Zero standing charge tariffs. Are there any?

pensionpawn

I don't normally need to use gas April - September inc as I can heat water for free due to my solar panels, so paying the standing charge each month is quite frustrating. As I'm out of contract on a variable tariff I could quit my gas supply in the spring and restart with the same / different company in the autumn. However it would like the option of a zero standing charge tariff for which I could do the sums to determine if that would be a better option for me. However I can't find any and thus suspect that they were culled years ago when it was deemed that the energy sector had too many varied tariffs that were complicating choice for people. Does anyone know what the present situation is? Are energy companies prevented from offering them?

MWT

pensionpawn said:

As I'm out of contract on a variable tariff I could quit my gas supply in the spring and restart with the same / different company in the autumn.

No, that isn't possible either, you would have to pay to have the meter removed before you could terminate your supply contract, since as long as the meter is there, you must pay the standing charge...

[Deleted User]

Simple answer is that there are none.

It's not actually true, because we found a strange Outfox The Market electricity-only tariff a few days ago that had no standing charge.  There were standing charges on the equivalent gas and dual fuel tariffs though, so no help there.

pensionpawn

MWT said:

pensionpawn said:

As I'm out of contract on a variable tariff I could quit my gas supply in the spring and restart with the same / different company in the autumn.

No, that isn't possible either, you would have to pay to have the meter removed before you could terminate your supply contract, since as long as the meter is there, you must pay the standing charge...

So I've just read (via Octopus) that meters are not owned by the customer (no surprise there) or the energy company (didn't know that) but by a company called MAPs who charge a monthly fee (a driver for the standing charge no doubt). It also confirms what you say about the standing charge will only stop when the meter is removed and the supply capped (which could incur a charge!) Doing that will no doubt impact the saleability of the house so that's not really an option. So with no zero standing charge tariffs available the customer has little choice other than to hand over money for a service that they don't use part of the year. With the S/C rising at the same rate as the actual energy, something that Martin Lewis is as frustrated as me about, hopefully we will soon see more choice (competition lol) however I'm not getting too optimistic as the sector is more and more operating like a cartel.

QrizB

pensionpawn said:

With the S/C rising at the same rate as the actual energy ...

October 2022 cap:

• Gas standing charge: was 27.2p/day, now 28.5p/day, increase 5%
• Electricity standing charge:was 45.3p/day, now 46.4p/day, increase 2.5%
• Gas: was 7.37p/kWh, now 14.76p/kWh, increase 100%
• Electricity: was 28.34p/kWh, now 51.89p/kWh, increase 83%
  

[Deleted User]

The gas standing charge is less than £100 per year (about 27p per day, expected to come down to 26p next year).  There are much better ways of saving 27p per day on your energy bill.

It's not some big conspiracy.  If you use gas, you need there to be gas pipes in the ground, pumping stations, valves, control systems....  I would hope that you would like these to be inspected occasionally, upgraded when needed and replaced if they get damaged?  Don't you think 27p per day is a reasonable price for this?

I don't use the M1 every day, and I never use the M3.  It doesn't mean that I think the highways agency should stop looking after the roads on the days that I don't need them.

pensionpawn

QrizB said:

pensionpawn said:

With the S/C rising at the same rate as the actual energy ...

October 2022 cap:

• Gas standing charge: was 27.2p/day, now 28.5p/day, increase 5%
• Electricity standing charge:was 45.3p/day, now 46.4p/day, increase 2.5%
• Gas: was 7.37p/kWh, now 14.76p/kWh, increase 100%
• Electricity: was 28.34p/kWh, now 51.89p/kWh, increase 83%
  

My gas standing charge did not change much in April, I agree, however it has more than doubled in a year. The unit tariff increased fractionally more. Any idea what the S/C increase will be in October? Without debating the precise figures my point is that the standing charge is increasing considerably, is obviously a fixed cost regardless of how much someone can reduce their consumption and there are no zero standing charge tariffs to offer choice to the consumer.

MWT

pensionpawn said:

So I've just read (via Octopus) that meters are not owned by the customer (no surprise there) or the energy company (didn't know that) but by a company called MAPs who charge a monthly fee (a driver for the standing charge no doubt).

No, it is just a very small part of the operating costs of the supplier and is not responsible for the recent changes in standing charges.

[Deleted User]

pensionpawn said:

QrizB said:

pensionpawn said:

With the S/C rising at the same rate as the actual energy ...

October 2022 cap:

• Gas standing charge: was 27.2p/day, now 28.5p/day, increase 5%
• Electricity standing charge:was 45.3p/day, now 46.4p/day, increase 2.5%
• Gas: was 7.37p/kWh, now 14.76p/kWh, increase 100%
• Electricity: was 28.34p/kWh, now 51.89p/kWh, increase 83%
  

My gas standing charge did not change much in April, I agree, however it has more than doubled in a year. The unit tariff increased fractionally more. Any idea what the S/C increase will be in October? Without debating the precise figures my point is that the standing charge is increasing considerably, is obviously a fixed cost regardless of how much someone can reduce their consumption and there are no zero standing charge tariffs to offer choice to the consumer.

Gas standing charge expected to be unchanged for 6 months and then 1p cheaper.

Electricity standing charge expected to be unchanged for six months and then halve.

pensionpawn

[Deleted User] said:

pensionpawn said:

QrizB said:

pensionpawn said:

With the S/C rising at the same rate as the actual energy ...

October 2022 cap:

• Gas standing charge: was 27.2p/day, now 28.5p/day, increase 5%
• Electricity standing charge:was 45.3p/day, now 46.4p/day, increase 2.5%
• Gas: was 7.37p/kWh, now 14.76p/kWh, increase 100%
• Electricity: was 28.34p/kWh, now 51.89p/kWh, increase 83%
  

My gas standing charge did not change much in April, I agree, however it has more than doubled in a year. The unit tariff increased fractionally more. Any idea what the S/C increase will be in October? Without debating the precise figures my point is that the standing charge is increasing considerably, is obviously a fixed cost regardless of how much someone can reduce their consumption and there are no zero standing charge tariffs to offer choice to the consumer.

Gas standing charge expected to be unchanged for 6 months and then 1p cheaper.

Electricity standing charge expected to be unchanged for six months and then halve.

Fingers crossed that you're proven correct!

uksitebuilder

A large portion of the Standard Charge doubling in a year is due to the 29 energy companies going bump.  We are literally paying to recoup their losses.  Standing charges will start to decrease and return hopefully to more normal levels for what they are and have been intended for which is in the main, the ongoing maintenance of the networks and infrastructure which gets the energy to our homes and businesses