OFGEM - Winter 2025/2026 Standing Charge Plans

silverwhistle

Whenever I see people complaining about net zero, and there are some prime examples on this thread, I'd like to ask them the average price they are paying for a unit of electricity. My last bill I paid 13.4p a unit and a reduction is entirely possible with my recent tariff change. 

Currently Heysham 1 has 1 reactor off, and 1 on reduced load. Heysham 2 both offline, Hartlepool has been off for 3 months or more. So my current cheap bills aren't due to nuclear, or to cheap (or not) internationally traded gas. They are due to wind and solar and judicious demand management on my part.

The only point I agree on in some of the rants above is that planning should have been far better to bring power to market, and that is now happening with the build out of HVDC along with BESS and pumped storage. But the previous government's (in power 14 years remember) lack of interest in the matter is impacting us now. Newer wind farms coming on stream this winter to the extent of 2GW will be unconstrained.

We'll see at the end of winter how prices perform, and I think a reduction in the use of expensive gas is highly likely, and it has been gas that has been setting the marginal high prices over the last couple of years. 

michaels

Ildhund said:

Chrysalis said:

Ofgem was put under pressure to get SC under control as there is too much stuff in there that shouldnt be in there, 

What is in the SC that shouldn't be, in your opinion? There's often a suggestion, for example, that some policy elements of the SC should be covered by 'general taxation'. Why would this be better, or more equitable, do you think? 

For me paying for income redistribution is best done via taxes on ... income, not energy consumption.  Seems you differ.

mmmmikey

silverwhistle said:

Whenever I see people complaining about net zero, and there are some prime examples on this thread, I'd like to ask them the average price they are paying for a unit of electricity. My last bill I paid 13.4p a unit and a reduction is entirely possible with my recent tariff change. 

Currently Heysham 1 has 1 reactor off, and 1 on reduced load. Heysham 2 both offline, Hartlepool has been off for 3 months or more. So my current cheap bills aren't due to nuclear, or to cheap (or not) internationally traded gas. They are due to wind and solar and judicious demand management on my part.

The only point I agree on in some of the rants above is that planning should have been far better to bring power to market, and that is now happening with the build out of HVDC along with BESS and pumped storage. But the previous government's (in power 14 years remember) lack of interest in the matter is impacting us now. Newer wind farms coming on stream this winter to the extent of 2GW will be unconstrained.

We'll see at the end of winter how prices perform, and I think a reduction in the use of expensive gas is highly likely, and it has been gas that has been setting the marginal high prices over the last couple of years. 

Yes, very much in line with my thoughts. Those of us that have chosen to engage with the new world of renewable energy and associated technology are already seeing real benefits whereas those standing on the side lines throwing rocks haven't. You can choose to take a positive view and celebrate the fact that in the new world of renewable energy there are times when there is a plentiful supply of cheap energy, or you can choose to be negative and complain about the times when it is more expensive. Both positions are equally true but accepting it for what it is and making the most of it can be a significant money saver which is what this site is (or used to be) about.

Where people are genuinely struggling to adapt then we need to help and encourage them and stop using them as an excuse for not adapting ourselves.

I also think it's time for David Attenborough to make another Blue Planet or some such documentary to remind people of the effects of burning fossil fuels on the environment which is a real issue that needs addressing. In reality, even at 60 years old, I'm not expecting to see the benefits of decarbonisation in my lifetime but that doesn't mean I'm happy to trash the planet and leave it for future generations to fix.

Or to put it another way, my message to the serial complainers is !!!!!! stop whining about everything and re-focus on making the most of the positive aspects of the changes.

wrf12345

"I'm going to have to go through my electricity bills in more detail and try and work out what I would be paying (per KWH + Standing Charges for both gas and electric) with a new supplier."

Utilia only makes sense if you use less than 2kW per day for electric, so not really useful if you use electric heating. Gas is even worse unless you don't use any, when you may as well move to Octopus and let them cap it for free. Cosy tariff is supposed to be for heat pumps but they don't seem to check and has some cheap rates for heating at certain times but does mean no electric use at 6-9pm as it is expensive then. January, Ofgem are supposed to force zero s/c tariffs on to the market but are trying to get out of it, stalling.

Chrysalis

I do have the opinion that saying no one in 2005 could foresee unstable market conditions, as in those people who failed to predict must be idiots, someone likely got paid to make a favourable report which would then serve to green light the policy.   When has a market stayed stable forever?

We took a gamble we could get away with reduced self dependency on energy and its finally coming home to roost.

Although this is not necessarily a green energy vs dirty energy issue, but rather a state investment issue.  Both are expensive fixes in the current situation we find ourselves in.  Also the caveat we can spend less up front, but in return for higher bills, as investors want their chunk of change back.

My preference is to lean towards cleaner energy for personal ideology, but also I think its more likely to be stable in the future, however this is with it all being done properly, appropriate grid capacity, battery storage, diversity across different sources of energy instead of all in on one type, that sort of thing.  I also think there should be a base line nuclear supply, that is higher than what we have now.

Whatever the solution is carried out, its going to lead to higher bills, the bit thats easy to predict is getting private enterprise (or other countries) to front it, and that in turn will be funded by consumer bills.  We are well along that road now of minimum state spend as dominant policy.

wrf12345

"Whatever the solution is carried out, its going to lead to higher bills, the bit thats easy to predict is getting private enterprise (or other countries) to front it, and that in turn will be funded by consumer bills.  We are well along that road now of minimum state spend as dominant policy."
The latter bit is hilarious unless minimum state spend means the net amount that goes to doing something useful rather that the actual money spent