Electricity Supply - consumer request cuttoff

MattMattMattUK

wrf12345 said:

There were some threads saying it may be possible to get the standing charged refunded on gas if no gas is used for 12 months so same may apply to electric, possibly depending on who supplies you. If you cancel the DD and just build up the debt there is also some "free" money in the system to cover that, depending on individual circumstances. Whilst the energy companies can only make 3 percent profit huge chunks of money disappears into the ether due to clever accountants, and they are now making that 3 percent on a hugely enlarged chunk of change due to price increases so all consumers should find a way to fight back, the most sensible just cutting usage right back.

On the SVR the maximum profit margin is 2%. Money does not "disappear into the ether", the companies are regulated and audited, their permittable costs are regulated, they cannot increase their operational costs to hide profit. There is not need to "fight back" there is a need to be sensible with one's energy usage.

wrf12345 said:

As to the off-grid solar panels, interesting read but the actual solution, as in many countries where the regulator actually know what they are doing and looks after consumers, is on-grid solar but with the meter "running backwards" so that the summer excess is fully credited to the consumer for use in the winter. This would also encourage the fitting of solar with no incentives needed. In reality the excess solar would go into the grid and be used by industry where electric rates are eye-wateringly high so there would still be profit in it for the energy providers even though there would be glum faces at being forced, for once in their life, to be fair to consumers.

The reason that most countries do not allow meters to run backwards is because the energy itself is only one component of the cost of the per kWh cost, if the meter runs backwards it does not correctly reflect that. Solar panel fitting is already highly encouraged, the problem is not lack of encouragement, it is supply. Getting hold of good quality panels and experienced fitters at the moment is very difficult, in most parts of the country the minimum wait is six months, in some parts it is eighteen months. With current and predicted future energy costs the payback time for solar has reduced significantly. The energy providers are being fair to consumers, they were forced for large parts of the last year to sell energy below cost, that is more than fair to consumers. If you think suppliers have not been fair then you are demonstrating a complete lack of understanding of the energy industry. 

pochase

It is 2% profit , not 3%.

The 2% are set by Ofgem. Do you already know the Ofgem cap that will be published next Friday? You seem to know that the profit percentage will not be changed.

Meter running backward, you know that the unit price consists not only of the energy purchased but at least a third is made of other expenses. So why should a supplier but energy from you at a price much higher than whole sale price?

Good suggestion to cancel the DD and build up debt, so other energy users pay for your usage and make energy even more expensive for the majority of users.

Section62

wrf12345 said:

As to the off-grid solar panels, interesting read but the actual solution, as in many countries where the regulator actually know what they are doing and looks after consumers, is on-grid solar but with the meter "running backwards" so that the summer excess is fully credited to the consumer for use in the winter. This would also encourage the fitting of solar with no incentives needed. In reality the excess solar would go into the grid and be used by industry where electric rates are eye-wateringly high so there would still be profit in it for the energy providers even though there would be glum faces at being forced, for once in their life, to be fair to consumers.

You seem to think the UK approach to solar isn't fair to consumers.

Do you know how the UK approach works, and how that approach compares to meters "running backwards"?