'Unfair' standing charges need to go: MPs back Martin's and MSE's calls for energy bill overhaul

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

[Deleted User] said:

We've lived in our current house for 10 years, for the first 5 or so SSE supplied, they took what they took as payment, came to read the meter whenever and I didn't even look at the bills.

There is no longer any requirement for suppliers to read domestic meters. This requirement was dropped from the Supply Licence some years ago. The requirement now is to obtain a meter reading once every 12 months. If consumers want to avoid estimated bills the answer is simple: provide regular meter readings or get a smart meter.

I'm not suggesting they should Was just highlighting that before energy supply was something that simply ran in the background without any input or thought from myself, once I started paying attention it was surprising how bad the level of service actually was. 

GingerTim

cheapbills said:

Hey everyone, I reckon these standing charges for energy are a real pain, especially for folks with tight budgets. It's like you're paying even when you're trying to save. And you know what? Most of us want these charges lowered or gone, just like that poll says.

Maybe we could chat about what we can do here in Australia to get our government and energy companies like CheapBIlls to listen to us and make things fairer. What are your thoughts on those 'rising block' tariffs? And extending support for those who need it most? Let's share our ideas and make our voices heard.

Mate, this is a UK site. At least target your spam correctly.

MikeJXE

matt_drummer said:

MikeJXE said:

mark_cycling00 said:

here we go again... middle class people with solar panels and second homes in Devon trying to offload some of their bills onto poor families in blocks of flats who have to heat their homes through electric storage heaters.

I moved into a ground floor flat 3rd February and read my meter thankfully electric and gas every week.

In the last 34 weeks my electric standing charge has been higher than my usage for 13 of them 

For gas the standing charge has been higher for 17 of them. 

How is it fair as the only way I can reverse that is to use more. 

Why does your usage need to be more than the standing charge?

Surely if you want to save money you use less?

And you seem to have achieved your goal?

What you seem to be looking for is a way to consume nothing and therefore  pay nothing?

Or have I got that wrong?

If your usage being more than the standing charge why don't you use more? I guess it is because you don't need to and/or it will cost you more?

I think you have that the wrong way round 

My standing charge should be less than my usage not the other way round. 

How can I save more when my gas usage in summer is zero 

I'm not looking to pay nothing if I use nothing I'm looking for a fairer system for everyone 

matt_drummer

MikeJXE said:

Why does your usage need to be more than the standing charge?

Surely if you want to save money you use less?

And you seem to have achieved your goal?

What you seem to be looking for is a way to consume nothing and therefore  pay nothing?

Or have I got that wrong?

If your usage being more than the standing charge why don't you use more? I guess it is because you don't need to and/or it will cost you more?

I think you have that the wrong way round 

My standing charge should be less than my usage not the other way round. 

How can I save more when my gas usage in summer is zero 

I'm not looking to pay nothing if I use nothing I'm looking for a fairer system for everyone 

You can't save more on your gas if your usage is zero, you have made the maximum saving possible. Unless you disconnect the supply it can never be zero.

How can your standing charge be less than your usage if your use is zero or next to zero?

You said the only way to make your usage charges more than your standing charge was to use more - it sounded like you would be happy if your usage charges were more than your standing charge.

You pay the same standing charges as me, how is that not fair?

What would be fairer, you to pay less I assume, and who would pay more to compensate?

[Deleted User]

How can I save more when my gas usage in summer is zero 

Low gas usage applies to most households with gas CH during the summer. I also use no grid electricity from March through until late September. Before anyone gets rid of standing charges, we need to look carefully at the ‘unintended consequences’ of any change. No system of charges or taxes is ever fair.

dunstonh

Most of us want these charges lowered or gone, just like that poll says.

Of course everyone wants to pay less.    However, the problem is when you start talking about how you are going to collect the equivalent amount of money that the standing charge generates.     

Maybe we could chat about what we can do here in Australia to get our government and energy companies like CheapBIlls to listen to us and make things fairer.

What is your definition of fairer?

 What are your thoughts on those 'rising block' tariffs?

Very unfair and likely to hit poorer people harder.    People who use more pay for it via the unit cost.   Why should they pay a different rate for infrastructure improvements and maintenance and supply companies when it hasn't cost any more to wire their electric to their house than a user next door who may use less?

Why should standing charges (or the equivalent cost) have anything to do with wealth or lack of?    Benefits are where this should be handled.    Indirect transfers of wealth from different groups should not form part of energy supply.   Especially as many high users will not be wealthy.  

born_again

dunstonh said:

Makes me wonder how come Martin gets huge support on almost everything he does except when it comes to the standing charge
Has he got it all wrong ? 

Logically, a consumer champion will support anything that makes their brand look good.     Martin also supported WASPI despite that being a flawed campaign and the majority of posters in the pension forum being against it.

The problem is the solutions talk about getting rid of the standing charge but not the about where the costs will be shifted to and who will pay for it.

Makes him look good & the people that will back this fail to realise that the standing charge loss will have to be funded elsewhere.

People see what they want "No Standing Charge" Wow think how cheap my bills will be.. Not look at the big picture... ML often fails to spell out the real facts & problems on issues like this.

Standing charge should just cover the power transmission infrastructure side. It should have nothing to do with failed companies etc. That should be funded by a levy paid by the energy firms.

MattMattMattUK

MikeJXE said:

matt_drummer said:

MikeJXE said:

mark_cycling00 said:

here we go again... middle class people with solar panels and second homes in Devon trying to offload some of their bills onto poor families in blocks of flats who have to heat their homes through electric storage heaters.

I moved into a ground floor flat 3rd February and read my meter thankfully electric and gas every week.

In the last 34 weeks my electric standing charge has been higher than my usage for 13 of them 

For gas the standing charge has been higher for 17 of them. 

How is it fair as the only way I can reverse that is to use more. 

Why does your usage need to be more than the standing charge?

Surely if you want to save money you use less?

And you seem to have achieved your goal?

What you seem to be looking for is a way to consume nothing and therefore  pay nothing?

Or have I got that wrong?

If your usage being more than the standing charge why don't you use more? I guess it is because you don't need to and/or it will cost you more?

I think you have that the wrong way round 

My standing charge should be less than my usage not the other way round. 

It is slightly odd, because even having a fridge-freezer would use more electricity than the standing charge over the course of a day. 

MikeJXE said:

How can I save more when my gas usage in summer is zero 

You cannot in respect to your gas bill, but as you have already saved the usage then you have economised as far as possible.

MikeJXE said:

I'm not looking to pay nothing if I use nothing I'm looking for a fairer system for everyone 

The system is fair, you are paying for the grid connection that is maintained to your property, if you want to stop paying for that then you would need to disconnect yourself from that system. 

matt_drummer

born_again said:

Standing charge should just cover the power transmission infrastructure side. It should have nothing to do with failed companies etc. That should be funded by a levy paid by the energy firms.

How would the energy companies fund this levy? Wouldn't they just get the money from their customers?

MattMattMattUK

matt_drummer said:

born_again said:

Standing charge should just cover the power transmission infrastructure side. It should have nothing to do with failed companies etc. That should be funded by a levy paid by the energy firms.

How would the energy companies fund this levy? Wouldn't they just get the money from their customers?

It does also seem insane that one company should have to pay out and make no profit because some of it's competitors go bust.