Energy price cap for residential park home owners

MarkD833

Would anybody know if residential park home owners are covered by the Ofgem energy price cap?

We live on a mixed use holiday park (i.e. private residential homes, private holiday homes and rental homes). Our park owner is classed as a reseller. We have found out from the Mobile Homes Act that the park owner cannot charge us more per unit of electricity and gas than they pay for it themselves. We have not been able to determine if we are covered by the Ofgem price cap even though we are domestic users paying VAT at 5%.

Thanks.

DE_612183

The price cap only refers to Standard Variable Tariffs - so it will depend what tariff your park owner is on - my guess is that they are on a business tariff so it probably doesn't apply

MattMattMattUK

MarkD833 said:

Would anybody know if residential park home owners are covered by the Ofgem energy price cap?

We live on a mixed use holiday park (i.e. private residential homes, private holiday homes and rental homes). Our park owner is classed as a reseller. We have found out from the Mobile Homes Act that the park owner cannot charge us more per unit of electricity and gas than they pay for it themselves. We have not been able to determine if we are covered by the Ofgem price cap even though we are domestic users paying VAT at 5%.

Thanks.

You are not covered by the energy price cap, that is for residential users with a residential account only, which you do not have. 

The chances are that the site operator has to buy at commercial rates, that they will then charge on to you, as you state they are not allow to make a profit on the energy supplied, but that does not mean your supply is subject to the capped rates. Unfortunately commercial rates are higher than domestic capped rates. 

What rates are you being charged? 

QrizB

MarkD833 said:

Would anybody know if residential park home owners are covered by the Ofgem energy price cap?

If you have your own electricity bill from an electricity supplier, you are covered. If you buy it from the park owner, you aren't.

Our park owner is classed as a reseller. We have found out from the Mobile Homes Act that the park owner cannot charge us more per unit of electricity and gas than they pay for it themselves. We have not been able to determine if we are covered by the Ofgem price cap even though we are domestic users paying VAT at 5%.

From that description, you aren't covered by the cap. It's most likely that the park owner is buying electricity on an uncapped commercial tariff.

What rates are you paying?

MarkD833

Thanks for the information. Our electricity bill for April-June shows we've been charged at  £0.1517 / kWh.

QrizB

MarkD833 said:

Thanks for the information. Our electricity bill for April-June shows we've been charged at  £0.1517 / kWh.

That's a much lower rate than the capped SVT that many residential customers are paying. You're paying slightly more than half the SVT.

littleteapot

That's a very low rate. Could it be the park owners have a long term fixed commercial tariff from a couple of years ago? Dunno how you would find out when it was started and when it was due to be renewed though - maybe as simple as asking at the site office.

GingerTim

And finding out when the current tariff ends so you can brace yourself for the increase when it does.

macman

I'd leave well alone, the site operator might have forgotten to increase the rates...

mr_stripey

I'd say nothing, but start putting money aside for the inevitable increase when it does come.

MarkD833

Agreed, we've already been putting money aside as we know it will only increase. There's a chance that our site, being 1 or around 10 sites across the UK (mostly holiday parks with high energy usage), owned by the same company, will have negotiated a good deal for the huge quantity of energy consumed across all sites.

Another interesting find, which I'm currently verifying is still in effect, is a statement from Greg Hands (Minister of State  - Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) on the 28th Feb 2022, in response to a question from Justine Madders MP, which reads: "The maximum price set by Ofgem for resupplying gas or electricity which has already been bought from an authorised supplier, exists to protect people such as those who are residents of mobile park homes and buy their fuel from the park owner."

I'd post the link to the actual page on the Parallel Parliament website but the forums won't let me yet.