Percentage of bill going on standing charges.

Chrysalis

Currently about 45% of my most recent gas bill is on SC.

I calculated the increase of my SC from 1st July on the new Agile tariff is just under 25% of my usage costs on electric.  So the full amount of SC on electric for me will be circa 50% of my usage costs, so about 1/3 of my electric bill.

I expect this will make my average somewhere around 40% across both fuels post July.  Curious what it is for other people.

Wholesale rates continue to move down, if they persist long enough for it to start affecting SVR by a bigger amount, the SC increases are going to stand out more for people I think.

hellosupernova

My gas standing charge is 27.47p per day on SVR and my actual usage cost has been averaging around 67p each day. That's hot water use only and I am not using my gas central heating at the moment due to the cost.

I have solar and a battery so my electric has been averaging minus £1.75 each day so they owe me credit. Standing charge is 49.02p per day.

If I use my gas central heating I owe around £3 per day or more. However if I use an oil filled radiator or electric throw to take the chill out of a room or myself instead I dont owe anything and my solar export is effectively subsidising the hot water. But come winter I am dreading the gas bill again.

Mstty

10% of our total bill electircty only (details of house and setup in signature)

cm4ever

Surely this just all boils down to how much energy you use per day.... for low users like us the SC element of the bill is always going to be a relatively high % during the warmer months?

Due to the installed solar & battery storage, current electric imports are ridiculously low, I'm talking 4-7kWh usage per MONTH meaning 90% or more of each monthly bill is just SC. Although any additional solar export generates credit which has covered the electric bill and potentially helps subsidise the gas bill.

Due to adjusting the room thermostat and thankfully the return of warmer weather, the central heating no longer comes on automatically and with a combi boiler - the only gas usage is on demand hot water or gas hob food cooking, therefore we've been averaging gas usage of approximately 2-4kWh usage per DAY meaning the daily gas SC % varies between say 40-70% of that days total gas charge.

Yes, I'd love it if the gas and electric SC were lower but in reality they are what they are and I can't see them dramatically changing to the values of 2/3yrs ago anytime soon ..... don't get me started on the cost of diesel which has been a rigged ripoff for years!

I'm seriously considering joining the queue for just Octopus tracker gas, but I'm holding out to see what movement happens in July for the SVR gas prices, hoping Octopus gas unit cost could reduce and make the difference between gas SVR and tracker less of an attraction - to me its currently looking like an illuminated light bulb in the dead of night to a moth!

Caveat to the above - a key element is going to be how well insulated your home is and yes some would say I'm still in negative equity (and will be for years) due to the initial cost of my solar & battery storage, but what's spent is spent, time to move on and feel the day to day benefit 

[Deleted User]

Chrysalis said:

Currently about 45% of my most recent gas bill is on SC.

I calculated the increase of my SC from 1st July on the new Agile tariff is just under 25% of my usage costs on electric.  So the full amount of SC on electric for me will be circa 50% of my usage costs, so about 1/3 of my electric bill.

I expect this will make my average somewhere around 40% across both fuels post July.  Curious what it is for other people.

Wholesale rates continue to move down, if they persist long enough for it to start affecting SVR by a bigger amount, the SC increases are going to stand out more for people I think.

Given that we need to improve the National Grid following years of under investment, I cannot see large reductions to the standing charge. There are also ongoing consultations about a Hydrogen levy.

wrf12345

Ofgen are to blame for the absurdly high standing charges that discourage low/green usage, no reason why they can't be eliminated and rolled into the unit charge (only those above average use would pay more). The latest bit of trickery is to increase the standing charges on prepayment meters from July 1st and slightly decrease the unit rate (the idiots in govn seem to only have mandated that the overall average rate be the same as DD) in direct opposition to the mandate to improve things for those on prepayment meters. Those on smart prepayment meters do not cost more than DD because they can not get into debt so that element saves the co's a huge amount of dosh and s/c's should be moving towards zero. I am not sure if we are dealing with incompetence or crookedness from Ofgen but they should be closed down.

Mstty

wrf12345 said:

Ofgen are to blame for the absurdly high standing charges that discourage low/green usage, no reason why they can't be eliminated and rolled into the unit charge (only those above average use would pay more). The latest bit of trickery is to increase the standing charges on prepayment meters from July 1st and slightly decrease the unit rate (the idiots in govn seem to only have mandated that the overall average rate be the same as DD) in direct opposition to the mandate to improve things for those on prepayment meters. Those on smart prepayment meters do not cost more than DD because they can not get into debt so that element saves the co's a huge amount of dosh and s/c's should be moving towards zero. I am not sure if we are dealing with incompetence or crookedness from Ofgen but they should be closed down.

What are you prepared to do about it though. I have read the same thing from you and have you done anything?

We are the nation of armchair procrastinators.

[Deleted User]

wrf12345 said:

Ofgen are to blame for the absurdly high standing charges that discourage low/green usage, no reason why they can't be eliminated and rolled into the unit charge (only those above average use would pay more). The latest bit of trickery is to increase the standing charges on prepayment meters from July 1st and slightly decrease the unit rate (the idiots in govn seem to only have mandated that the overall average rate be the same as DD) in direct opposition to the mandate to improve things for those on prepayment meters. Those on smart prepayment meters do not cost more than DD because they can not get into debt so that element saves the co's a huge amount of dosh and s/c's should be moving towards zero. I am not sure if we are dealing with incompetence or crookedness from Ofgen but they should be closed down.

Ofgen does not exist. It is the Office of Gas and  Electricity Markets (Ofgem): a non-Ministerial department within the UK Government. If Ofgem was shut down, it would have to be replaced with another organisation that had identical responsibilities.

You keep pedalling the assertion that standing charges are unfair yet you fail to acknowledge that there is an infrastructure cost associated with maintaining the Grid; providing you with a meter etc. These fixed costs do not vary based on how much energy you use.

Zero standing charge tariffs failed because low users and those, say, with PV solar do not contribute to business profits in any meaningful way. The supplier still has to raise bills and pay staff to purchase energy; deal with customer issues etc

The underlying premise in all your posts is that those who earn more or use more energy should pay more. I would respectfully suggest that those who are higher earners already contribute more to the Tax pot which pays for the public services that we all benefit from. 

Sadly, we have become a country that is now associated with falling productivity. If I was younger, standing charges would be low in my list of concerns. I would be more worried about who was going to pay for my State Pension; Health and other benefits? Taxing the rich is not a sustainable plan.

MattMattMattUK

wrf12345 said:

Ofgen are to blame for the absurdly high standing charges that discourage low/green usage, no reason why they can't be eliminated and rolled into the unit charge (only those above average use would pay more). The latest bit of trickery is to increase the standing charges on prepayment meters from July 1st and slightly decrease the unit rate (the idiots in govn seem to only have mandated that the overall average rate be the same as DD) in direct opposition to the mandate to improve things for those on prepayment meters. Those on smart prepayment meters do not cost more than DD because they can not get into debt so that element saves the co's a huge amount of dosh and s/c's should be moving towards zero. I am not sure if we are dealing with incompetence or crookedness from Ofgen but they should be closed down.

Talking about "idiots in govn" and "Ofgen", whilst having almost no understanding of the energy systems and markets in the UK and globally...

Brie

Got to admit I don't understand why it's charged separately.  Does that happen with water?  I know it doesn't happen with my groceries.  

MattMattMattUK

Brie said:

Got to admit I don't understand why it's charged separately.

It is designed to cover the specific and generalised costs of being connected to the energy networks, the costs that exist independly of what one uses. 

Brie said:

Does that happen with water?

Yes.

Brie said:

I know it doesn't happen with my groceries.  

Your supermarket is not connected directly to your house, with a requirement for them to supply food on demand.