Campaign to ban Standing Charges

ariarnia

wittynamegoeshere said:

Another one, randomly off the top of my head then...

https://www.ovoenergy.com/

Again, I've no idea how to become a customer or what their prices are.

maybe because ovo aren't doing online quotes right now so they took the link off there home page? its been said a few times that current events mean theres not much of a market. but current events also aren't 'normal' times. 

here is the wayback machine and what the ovo homepage looked like on 1st jan. 


https://web.archive.org/web/20220101125044/https://www.ovoenergy.com/

but if you google 'ovo quote' (hopefully something most people would try if they were struggling to find the info) you get there quote page which has this message 



octopus and edf are both fequently recommended for people who want to switch 

first result on google search for 'octopus'  https://octopus.energy


and first result searching for edf https://www.edfenergy.com



I'm not seeing the problem?

[Deleted User]

pensionpawn said:

Deleted_User said:

ariarnia said:

it would be good if it would be possible to not pay the standing charge for vacant properties if someone is in hospital or if probate is taking a long time and the services arent being used at all. like the council tax grace period. discomnection and reconnection is expensive and not really an option. but that will only be a very small number of people each year. i would also hope that we have more tariffs in the future that are 0 standing charge. then people can decide for themselves if they are better off with higher unit rates and no charge (very low users) or paying the charge. but thats also not going to happen until theres some competition again so 2 years plus. 

Some suppliers actually do this - if you have many months with zero usage, they have been known to waive the standing charge (and even backdate that decision) - but it's hit-and-miss who does and when.

I think we would have zero standing charge tariffs now still, if the cap wasn't structured how it is.  At the moment, you can't increase unit rates over the cap to cover a zero standing charge to give that option because it would break the licence conditions, and no supplier is going to have two tariffs with the same rate but only one of them with standing charges.  Although I suppose the cap-exempt green suppliers probably could do the variance required.

Why not? Levy the standing charge on the unit rate and offer as an alternative. Let the customer decide which tariff works for them based on their energy needs.

That wouldn't be the same rate though.  That would be a different rate because it had the standing charge included.  It would not be cap-compliant. 

The only option that could comply with the cap (and I'll use false numbers here) would be two tariffs:

50p SC + 34p UR and 0p SC + 34p UR

Which supplier would offer those as a choice?

ariarnia

pensionpawn said:

[Deleted User] said:

ariarnia said:

it would be good if it would be possible to not pay the standing charge for vacant properties if someone is in hospital or if probate is taking a long time and the services arent being used at all. like the council tax grace period. discomnection and reconnection is expensive and not really an option. but that will only be a very small number of people each year. i would also hope that we have more tariffs in the future that are 0 standing charge. then people can decide for themselves if they are better off with higher unit rates and no charge (very low users) or paying the charge. but thats also not going to happen until theres some competition again so 2 years plus. 

Some suppliers actually do this - if you have many months with zero usage, they have been known to waive the standing charge (and even backdate that decision) - but it's hit-and-miss who does and when.

I think we would have zero standing charge tariffs now still, if the cap wasn't structured how it is.  At the moment, you can't increase unit rates over the cap to cover a zero standing charge to give that option because it would break the licence conditions, and no supplier is going to have two tariffs with the same rate but only one of them with standing charges.  Although I suppose the cap-exempt green suppliers probably could do the variance required.

Why not? Levy the standing charge on the unit rate and offer as an alternative. Let the customer decide which tariff works for them based on their energy needs.

thats what a some places did pre cap. you could get 0 standing charge tariffs with a higher unit rate. so low users might want that because they would be better off but high users wouldn't because it would cost them more than a lower rate with standing charge. 

the thread is about taking away the customers choice to pick a balance those two elements depending on there usage. 

Astria

wittynamegoeshere said:

I didn't know this, I just googled British Gas.  What percentage of potential new customers do you think know about the fact that to join British Gas you need to go elsewhere?

You don't need to go anywhere else, if you google "British gas tariffs" you end up with a list of all tariffs (after entering your post code for regional differences).

As a new customer they will allow you to setup a new account almost instantly, it's only switches they are discouraging.

PennineAcute

But what if a supermarket sells a tin of beans for 50p, and a four pack of beans for £1.80.  WHich is better value?

ariarnia

PennineAcute said:

But what if a supermarket sells a tin of beans for 50p, and a four pack of beans for £1.80.  WHich is better value?

depends on if you want and are going to use 4 tins of beans (a regular conversation my OH makes me have before we buy things)

Astria

ariarnia said:

PennineAcute said:

But what if a supermarket sells a tin of beans for 50p, and a four pack of beans for £1.80.  WHich is better value?

depends on if you want and are going to use 4 tins of beans (a regular conversation my OH makes me have before we buy things)

I did see an older lady in front of me in the mini supermarket buying a tin of custard. The checkout operator helpfully said "These are by one get one free, so if you buy 2 you get the second one free", to which she replied "But I only want the one, I don't want two"