Gas Standing Charges..

harlings

This makes my blood boil.. I try to reduce my costs by keeping my usage low then they shaft me by increasing the standing charges!!

MattMattMattUK

harlings said:

This makes my blood boil.. I try to reduce my costs by keeping my usage low then they shaft me by increasing the standing charges!!

Standing charges cover the cost of maintaining and upgrading the network that gives you all the gas you can use, on demand, delivered directly to your premises, why does that that make your blood boil? Surely you do not believe that the cost of maintaining the network should be paid for by other people, but not by yourself?

tim_p

For such low usage, have you done the maths around getting rid of gas entirely?

MikeJXE

I guess all low users like myself have the same issue and all we can do is suck it up.

If we want to save more we have to use more.

Network cost vary by region and I understand London is the cheapest 

Was wondering how that would work out regarding Thames Water

Will the cost of that network be paid by the region or will we al have to pay ? 

MattMattMattUK

MikeJXE said:

I guess all low users like myself have the same issue and all we can do is suck it up.

If we want to save more we have to use more.

Network cost vary by region and I understand London is the cheapest 

Yep, many many more users per km of cable, per substation, lower transmission losses due to higher density of dwellings etc. However also higher energy costs as there is little generation within the region, or particularly close to it, especially renewables. 

MikeJXE said:

Was wondering how that would work out regarding Thames Water

Will the cost of that network be paid by the region or will we al have to pay ? 

It will probably be added to bills for Thames Water customers, but no one knows yet, they have to go bust first. 

MWT

harlings said:

This makes my blood boil.. I try to reduce my costs by keeping my usage low then they shaft me by increasing the standing charges!!

You are using 1kWh of gas a day...

May as well get rid of gas completely, or simply accept that whatever level of SC is set, it will always be higher than your charge for gas used each day..

Hoenir

MikeJXE said:

I guess all low users like myself have the same issue and all we can do is suck it up.

No different to running a car.  There's base costs involved irrespective of the mileage covered. Most importantly. It's there and works when you need it. 

doodling

Hi,

Hoenir said:

MikeJXE said:

I guess all low users like myself have the same issue and all we can do is suck it up.

No different to running a car.  There's base costs involved irrespective of the mileage covered. Most importantly. It's there and works when you need it. 

This.

For the OP, having a gas supply is like paying for a car that does 1 mile a year.

If this is a realistic consumption for the property then ditching gas (which will have a one off cost) is the best move.

Expect gas standing charges to increase further - it makes sense to push all low gas users to electricity from an environmental point of view.

Gerry1

How do you heat the rooms and the water?

Scot_39

In the old days cooker and boiler pilot lights would use more than 372 kWh - sometimes well over 1000.

Ofgem headline price cap is based on a mid size of 11500kWh pa - just over 30x that consumption.

Your definitely not a typical customer.

And to those above who say - begs the question - should you be keeping gas at all.  Using apr ave regional  dd rates from Ofgem tables - 372kWh x6.04p = £22.  Standing charge = 31.43px365 = £114pa.

But if shift - 372kWh at SR electric 24.35 p = c£90

So although at £135 pa in your region - it's not tiny - its not that hideous a cost - for standard grid energy.  And the £45 difference if moved same use (electric could by 20-50% more efficient though so actualkyba bigger saver - if say gas hob dominates use) - could / would take a long time to recoup say upfront cost for disconnecting meter / supply and  to buy a new electric fire or cooker especially - it could take years / decades to recover.

But it seems likely if not inevitable SC for gas and even unit rates - will soon face upward pressure - as 100,000s switch to ashp - govt target - failing like so many  of 600,000 pa by 2030?) and as carrot turns to stick as net zero deadlines approach.

But that 1.83p compares to yet another c6.85p on ave electric, a whopping near 14p in worst region.

In last 2 years cap end Mar 22 to new Apr 24 as of Monday - my electric SC has more than doubled - up nearly 32p - c24->c56p - the ave gas just 5.3p  (c26.1->c31.4)


Gas SC up 1.83p gas unit price down 1.38p on ave (DD).  Anyone using  just under 500kWh gas pa saves - less than 5% of cap TDCV - so the vast majority.

As @Gerry1, the question springs to mind are you using much more expensive electric (around 4x per kWh) for heating and hot water.  Or are you actually like some flat owners who have posted here in past, paying community heating, own gas (basically cooker or fire in summer) and own electric ?

macman

That's a £2 increase, not £1...