Communal Heating & Hot Water Charges

[Deleted User]

chris_n said:

What is the gas for if you have communal heating?  

My cooker.

matelodave

If you only use gas for cooking you'd be better of getting an electric cooker and saving the gas standing charge.

[Deleted User]

matelodave said:

If you only use gas for cooking you'd be better of getting an electric cooker and saving the gas standing charge.

I'm with Utilita -- there is no standing charge. As far as I'm aware, they're the only company offering this at the moment -- but yeah, if they do away with it I'll need to think about switching to electric.

molerat

[Deleted User] said:

matelodave said:

If you only use gas for cooking you'd be better of getting an electric cooker and saving the gas standing charge.

I'm with Utilita -- there is no standing charge. As far as I'm aware, they're the only company offering this at the moment -- but yeah, if they do away with it I'll need to think about switching to electric.

There likely is a standing charge hidden in the first units used price

pochase

Correct, the Utilitia tariff without a standing charge is more expensive for the first 2KWh, 50% of the standing charge per KWh.

So if you use 2KWh of gas you pay exactly the same as on a tariff with standing charge.

Alnat1

But if the OP didn't use the gas cooker every day, they would only pay on the days they do use it. On a standard tariff the SC would be paid for every day whether or not you used any gas.

pochase

Very true, it ight be cheaper than a tariff with daily standing charges. But it is not a tariff without standing charges as the OP believes.

macman

Is this an annual increase aligning (almost) with the new tax year? If so, your rates have not risen since April '22, unlike anyone on a direct residential supply of gas and electricity, and yet you have still enjoyed £400 support via the EBSS and £150 CT rebate.
What does your TA say about the cost of this communal service? 

[Deleted User]

macman said:

Is this an annual increase aligning (almost) with the new tax year? If so, your rates have not risen since April '22, unlike anyone on a direct residential supply of gas and electricity, and yet you have still enjoyed £400 support via the EBSS and £150 CT rebate.
What does your TA say about the cost of this communal service? 

By TA do you mean tenants association? There isn't one, but there is a leaseholders association responsible for the freehold, and they set the rates charged to leaseholders -- council tenants don't have any contact with them.

The EBBS helped me with my general use of power -- just like the rest of the population, although I'd use the word 'appreciated' rather than 'enjoyed', Nevertheless it didn't make any difference to the communal charge -- which is set to rise on the 3rd April.

[Deleted User]

pochase said:

Very true, it ight be cheaper than a tariff with daily standing charges. But it is not a tariff without standing charges as the OP believes.

OK, but you get my drift. I don't use the gas cooker every day and I don't cook complicated meals when I do.

I can't remember the exact costs, but the first couple of units are charged at a higher rate -- however, having done the maths, it still works out cheaper than it would with a monthly standing charge tariff.

If they introduced a monthly charge, I would consider going all electric -- but the initial outlay of a matching quality electric cooker is beyond my means at the moment, so I hope it stays the same.