Plan of action? Low user with zero standing charges coming to the end of their tariff

Mee

Hi All,

Just wondered what other low energy users on zero standing charges soon to end tariffs are planning to do next?

July to July 2021/22 I used Gas 935 KWh* (@4.967p) and Electricity 819 KWh (@19.029p) with zero standing charges until end of October 2022.

I think the current price cap would mean a 230% increase for me and Oct-Jan 378%. Martin's calculator assumes standing charges so I'm not in a position to compare any offer when I receive it. 

*I've cut my gas consumption by 45% in the last year by cutting the hot water heat-up time from 30 minutes to 20 minutes daily and it is off on alternative days during the summer.

[Deleted User]

To start with - I think today's announcement means you can safely ignore any Oct to Jan change.

MattMattMattUK

Mee said:

Hi All,

Just wondered what other low energy users on zero standing charges soon to end tariffs are planning to do next?

July to July 2021/22 I used Gas 935 KWh* (@4.967p) and Electricity 819 KWh (@19.029p) with zero standing charges until end of October 2022.

I think the current price cap would mean a 230% increase for me and Oct-Jan 378%. Martin's calculator assumes standing charges so I'm not in a position to compare any offer when I receive it. 

*I've cut my gas consumption by 45% in the last year by cutting the hot water heat-up time from 30 minutes to 20 minutes daily and it is off on alternative days during the summer.

It is likely that your only option will be to roll onto the SVR, at least for the next two years and even then it is unlikely that energy will ever return to pre-invasion/Covid levels. 

wrf12345

OP, you will be hammered except the £400 freebie will cover the s/c plus a little bit extra, all you can do is cut back on usage, there are many threads on this.

Mee

wrf12345 said:

OP, you will be hammered except the £400 freebie will cover the s/c plus a little bit extra, all you can do is cut back on usage, there are many threads on this.

Yes, I know, but appreciate your reply.
I'm not sure I can cut back on usage any more without compromising my health which is a false economy.

macman

wrf12345 said:

OP, you will be hammered except the £400 freebie will cover the s/c plus a little bit extra, all you can do is cut back on usage, there are many threads on this.

OP's usage is already incredibly low. Unbelievably low, if that is a full year's kWh usage. If the gas is for both heating and hot water, 935kWh is not feasible, so I suspect that the heating is solid fuel or something else.

Mee

macman said:

wrf12345 said:

OP, you will be hammered except the £400 freebie will cover the s/c plus a little bit extra, all you can do is cut back on usage, there are many threads on this.

OP's usage is already incredibly low. Unbelievably low, if that is a full year's kWh usage. If the gas is for both heating and hot water, 935kWh is not feasible, so I suspect that the heating is solid fuel or something else.

It's all central heating in a one bed apartment and hot water is on 20 mins/day and alternative days in summer.

I'll check my calculations again when on a desktop...

Planeteer

That's incredible you were able to get by without a SC for so long! I was pleased to have mine till Avro folded sadly. Well done on your low rates and carbon footprint!

Mee

Mee said:

macman said:

wrf12345 said:

OP, you will be hammered except the £400 freebie will cover the s/c plus a little bit extra, all you can do is cut back on usage, there are many threads on this.

OP's usage is already incredibly low. Unbelievably low, if that is a full year's kWh usage. If the gas is for both heating and hot water, 935kWh is not feasible, so I suspect that the heating is solid fuel or something else.

It's all central heating in a one bed apartment and hot water is on 20 mins/day and alternative days in summer.

I'll check my calculations again when on a desktop...

As promised I rechecked my calculations and they are correct - see below bar graph on usage:




NB hot water tank/cylinder set at 45ºC rather than recommended 60/65ºC.

wrf12345

If you are surrounded by flats each side, above and below, and insulation is old specs, then arguably you could turn your central heating almost off and draw heat from all the other flats! Very anti-social but there you go.

Mee

wrf12345 said:

If you are surrounded by flats each side, above and below, and insulation is old specs, then arguably you could turn your central heating almost off and draw heat from all the other flats! Very anti-social but there you go.

Good point -  CH is rarely used except in winter and then normally only for short periods of time at set times in the morning and/or at night.
I'm on an end flat sandwiched between two other apartments and half the walls are external ones - half bedroom walls are external and as it is north facing can be very cold in winter; lounge/kitchen (where the boiler is) has a similar number of external walls come windows, is south facing and like a greenhouse in summer.