Ebico Misrepresentation & Low usage penalties

silverwhistle · 30 October 2019 at 3:11PM

My gas tariff is coming to an end and following a frustrated search it appears my net cost per unit is going to be over 9p when standing charges are taken into account.

Would it not be a good idea to require all companies to have a handy table giving their unit rates and standing charges, instead of burying them deep in their various websites, where accessing them requires inputting irrelevant information and takes an age?

You would think policy would dictate that reducing consumption is good, but it doesn't work like that. Why not try Ebico, I hear some of you ask, and their zero standing charge? Some serious misrepresentation going on there as they have a minimum annual spend for gas of £104, so in effect they DO have a minimum charge per day (28.493p).

I can find a tariff that is about the same annually, but it seems to make more sense to go for Ebico and use more gas up to the minimum spend...

silverwhistle · 31 October 2019 at 6:32PM

EnergyTwist wrote: »

How have Ebico allegedly misrepresented anything? :huh:
What low usage penalties are you referring to? :huh:

I thought it was clear enough but here you go. I was looking for a zero standing charge tariff and Ebico advertise that they have one. But when you go through to the small print (which fortunately I did), there is a minimum annual charge which they bill at the end of the period if you haven't spent enough. Ergo there is a charge not based on consumption, just not called a standing charge, and it is not immediately apparent from their advertising.

As for the low usage penalty, that refers to the fact that if you are a low user your effective unit rate can be very high, in my case over 9.2p per unit. The impact of the standing charge is proportionately very high for low users, particularly so in my case.

matelodave · 31 October 2019 at 7:23PM

Why as a low user do you think that you should be exempt from paying for the infrastructure to get gas or leccy to your house.

It cost just as much to lay and maintain the service to your house as it does to someone who uses lots of the stuff

molerat · 31 October 2019 at 9:33PM

EnergyTwist wrote: »

Ebico do have a zero standing charge tariff.
On that tariff, if you use nothing, you pay nothing.

Please point me to the terms you refer to.

As I said, if you use nothing, you pay nothing.
Otherwise you pay in accordance with the tariff you have agreed to.

What supply region are you where Ebico would charge you 9.2p/kWh? :huh:

OP is correct. Their only NSC tariff, Zero Green Fixed V4, has a minimum annual charge of £52 for electric and £104 for gas so are no longer of any use to the zero consumption customer. https://ebico.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Ebico-Zero-Additional-Terms-20191010-v1.8-FINAL.pdf

Puffer · 4 November 2019 at 8:46PM

My 'holiday home' has been with Ebico for two years for both gas and elec on a zero standing charge tariff (now Zero Green Fixed V2) with no minimum usage levels. That comes to an end this month and its successor (V4) does indeed have minimum annual charges of £52 (elec) and £104 (gas). The gas charge is more than twice what I would expect to pay for my likely actual usage in the forthcoming year.

I tackled Ebico about this and was told that the minima are now imposed because 'too many landlords sign-up with zero usage' (as distinct, presumably, from low usage).

There does not seem to be any other supplier offering either gas or elec at a zero standing charge. Does anyone know different, please? At present, I am in process of transferring elsewhere and will have to pay more, simply because of the standing charges, although the rate per kW is naturally lower for each fuel.

fryedslyce · 4 November 2019 at 9:16PM

Looks like it's going to be very hard to find a zero standing charge tariff if you use no gas or electric.

Glad I signed up in time for Ebico's v3.

Utilita's Smart Energy tariff has zero standing charges.

Puffer · 4 November 2019 at 11:37PM

EnergyTwist wrote: »

As long as you have followed my advice given in the post before yours
i.e.
Then you will know what the cheapest option for you is

Consider signing up for the MSE CEC (other providers are available) to keep you alerted should another supplier/tariff become cheaper for you.

If your current Ebico tariff comes to an end at the end of this month, then you would have been advised by Ebico of this early-mid last month i.e. 42-49 days before the current tariff expires.

So you would have been offered v3, as v4 was not launched until 23rd October. If you'd have acted quickly, you could have secured v3, and it would have been for 12 months effective from the end of this month being when your current tariff expires.

As I also said in the above post:
On a positive side, so nice to see you return to posting here after 1 years absence

(That should get Gerry, Tall Dave, Low Dave et al juices running :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:)

I am well aware of comparision sites and consulted two to determine a viable option for the new contract.

My present Ebico v2 contract ends on 28 Nov and I was reminded of this by Ebico on 25 Oct and told that the equivalent was v4 - no mention of v3 (withdrawn by then, if you are correct).

You imply that I could have (just) qualified to renew with v3 if I had known of it and requested this within the 42 days before 28 Nov (i.e. by 17 Oct). But, if so, would it have taken effect from 29 Nov, rather than from 21 days after my request to transfer?

If, knowing that a tariff change from v3 to v4 was imminent, it seems to me sharp practice by Ebico not to have given me the opportunity to change to v3, given that my v2 tariff was ending less than 42 days after v3 was withdrawn.

BillTee · 7 November 2019 at 4:52PM

Is this even legal? I'm switching both my supplies because of this. Very annoyed that they closed the V3 offer before the actual end date of my contract.

Ectophile · 7 November 2019 at 8:28PM

BillTee wrote: »

Is this even legal? I'm switching both my supplies because of this. Very annoyed that they closed the V3 offer before the actual end date of my contract.

Why would it not be legal? They are free to offer whatever tariffs they like. You are free to switch if you don't like any of them.

rvf750 · 8 November 2019 at 2:40PM

I also have left Ebico after 6yrs. Had zero standing charge tariff for gas as I do not use any.
They now have introduced a minimum charge for gas of £104 pa. Have not been able to find another supplier with zero tariff for gas or within MSE energy comparison.
Have found Utilitypoint have a gas tariff with 11p per day standing charge which is the cheapest I can find. Does anybody know of a cheaper option?

cyka · 8 November 2019 at 6:32PM

rvf750 wrote: »

I also have left Ebico after 6yrs. Had zero standing charge tariff for gas as I do not use any.
They now have introduced a minimum charge for gas of £104 pa. Have not been able to find another supplier with zero tariff for gas or within MSE energy comparison.
Have found Utilitypoint have a gas tariff with 11p per day standing charge which is the cheapest I can find. Does anybody know of a cheaper option?

E.ON v15 7.350p per day

Outfox The Market Variable 9.999p per day (poor reviews)

Green Oak 10.000p per day

Ebico Misrepresentation & Low usage penalties

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