Can Martin write an article on Social Tariffs please

Ken68

Should do msaquib...your dad would be getting the winter allowance too.
There are two layers of help, the normal vulnerable/elderly and additional help where your bills are more than 10% of your income.
I am registered with Southern Electric (for Ebico) and get large print bills and superb service. Go for it.

heeth

I am an energy adviser working full time for vulnerable customers - it took me 18 months to find out what all suppliers do. It is extremely cloak and dagger when it comes to ST and some comps use ST as marketing ploys which is wrong as it is meant to be a helping hand for vulnerable customers. All the big six now offer something for thier vulneable customers (I think, possibly one has still launch one) but no two are alike. The energy sector is pushing hard for the government to impose a standard ST across the board but we are not there yet. I have got involved in this forum as I am off sick at the moment, I have all ST info at my office, i will try and remember it all but if you want some more info I will be happy to forward it on, as I am new to the forum, I don't know if you can send me a private note or contact details, if not i will post up the info when I get back the office next week.

So here goes, EDF Energy has 'Energy Assist' - 15 % to all customers regadles of how you pay if in receipt of Income Support or Pension credit. The Prioirty services Team will be able to help you sign up - 0800 328 9010. You can still qualify for this tariff if you can prove you are spending more than 10% of your income on energy (that is gas and electric - not just one). Be careful if you are on a fix and fall tariff with EDF as this will probably be cheaper. If you are billed you will get the 15% deducted automatically, pre payment meter you will get an annual rebate.

Scottish and Southern Electric (which includes Atlantic) has a 20% to exsisting customers on a means tested benefit - (big long list that generally includes everything except Incapacity Benefit). They will do a check with you and they will include Housing Benefit and Council tax benefit as an income before they work out if you are spending more than 10% of your income on energy, so it is slightly harder to get onto. Think their PSR is called Careline

British Gas has the Essentials Tariff which is ONLY available to Pre payment meter customers and will give a discount so all PPM customers pay the same as DD customers - works out to about a 6% discount. This tariff replaced thier Winter Warmth tariff 2 years ago so if you were on that regardless of how you paid, you would have been put on Essentials. Otherwise it is just for PPM customers (don't even get me started on the debate about PPM's and vulnerable customers)

Scottish Power did announce a ST to be launched in Jan 08 but to my knowledge nothing has happened yet. they were planning to make it open to all customers on their PSR.

I forget what the others have called their ST - think Npower is First Steps tariff, not sure if Eon have one....

With regards to msaquib, I would get your parents on the PSR straight away. Anyone qualifys for this if they are over 60, vulnerable or sick. No financial benefits, but if on the PSR, the comp can resite the meter for free - example you gave would qualify in my eyes, if they can't move it then all PSR's offer quarterly reads meaning a meter reader will visit the property every quarter to take a reading for your parents(they also all offer password schemes). All energy suppliers have to have a Prioirty Services Register so look into it. Normally it is a dedicated phoneline into the energy comp to a more sympathetic team.

One last thing to say to msaquib, I would look to switch your electric supply from BG as they charge over the odds for PPM's. If your parents are that elderly, I would argue for the PPM to be removed and revert to regualr billing - get a Post Office card where the pay a set amount each week/fortnight or month splitting out the quarterly bill into bit sized chuncks. that way you can get both supplies from SSE, get their duel fuel discount and some excellent customer service (honestly I don't work for them but SSE are one of the best)

Sorry for the long response, hope you found some of it useful.

Ken68

Good post Heeth and welcome. You the bees knees.

SwanJon

heeth wrote: »

British Gas has the Essentials Tariff which is ONLY available to Pre payment meter customers and will give a discount so all PPM customers pay the same as DD customers - works out to about a 6% discount. This tariff replaced thier Winter Warmth tariff 2 years ago so if you were on that regardless of how you paid, you would have been put on Essentials. Otherwise it is just for PPM customers (don't even get me started on the debate about PPM's and vulnerable customers)

I thought that this was open to all customers from the start, and it definately is now. The discount is different for gas (10.3) & ele (4.8). so the overall discount depends on your usage. If you can it is cheaper to get an online tariff, but not sure if this excludes you from other benefits of essentials (e.g. delayed price rise at the last one)

As to PPms vs vulnerable customers I think the company worked out that 'only' 25% of PPM customers were vulnerable, and there were more vulnerable customers not on PPMs than on them. This may have led to the opening up (or being more public about) to non-PPM customers.

Chuffy

Thanks Heeth, a very useful post - lot's of useful info and you've really backed up my views on the approach of the providers not being open about the tariffs.

One comment about PSR's - one customer went onto a PSR following my advice and asked BG to move their (pre-payment) meter from a high shelf in an outbuilding to somewhere her wheelchair bound husband could access. BG contracted out the work (can't remember who to) and the customer has been told the meter cannot be moved - the reason implied was the cost involved. She is currently appealing via energywatch.

msaquib

Hi,

I contacted BG to apply for PSR. They said that we would not be eligible for the metre move bnecuase I am under 60 and currently living with my parents. Is that true?
I just don't believe a word what BG says. The pre-payment account is in my name.

Thanks
MS

Ken68

Sounds right msaquib, just change the account to your parents name. You will probably lose any annual discounts whatever and your dad will have to prove age and entitlement.
And you will have to settle your account before the name change.

allotment_owner

Thanks. I have qualified for a 20% discount with Southern electric.A very nice and helpful, sympathetic advisor went through everything with me and used discretion to award me the discount as I had been underusing the electric trying to save £££'S. Also there is a free carbon monoxide detector (a proper one not cardboard plus in some cases a free gas safety check)
Maybe this thread should be a sticky?

msaquib

allotment_owner wrote: »

Thanks. I have qualified for a 20% discount with Southern electric.A very nice and helpful, sympathetic advisor went through everything with me and used discretion to award me the discount as I had been underusing the electric trying to save £££'S. Also there is a free carbon monoxide detector (a proper one not cardboard plus in some cases a free gas safety check)
Maybe this thread should be a sticky?

allotment owner, Did they say what income counts toward 20% discount?

What question did they ask u?

Thanks
MS

allotment_owner

I told them all of the WFTC,CTC we receive plus income and they said that they take into account only self employed income (or whatever income you have), wftc,ctc and carers...not the child benefit or DLA. They then check to see if your bills are 10% of all of that. Mine were not! The guy then told me to give him the latest meter readings (which made a difference as it had been cold!)and even then we fell a bit short but he used his discretion, as I had mentioned that I don't heat all of the rooms as much as I should due to trying to economise...