31% increase on electricity daily standing charge, is this fair and just?

lee.0308

April 2023 Electricity Daily Standing Charge Increase

gbhxu

Rip off

We need a social standing charge tarrif. BT can do it. I'm paying the same per month on electric standing charge that I do for 3moths with BT. And BT standing charge includes some phone calls.

Ayr_Rage

Fair

It is NOT 31% for everyone !

MattMattMattUK

Fair

gbhxu said:

We need a social standing charge tarrif. BT can do it. I'm paying the same per month on electric standing charge that I do for 3moths with BT. And BT standing charge includes some phone calls.

BT charge everyone else more so that those who on the "social" tariff get subsidised phone lines/broadband. What you are saying is that you think it is "fair" that everyone else pays more so that you pay less. I know fairness is subjective, but on any measure that is seriously stretching thr definition of fair.

MattMattMattUK

Fair

It is fair because it reflects the cost of maintaining the network and is paid by everyone who has a connection to the network. 

[Deleted User]

gbhxu said:

We need a social standing charge tarrif. BT can do it. I'm paying the same per month on electric standing charge that I do for 3moths with BT. And BT standing charge includes some phone calls.

That will just increase the amount we all pay in standing charges. Government support schemes such as Warm Home Discount etc have always fed into the social and environmental element of the daily standing charge.

matt_drummer

Fair

It's fair, it covers the costs of providing the supply of energy to our homes. Expecting it to be free or for somebody else to pay for it so you don't have to is unfair.

Mstty

Fair

🟥 Fair 

However, without the cost of living payments I would suggest this is very difficult for those with limited income is unsustainable as a base of nearly £300 for dual fuel properties.

Most of those will be on a pre payment option so at least their summer can be contained but what happens this winter will be interesting.

TheElectricCow

Fair

What is considered “fair and just” is naturally highly subjective, but considering that the standing charge is based on network distribution/operating costs it’s hard to say that an increase is unfair. 

It is overall just what it costs to supply electric to your home and if those costs go up for any reason they’ve got to be paid for somehow. People who consider it a “rip off” can usually stop paying for that upkeep it if they truly believe that, all they’d need to do is get themselves disconnected from the grid. Although perhaps when faced with that less palatable alternative many would decide the standing charges aren’t that bad after all.

Of course I would like to see the charges come down, just as almost everyone would, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say the charges are not fair. What I wouldn’t want is for the charges to come down at the expense of grid infrastructure and/or consumer credit protection on failed suppliers.

The_Green_Hornet

Not sure

Personally I would like to see the standing charge go back to its original purpose of paying for the fixed costs associated with the supply/delivery of energy to the customer before successive governments added ever increasing social and environmental levies on to it and used it to pay for the failure of Ofgem to properly vet  new entrants into the energy supply market.

Yes those  things have to be paid for but I would sooner see it come out of a progressive tax system than a regressive standing charge.

dealyboy

Rip off

... it's a flat rate.

Would you consider flat rate income tax fair? or council tax? or car tax? ... paying the same as everybody else.

It should be a percentage ... perhaps 5% to replace the VAT.