New British Gas electric rate higher than the cap?

Pat38493

Hi - I got an email from British Gas saying that the new price for my electric energy per KWh under the government cap is 35.982p.  

This seems a bit odd because I read an article on this website a few days ago quoting the price per KWh cap by region.  I live in the North West.  The price of 35.982p is higher than the price quoted by Martin Lewis for the North West, and actually it’s higher than any of the prices for any region at all.

How can that be?

[Deleted User]

Pat38493 said:

Hi - I got an email from British Gas saying that the new price for my electric energy per KWh under the government cap is 35.982p.  

This seems a bit odd because I read an article on this website a few days ago quoting the price per KWh cap by region.  I live in the North West.  The price of 35.982p is higher than the price quoted by Martin Lewis for the North West, and actually it’s higher than any of the prices for any region at all.

How can that be?

35.982p per kWh is the standard DD capped rate for the North Wales and Merseyside licence area.

That's the old MANWEB area - now run by SP Energy Networks.

Are you sure you're officially in the North West (NORWEB/Electricity North West) area?

You can find this out here https://www.energynetworks.org/customers/find-my-network-operator or by looking at your MPAN and seeing if the key digits (digits 9 & 10) are 13 or 16.

QrizB

Pat38493 said:

This seems a bit odd because I read an article on this website a few days ago quoting the price per KWh cap by region.  I live in the North West.  The price of 35.982p is higher than the price quoted by Martin Lewis for the North West, and actually it’s higher than any of the prices for any region at all.

There are several areas where the cap is higher than 35.892p/kWh for people who don't pay by DD or prepayment.

In the North West, it's 36.21p for cash/cheque payment, per the EDF rate card:
https://www.edfenergy.com/sites/default/files/government_energy_price_guarantee_prices._standard_variable_deemed_and_welcome._credit_meters.pdf

Edit to add: as stated above, you seem to have a N Wales & Merseyside tariff. Are you sure you're in the North West region?

Pat38493

[Deleted User] said:

Pat38493 said:

Hi - I got an email from British Gas saying that the new price for my electric energy per KWh under the government cap is 35.982p.  

This seems a bit odd because I read an article on this website a few days ago quoting the price per KWh cap by region.  I live in the North West.  The price of 35.982p is higher than the price quoted by Martin Lewis for the North West, and actually it’s higher than any of the prices for any region at all.

How can that be?

35.982p per kWh is the standard DD capped rate for the North Wales and Merseyside licence area.

That's the old MANWEB area - now run by SP Energy Networks.

Are you sure you're officially in the North West (NORWEB/Electricity North West) area?

You can find this out here https://www.energynetworks.org/customers/find-my-network-operator or by looking at your MPAN and seeing if the key digits (digits 9 & 10) are 13 or 16.

Well I thought I was in the North West as I live in Warrington, but I guess I must be in the North Wales/Mersey region and I guess the Mersey does go through Warrington.

However on the article I mentioned above, on looking at it again, it actually says the price for North Wales and Mersey is 36.02 which is actually the only one in the list higher than 35.982 - so is that article wrong?

It also begs the question - how come North Wales and Mersey customers have to pay more for their energy than anybody else in the country?

[Deleted User]

Pat38493 said:

However on the article I mentioned above, on looking at it again, it actually says the price for North Wales and Mersey is 36.02 which is actually the only one in the list higher than 35.982 - so is that article wrong?

That I don't know - a question for one of the MSE guys perhaps.  I take my numbers from the EdF tariff card that QrizB linked to - it's the most complete record of the new details that we have (and a quick look on the Octopus numbers agrees with it).

Pat38493 said:

It also begs the question - how come North Wales and Mersey customers have to pay more for their energy than anybody else in the country?

There's the comparison between North Wales & Merseyside and the national average.  Looks like almost all of the difference in standing charge, and half the difference in unit price is in the Network Costs allowance - so how much it costs to run and build the towers, lines, cables, substations etc in your area.  It also looks like it's cost a bit more to buy the electricity on the the wholesale market (the other half of the unit price difference).

Pat38493

[Deleted User] said:

Pat38493 said:

However on the article I mentioned above, on looking at it again, it actually says the price for North Wales and Mersey is 36.02 which is actually the only one in the list higher than 35.982 - so is that article wrong?

That I don't know - a question for one of the MSE guys perhaps.  I take my numbers from the EdF tariff card that QrizB linked to - it's the most complete record of the new details that we have (and a quick look on the Octopus numbers agrees with it).

Pat38493 said:

It also begs the question - how come North Wales and Mersey customers have to pay more for their energy than anybody else in the country?

There's the comparison between North Wales & Merseyside and the national average.  Looks like almost all of the difference in standing charge, and half the difference in unit price is in the Network Costs allowance - so how much it costs to run and build the towers, lines, cables, substations etc in your area.  It also looks like it's cost a bit more to buy the electricity on the the wholesale market (the other half of the unit price difference).

Thanks that helps me to at least clarify that they are not overcharging me somehow.

I also would wonder why the cost of running and building the infrastructure for North Wales / Mersey is more expensive intrinsically than areas that include for example the Lake District or both parts of Scotland, but since I doubt I will have the time to investigate further I guess I just have to live with it or move house

[Deleted User]

Pat38493 said:

[Deleted User] said:

Pat38493 said:

However on the article I mentioned above, on looking at it again, it actually says the price for North Wales and Mersey is 36.02 which is actually the only one in the list higher than 35.982 - so is that article wrong?

That I don't know - a question for one of the MSE guys perhaps.  I take my numbers from the EdF tariff card that QrizB linked to - it's the most complete record of the new details that we have (and a quick look on the Octopus numbers agrees with it).

Pat38493 said:

It also begs the question - how come North Wales and Mersey customers have to pay more for their energy than anybody else in the country?

There's the comparison between North Wales & Merseyside and the national average.  Looks like almost all of the difference in standing charge, and half the difference in unit price is in the Network Costs allowance - so how much it costs to run and build the towers, lines, cables, substations etc in your area.  It also looks like it's cost a bit more to buy the electricity on the the wholesale market (the other half of the unit price difference).

Thanks that helps me to at least clarify that they are not overcharging me somehow.

I also would wonder why the cost of running and building the infrastructure for North Wales / Mersey is more expensive intrinsically than areas that include for example the Lake District or both parts of Scotland, but since I doubt I will have the time to investigate further I guess I just have to live with it or move house

For the network costs part - the South West, both regions of Scotland and most of the North East of England is actually more expensive than your region.  They manage to be cheaper on some other components though.  

North Wales and Mersey somehow manages the unlucky feat of being either at or above the average cost in every category, and near the top in the two I've noted.

nekr0mantik

Called them and they said they still not finished sending emails to everyone so expect one by tomorrow. Won't hold my breath 🤣