Standing charges for gas?

Bexiemoray

I have a hybrid ASHP with a backup gas boiler (needed as I live in the Highlands and it sometimes gets too cold for the ASHP), but it means I’m stuck paying standing charges for gas when I’m rarely actually using any gas. I’d be much better off paying a higher unit charge/lower standing charge, but I can’t find any suppliers who do this. Can anyone help?

Mstty

No, what you want does not exist.

How many days a year is it too cold for the heat pump? You could make the decision to ditch the £100 gas standing charge to use electric heaters if it's only a few days?

[Deleted User]

Again, not really answering your question, but in these circumstances you may find using bottled gas a more cost effective option with the additional cost of the gas being offset by the removal of the standing charges. The conversion is inexpensive in most cases.

chris_n

[Deleted User] said:

Again, not really answering your question, but in these circumstances you may find using bottled gas a more cost effective option with the additional cost of the gas being offset by the removal of the standing charges. The conversion is inexpensive in most cases.

That's what I would do.

Scot_39

Not sure about their rates vs Ofgem capped,but Utilita still do a prepay option with standing charge rolled into 1st 2 units daily iirc.

But you'd probably need to move both gas and electric.  they wont quote gas only on line at least.

You could try getting a quote to compare.

But at c£100pa for gas SC - and iirc a small premium on their tariff rates from the one post quoting their actual rates recently -  that could add in high use months - you may not save that much if at all over the year.

And kiss good buy to ashp favourable tariffs in the process.

Bexiemoray

Mstty said:

No, what you want does not exist.

How many days a year is it too cold for the heat pump? You could make the decision to ditch the £100 gas standing charge to use electric heaters if it's only a few days?

Not sure that would work, practically - I'd have to have 2 sets of radiators in each room - one driven by the ASHP and then electric ones for 'other' days??  Maybe what I was hoping for doesn't exist as yet.

Mstty

Bexiemoray said:

Mstty said:

No, what you want does not exist.

How many days a year is it too cold for the heat pump? You could make the decision to ditch the £100 gas standing charge to use electric heaters if it's only a few days?

Not sure that would work, practically - I'd have to have 2 sets of radiators in each room - one driven by the ASHP and then electric ones for 'other' days??  Maybe what I was hoping for doesn't exist as yet.

Depends on the amount of days your ASHP doesn't work.

QrizB

Bexiemoray said:

I’d be much better off paying a higher unit charge/lower standing charge, but I can’t find any suppliers who do this. Can anyone help?

There were some suppliers offering zero standing charge tariffs. The problem with these was that they attracted very low users (like you, plus holiday homes etc.) who, in turn, paid very low bills. The suppliers still needed to pay the standing charges for the connections to the energy networks, and as a result they were making a loss on every acocunt.

So the suppliers stopped offering them.

Qyburn

As already suggested, bottled gas would be technically the easiest alternative. You'd have to factor in cylinder charges as well as cost of converting the boiler. Unless you manage to snap a couple of free cylinders like we did. Most cookers can be converted as well, so you retain a gas hob for when the power's off.

Do you yet know how much gas you use in a year? Propane is more expensive per kWh than mains gas, roughly 14kWh per kg.

MyPlanet

Martin's blog states "Outrageously, most people will pay £300 per year just for the facility of having gas and electricity, even if you don't use any. This is due to the high energy standing (daily) charges. These are a moral hazard and should, at the minimum, be substantially reduced – something I am, again, campaigning with the regulator Ofgem to change." https://blog.moneysavingexpert.com/2023/07/martin-lewis--why-are-energy-standing-charges-so-high--what-can-/

Whilst Martin is campaigning, we as the electorate can at least make our feelings known
Please sign this petition:    https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/635530 

Our MPs should be supporting us!
Thank you

[Deleted User]

MyPlanet said:

Martin's blog states "Outrageously, most people will pay £300 per year just for the facility of having gas and electricity, even if you don't use any. This is due to the high energy standing (daily) charges. These are a moral hazard and should, at the minimum, be substantially reduced – something I am, again, campaigning with the regulator Ofgem to change." https://blog.moneysavingexpert.com/2023/07/martin-lewis--why-are-energy-standing-charges-so-high--what-can-/

Whilst Martin is campaigning, we as the electorate can at least make our feelings known
Please sign this petition:    https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/635530 

Our MPs should be supporting us!
Thank you

The petition is going extraordinarily well. It has 11 days to run and it has amassed 417 signatures:

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/635530

To put ‘small’ into context for electricity, the removal of the standing charge for a TDCV customer would add 24% to the unit price. High energy users may be the less well off living in poorly insulated rented accommodation.