Energy Suppliers

Anyone with a supplier that doesn’t have massive standing charges? Scottish Power are effectively doubling mine from about 25p per day each for gas and electricity to 40p per day each.

On the illustrations on my bills I’m below the example of “low” energy use for both gas and electricity (2 bed flat, floor 3/3).

Edit - I think it’s actually closer to 50p per day on the electricity at least :eek:. If any suggested suppliers also have transparent information and a decently designed website where you don’t have to sign in / input loads of details to get to basic information that would be great too.
 
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The problem is all standing charges are similar and no one is taking on new customers for the ‘price cap’ rate. (No surprise as they are losing money)

Anyhow it’s limited on what they can charge so anything that does have a lower standing charger would mean a higher kWh unit rate.
 
Simon said:
The problem is all standing charges are similar and no one is taking on new customers for the ‘price cap’ rate. (No surprise as they are losing money)

Anyhow it’s limited on what they can charge so anything that does have a lower standing charger would mean a higher kWh unit rate.
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Cheers, I thought that would be the case but worth a punt. A higher unit price versus low/no standing charge would potentially be ok for me given my lower energy use.
 
benjii said:
Wow, some of this gas usage is insane (to me). We're:

Elec: 6626kWh
Gas: 2201kWh

Two people in a large two bedroom flat, gas boiler for water and central heating and stove top.
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Not surprising, there is people who have their central heating on almost all year. In the "its too hot" thread, is reports thermostat heating turning on in August as they set at very high temps.
 
chrcoluk said:
Not surprising, there is people who have their central heating on almost all year. In the "its too hot" thread, is reports thermostat heating turning on in August as they set at very high temps.
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Why would you turn it off, that's the whole point of a thermostat.
Ive just set a -1c offset this winter.
 
chrcoluk said:
I meant the actual heating on, not the thermostat turned on.
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Fair enough, I generally like it on the cooler side anyway I'll be at here happy in a t-shirt and the wife will be under a blanket.
Since having the Evohome system though it's saving us a fortune on heading as we can just heat a single room, that's why insulating just the living room is high on the priority list.
 
I don’t bother with our thermostat. I still use the manual way of setting it to come on certain hours. With the temps up this week I have reduced it from 2 hours a day to an hour and come April we always turn the whole thing off. Cold random day? We dress accordingly :)

Central heating won’t go back on until November for us. But I appreciate that may not work for people up north where temperatures are lower.
 
Regarding the standing charge, it would be good to overlay wholesale cost prices with unit costs in a graph covering the last 12-18 months (using standard tarriffs to see if there is a bit of subsidising unit costs with standing charges or if, indeed, the substantial increase in standing charges are solely down to the companies going bust as well as general network costs.

If someone could do that, it would possibly alleviate the concerns a bit (I don't have the ability to do it or I would)
 
Richie said:
I don't think anyone is advocating the price rises. Grudgingly accepting them may be more accurate as what else can you do?
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There absolutely was advocation that energy companies were smashing the consumer with higher prices, whilst also reporting record profits. Apparently all fair game. Yet here we are again, wholesale prices of crude oil down yet forecourt prices elevated to new latest highs. Just greed and profiteering from ill perceived need really.
 
RoboCod said:
There absolutely was advocation that energy companies were smashing the consumer with higher prices, whilst also reporting record profits. Apparently all fair game. Yet here we are again, wholesale prices of crude oil down yet forecourt prices elevated to new latest highs. Just greed and profiteering from ill perceived need really.
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mostly down to panic buying raising the prices at the pump.
 
RoboCod said:
There absolutely was advocation that energy companies were smashing the consumer with higher prices, whilst also reporting record profits. Apparently all fair game. Yet here we are again, wholesale prices of crude oil down yet forecourt prices elevated to new latest highs. Just greed and profiteering from ill perceived need really.
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You guys are old men yelling at clouds.

You're kidding yourself if you think today's crude price affects the forecourt price tomorrow
 
Richie said:
Regarding the standing charge, it would be good to overlay wholesale cost prices with unit costs in a graph covering the last 12-18 months (using standard tarriffs to see if there is a bit of subsidising unit costs with standing charges or if, indeed, the substantial increase in standing charges are solely down to the companies going bust as well as general network costs.

If someone could do that, it would possibly alleviate the concerns a bit (I don't have the ability to do it or I would)
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Doesnt your government set price caps, complain to government about rising standing charges - the previous standing charges likely did not cover standing costs so if the government raises the cap retail rates move with.

Based on the rates people have been posting here I'd say your standing charges are still too low, they would need to be around 1 pound per day to cover actual fixed costs
 
Grim5 said:
You guys are old men yelling at clouds.

You're kidding yourself if you think today's crude price affects the forecourt price tomorrow
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It seems to affect it when the price shoots up even though I'm fairly sure the petrol in the pumps will have been manufactured long before that. Seems to take a while for it to drop when the price of oil does.
 
Grim5 said:
Doesnt your government set price caps, complain to government about rising standing charges - the previous standing charges likely did not cover standing costs so if the government raises the cap retail rates move with.

Based on the rates people have been posting here I'd say your standing charges are still too low, they would need to be around 1 pound per day to cover actual fixed costs
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Could you elaborate on how you came to the £1/day to cover fixed costs?

Also, is that per fuel or combined gas/Elec per day?
 
ljt said:
Had my octopus email through now too.

Elec useage 5,501kwh
Gas useage 22,148kwh

Estimated cost in total about £4400 a year

Thats a 4 bed detached but with heating set at 21/22 degrees from around 7am to 10pm due to having my Mom and Step Dad (both mid 70's) living with me now due to caring responsibilities.
Average around 10-14kwh of electricity a day, but do have a works EV vehicle which they pay the running costs.
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Was in a similar situation with parents in with same sized house, and same run times on gas, same temps. We had a bit more on the electric (8000kWh) but i justified the costs back then based on rates half as expensive as the April rises. Also the savings on not doubling up on services for two properties outweighs extra you'd spend anyhow.

They both passed away however last year so my usage has decreased somewhat but my wife and I haven't much changed the heating pattern due to us both being at home the whole day mostly and a 2 year old. 6am to 10pm @ 22c. The boiler is a 20 year old none condensing cast iron dumb as can get unit.

For the past 12 months as of now:
Elec usage 5,100kwh
Gas usage 15,500kwh
 
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