Confused by Energy Support payments

twopenny

Can you tell me if the Support is only paid on Electricity bills please - not on Gas.

I had the  electric bill with the discount applied - excellently laid out, 3 cheers for EDF - for Oct, Nov, Dec though it wasn't dated

The gas (British Gas) nada.

Looking at Citizens Advice it says "As per the current scheme the government will provide a discount on your gas and electricity unit prices"

I'm having to guess by the amount I've got from the electric (£199) that that is where I'm getting it.

If so then I'm going to switch to electric to keep warm in this cold spell which I can do per room as used and I'm in a tiny bit of credit but don't want to do that if I'm wrong.

All bulbs on low wattage, using the microwave instead of the oven the bill is much lower than gas which is outrageous for a tiny bungalow. If I'm getting just the discount on electric which now has credit it seems a better way to work.

I'm still paying quaterly at the mo but please don't go into that. I'll deal with it when things straighten out a tad.

Unless you can tell me differently

Just going slightly crazy trying to deal with the fuel situation + car breakdown + 3, gas piping problems (4 gas enginers), freezer breakdown, digi recorder breakdown, rising prices, trying to get trades (no bathroom), food shortages, repeated changes to the medical fraternity etc.

Mstty

Yes the £400 is paid over 6 months to your electricity bill only October 2022 - March 2023 and paid on the 1st of each month

twopenny

Thanks Mstty.

Can't exactly relax but now I know what's what. Great!

[Deleted User]

Hi,

as already said the £400 (6 monthly payments) was for electricity account holders,

The Price Cap was applied to electricity and gas unit prices.

macman

As above, the discount referred to by CA is the price cap and the EPG. The EBSS is applied to your electricity account only, otherwise you would be getting £800, not £400.
But it's insane to use electricity for heating just because that's where the EBSS credit is applied, if you have the option of mains gas. The bills all come out of the same pot. You do realise that electricity is 350% more expensive than gas per kWh?
And yes, you are paying about 6% more on quarterly billing than on DD.

Spoonie_Turtle

twopenny said:

The gas (British Gas) nada.

Looking at Citizens Advice it says "As per the current scheme the government will provide a discount on your gas and electricity unit prices"

I'm having to guess by the amount I've got from the electric (£199) that that is where I'm getting it.

This is a different thing, separate from and additional to the £66/67 payments.

The discount on gas and electricity unit prices is exactly that, we are being charged less for both fuels because of the government discount.  When you get a bill from British Gas your unit rate should be ~10.3p/kWh, without the government discount it would be more like 14p/kWh for October-December and 16p/kWh for January-March.  This is called the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG).

The £400 in £66/67 payments is the Energy Bills Support Scheme, and delivered through electricity accounts because almost every household has one of those, whereas not everyone has mains gas so it would have been more complicated to deliver it via gas accounts and then have to get it to everyone who is not on gas a different way.

twopenny

Thank you for a clear explanation Turtle. Yes, just checked that's the kWh I have.

Not entirely mad using electric because of the way I get sun in the house which warms it and I have some efficient heaters which will warm when needed (about an hour morning and evening) and can be switched off when not required rather than heating the whole with a poor set up.

The bill is in credit and will be used with the discount to see me through this cold spell.

macman

You don't have to heat the whole house with gas, just turn off the rads you don't need and set the progammer for the hours you want. All electric heaters are the same efficiency (100%), but not even at 100% is it cheaper to run than a gas boiler (maybe 80-90% efficient) that uses fuel that is 350% cheaper. 

twopenny

I know where you're coming from Macman but there is something wrong with my central heating system so I'm using it less anyway because I can't afford £400 where it's normally less than half that.

It takes ages to get a heating guy. 4 have looked. Everything working. That's next to sort.

I'll let you know if you're right

Mstty

macman said:

You don't have to heat the whole house with gas, just turn off the rads you don't need and set the progammer for the hours you want. All electric heaters are the same efficiency (100%), but not even at 100% is it cheaper to run than a gas boiler (maybe 80-90% efficient) that uses fuel that is 350% cheaper. 

@macman

I think you need do do your maths again on your percentages.

(EPG average rates)

At 34p and 10.4p the percentage comes out at 327% not taking into account efficiencies

If we take into account efficiencies 

Gas price 10.4p 85%efficient = 11.96p kWh out

Elec price 34p  100% = 34p kWh out

284% (this is the more accurate figure when someone choses gas over electricity for heating when they have both when not using heat pump technology)

I only bring this up as it is pertinent to understanding for all on board for future discussions that Air to air and ASHP are cheaper to run than gas at the current price cap EPG ratios.

(It's early morning so correct me if wrong)