MSE News: Energy bills to fall by 7% as new Price Cap is announced

Swipe

Mstty said:

Swipe said:

MSE_James said:

Our price cap calculator has now been updated with the new rates - enter your annual usage and it will work out what the October price cap will be for you in your region:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/what-are-the-price-cap-unit-rates-/#epgcalculator 

I wish these links would open in a new browser tab. Is that possible? I can't see any way to set this.

Right click or long hold on android

I know how to do it on all platforms but I'm so used to it being the default on other forums I use that I often forget when using MSE

Mstty

Swipe said:

Mstty said:

Swipe said:

MSE_James said:

Our price cap calculator has now been updated with the new rates - enter your annual usage and it will work out what the October price cap will be for you in your region:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/what-are-the-price-cap-unit-rates-/#epgcalculator 

I wish these links would open in a new browser tab. Is that possible? I can't see any way to set this.

Right click or long hold on android

I know how to do it on all platforms but I'm so used to it being the default on other forums I use that I often forget when using MSE

I think there is a particular part of the forum to log these things I forget now.

Boxman

mmmmikey said:

Yes indeed, but look on the bright side - it will divert attention at Victor Meldrew Society meetings away from the smart meter roll out......

To the relief of the head in the sand smart meter propaganda merchants!

dealyboy

Mstty said:

Swipe said:

MSE_James said:

Our price cap calculator has now been updated with the new rates - enter your annual usage and it will work out what the October price cap will be for you in your region:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/what-are-the-price-cap-unit-rates-/#epgcalculator 

I wish these links would open in a new browser tab. Is that possible? I can't see any way to set this.

Right click or long hold on android

... even quicker ... ctrl left click

Swipe

dealyboy said:

Mstty said:

Swipe said:

MSE_James said:

Our price cap calculator has now been updated with the new rates - enter your annual usage and it will work out what the October price cap will be for you in your region:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/what-are-the-price-cap-unit-rates-/#epgcalculator 

I wish these links would open in a new browser tab. Is that possible? I can't see any way to set this.

Right click or long hold on android

... even quicker ... ctrl left click

As I said, I do know how to do it manually but I don't see any way to set it as the default action in settings. I've raised it on the feedback forum.

justwantedtosay

matt_drummer said:

Please explain how you are being ripped off.

Don't just say the prices are too high and they make too much money.

Explain how you would deliver energy at a lower cost, where would you save money and how much do you think the true charges should be?

There's no need to save money or deliver energy at a lower cost. The problem with standing charges is that they hit the poor so hard. They should be scrapped and the unit prices increased so the providers still had the income they need to provide a service but it's being paid in proportion to the customer's usage and not just for the privilege of having a supply. I'm not thinking of those lucky enough to have solar panels but the very many who simply can't afford to stay warm in winter and whose standing charges can be more than the cost of the energy itself. 

A social tariff is not the answer as there would inevitably be a cliff edge cut off as to who gets it - probably those on benefits, many of whom are very much better off than a single OAP just above the pension credit cut off. I know people who are approaching retirement and are making sure they won't qualify for a full state pension so they will get pension credits and all the £1,000s in other benefits that will open the door to.

MattMattMattUK

justwantedtosay said:

matt_drummer said:

Please explain how you are being ripped off.

Don't just say the prices are too high and they make too much money.

Explain how you would deliver energy at a lower cost, where would you save money and how much do you think the true charges should be?

There's no need to save money or deliver energy at a lower cost. The problem with standing charges is that they hit the poor so hard. They should be scrapped and the unit prices increased so the providers still had the income they need to provide a service but it's being paid in proportion to the customer's usage and not just for the privilege of having a supply. I'm not thinking of those lucky enough to have solar panels but the very many who simply can't afford to stay warm in winter and whose standing charges can be more than the cost of the energy itself. 

The problem with scrapping standing charges is that benefits low users and penalises average and higher users. In general low users are those with well insulated homes with solar and heat pumps, usually the better off in society. Where as those who would be penalised more are those who are at home a lot, need to sustain a heat level and have badly insulated homes without solar, usually retired people, the disabled etc. Scrapping standing charges would disproportionately benefit higher earners. 

justwantedtosay said:

A social tariff is not the answer as there would inevitably be a cliff edge cut off as to who gets it - probably those on benefits, many of whom are very much better off than a single OAP just above the pension credit cut off. I know people who are approaching retirement and are making sure they won't qualify for a full state pension so they will get pension credits and all the £1,000s in other benefits that will open the door to.

I agree that social tariffs are not the answer, they are an awful idea. Those who game the benefits system should be penalised and the pension credit system needs to be scrapped, it is again a gateway/cliff edge and needs to be abolished and replaced with tapered help. 

spot1034

justwantedtosay said:

matt_drummer said:

Please explain how you are being ripped off.

Don't just say the prices are too high and they make too much money.

Explain how you would deliver energy at a lower cost, where would you save money and how much do you think the true charges should be?

There's no need to save money or deliver energy at a lower cost. The problem with standing charges is that they hit the poor so hard. They should be scrapped and the unit prices increased so the providers still had the income they need to provide a service but it's being paid in proportion to the customer's usage and not just for the privilege of having a supply. I'm not thinking of those lucky enough to have solar panels but the very many who simply can't afford to stay warm in winter and whose standing charges can be more than the cost of the energy itself. 

A social tariff is not the answer as there would inevitably be a cliff edge cut off as to who gets it - probably those on benefits, many of whom are very much better off than a single OAP just above the pension credit cut off. I know people who are approaching retirement and are making sure they won't qualify for a full state pension so they will get pension credits and all the £1,000s in other benefits that will open the door to.

It doesn't follow that higher usage relates to wealth. A need to consume high amounts of energy might well reflect a medical need which can affect anyone, so a poorer consumer who happens to fall into this category will end up paying more than the average if their consumption happens to be above average. Conversely, a wealthier consumer might well spend much less time in their home and therefore have below average bills.

[Deleted User]

There's no need to save money or deliver energy at a lower cost. The problem with standing charges is that they hit the poor so hard.

Standing charges are a form of indirect taxation. Governments could choose to pay for the Grid; smart meters; Warm Home Discounts etc through taxation. They choose not to do so because no Government wants to be seen to be putting up direct taxation. Low energy use is not a good indicator of poverty; similarly, high energy use is not an indicator of wealth.  No standing charge tariffs have been tried, as have tiered unit price tariffs: both have major weaknesses. 

spot1034

Probably of no significance at this stage but I notice that wholesale prices moved higher in afternoon trading for no particular reason that I'm aware of - maybe just a bit of a correction to the sharp downward movement earlier in the week (markets tend to overshoot both to the upside and the downside), but it just adds a small amount to the Cornwall Insight predictions for future periods published earlier.