below 13 degrees an awful lot) 
My current bills with heating now off is about £35 per month over last couple months with being extra strict but with fix will obviously increase from next month. 

QrizB

Hi jadey, good to have you back again.

jadey2024 said:

I'm on E7 and obviously I will be paying more between now and October gone up 7p on day rates from 32p to 39p and night rates up from 17p to 24p.

MSE, Ofgem and the analysts are all expecting the October cap to be over 40p/kWh for day rate electricity, which would probably put the night rate 25p-30p/kWh. Once we get to October you should be better off, but you'll be paying a bit more from now until then.

My current bills with heating now off is about £35 per month over last couple months with being extra strict but with fix will obviously increase from next month.

Of that £35, almost £15 will be standing charge so you're using about £20pm of electricity. On your new rates that might increase by £5-6 per month while your heating is off. You're looking at spending an extra £15-£20 in total, between now and October, by taking the fixed rate.

When you get to the winter you'll be spending more than last year but saving maybe 5p per unit compared to the expected variable price. It's then that you'll see the benefit of the fixed rate tariff.

My energy last winter between Oct- to end Feb was increased by about £40 per month on top of normal amount with heating being on. (And that was with heating on much less than previous winters and where we were in rooms below 13 degrees an awful lot)

I'm sorry to hear this; electricity prices will be higher again next winter. You should get the £400 credit from the government which will go some way towards making up the difference.

jadey2024

Thank you.

I am a low user normally in day but winter my night usage will go up much more so more looking on savings at that particular time come this winter than anything. Hopefully it will pay off. In meantime it gives me even more incentive to use less electricity when I am at home during day so I'm not too out of pocket over next few months. I use my washing machine during night and charge my devices through night already but the kiddo is forever charging and leaving stuff on charge despite it being fully charged on my day rates so going to clamp down on her now. Between her, the oven and hoover that is where most my day rate usage goes on lol and maybe TV but only on 2-3 hours a time. 

Gerry1

Charging a phone or laptop uses very little energy so the saving by charging at night will be negligible.  It's the high wattage items you need to worry about.  Don't even think of using an electric shower, and make sure the immersion heater only comes on during the cheap rate period.

Make sure you know exactly what the cheap rate starts and finishes: look at the meter on the wall, don't assume it follows the default times for your region.  Watch out for a second immersion heater halfway up the tank: leave it permanently switched off because it will be on a 24h circuit and can use expensive day rate electricity.

jadey2024

I don't use the immersion. I heat washing up water in a huge casserole dish in oven when cooking dinner. It comes out much hotter than the kettle water too. 

With showers, what are we supposed to do instead? I don't do baths because we don't use immersion heater. Plus we don't have time and it uses more water. We shower less than before, I body wash more and when we do shower it is timed and never more than 10 minutes plus on eco mode. 

I know when my rates start and finish. 

jadey2024

This might seem a silly question, but if the immersion was turned on through the night, would that hot water be used if I did use the shower? Or that hot water just comes through the taps only?
I've been in this property almost 14 years and majority of that time the immersion has been off. I put it on every now and then to make sure it still works as I rent and need to check on behalf of landlady. 

QrizB

jadey2024 said:

This might seem a silly question, but if the immersion was turned on through the night, would that hot water be used if I did use the shower? Or that hot water just comes through the taps only?

If you have an electric shower, it is fed with cold water and it heats it up itself.

If you have a mixer shower, it draws its hot water from the hot water tank (and you will only get cold showers with the immersion off).

I don't use the immersion. I heat washing up water in a huge casserole dish in oven when cooking dinner. It comes out much hotter than the kettle water too.

Using an electric oven to heat water is likely to be less efficient, and cost more, than using a kettle. A kettle gets water to boiling point and that's as hot as it can get at home unless you're using a pressure cooker.

RobM99

A shower costs how much?   Someone explain how it's expensive.

QrizB

RobM99 said:

A shower costs how much?   Someone explain how it's expensive.

Sure, here's a post I prepared earlier.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79086119#Comment_79086119

jadey2024

QrizB said:

jadey2024 said:

This might seem a silly question, but if the immersion was turned on through the night, would that hot water be used if I did use the shower? Or that hot water just comes through the taps only?

If you have an electric shower, it is fed with cold water and it heats it up itself.

If you have a mixer shower, it draws its hot water from the hot water tank (and you will only get cold showers with the immersion off).

I don't use the immersion. I heat washing up water in a huge casserole dish in oven when cooking dinner. It comes out much hotter than the kettle water too.

Using an electric oven to heat water is likely to be less efficient, and cost more, than using a kettle. A kettle gets water to boiling point and that's as hot as it can get at home unless you're using a pressure cooker.

I use the oven to heat water while only cooking dinner at same time. I don't put it on just to heat water. I just utilise the oven while already in use. 

Mstty

jadey2024 said:

QrizB said:

jadey2024 said:

This might seem a silly question, but if the immersion was turned on through the night, would that hot water be used if I did use the shower? Or that hot water just comes through the taps only?

If you have an electric shower, it is fed with cold water and it heats it up itself.

If you have a mixer shower, it draws its hot water from the hot water tank (and you will only get cold showers with the immersion off).

I don't use the immersion. I heat washing up water in a huge casserole dish in oven when cooking dinner. It comes out much hotter than the kettle water too.

Using an electric oven to heat water is likely to be less efficient, and cost more, than using a kettle. A kettle gets water to boiling point and that's as hot as it can get at home unless you're using a pressure cooker.

I use the oven to heat water while only cooking dinner at same time. I don't put it on just to heat water. I just utilise the oven while already in use. 

You have to be specific here otherwise you get pulled apart or made to look silly. I got what you meant 👍

Not a bad idea, we have been utilising every rung of the oven too since taking an interest in energy saving. So not a bad idea at all for the washing up as we are heating the hot water less and less during the summer months intact every other day at present for only an hour.