Energy bill increases

[gzoom]

Solar is OK, but the two graphs sum up the issue. The first is our total home electricity use over 2021 (we charge an EV at home so overall usage is high), and the 2nd our solar generation profile over the year.

Essentially during winter, when the days are dark, cold sets in solar is next to useless. If I added our gas usage it would be an opposite plot to solar!!

Russia has won many a war because of the harsh winters........Putin turning off the gas supply to Europe this winter WILL cause black outs across all our cities. The current energy prices reflect the uncertainty that is coming.

 

[rualexander]

From what I read somewhere, the increase in standing charge is being used to pay for suppliers that go bust, and all the costs of picking up their customers.

Yes that's what they say, but it doesn't add up.
Companies usually go begging for new customers with discounts and introductory deals etc
This time they get given thousands of new customers they can fleece, and they put the prices up saying it's to cover the costs of getting thousands of new customers. 🤔

 

[jowwy]

Yes that's what they say, but it doesn't add up.
Companies usually go begging for new customers with discounts and introductory deals etc
This time they get given thousands of new customers they can fleece, and they put the prices up saying it's to cover the costs of getting thousands of new customers. 🤔

But some of those new customers were already in credit and that has to be carried over too and bail out the former suppliers for all their costs…….its pants, but thats why the standard charge increased.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Yes that's what they say, but it doesn't add up.
Companies usually go begging for new customers with discounts and introductory deals etc
This time they get given thousands of new customers they can fleece, and they put the prices up saying it's to cover the costs of getting thousands of new customers. 🤔

I agree, something just doesn't make sense which might be my maths, if the standing charge has gone up from 20p to 50p per day per household, 30p extra profit per day per household, theres 28 million houses in the UK, that does not include flats, so they are making an extra £10million a day, how deep a hole dig the companies that failed dig?

 

[Mo1959]

I agree, something just doesn't make sense which might be my maths, if the standing charge has gone up from 20p to 50p per day per household, 30p extra profit per day per household, theres 28 million houses in the UK, that does not include flats, so they are making an extra £10million a day, how deep a hole dig the companies that failed dig?

Bit sneaky. They still get more money from us even if we are trying to be careful and not use as much

 

[jowwy]

Bit sneaky. They still get more money from us even if we are trying to be careful and not use as much

Yup…….ive cut my electric use considerably, but now the first £15 of the bill you cant save on

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Yup…….ive cut my electric use considerably, but now the first £15 of the bill you cant save on

DO you think that maybe - just maybe - the energy companies may have noticed that???


and - if I was cynical - I might just think they were putting this bit up to protect their profits - especially if the gas prices drop again

 

[midlife]

Talking of standing charges, read the other day that for prepayment meters if there is no credit on them there is still the standing charge to pay.

 

[jowwy]

DO you think that maybe - just maybe - the energy companies may have noticed that???


and - if I was cynical - I might just think they were putting this bit up to protect their profits - especially if the gas prices drop again

Yeh i totally agree….it is a way of protecting themselves, because even if you switch to solar now, they got 15 bucks of you just for having them as a back up each month

 

[jowwy]

Talking of standing charges, read the other day that for prepayment meters if there is no credit on them there is still the standing charge to pay.

Well yes, cause the standard charges pays for maintenance and up keep of services

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Talking of standing charges, read the other day that for prepayment meters if there is no credit on them there is still the standing charge to pay.

Pretty sure that's always been the case, when my son moved into a rented house as he'd never been a customer with any provider before & the house already had a pre-payment meter they refused to replace it. First £10 he put on the first £8 disappeared as standing charge between the previous tenant leaving & him taking over, a call to them got it back.

But the other issue on pre-payments meters is they are usually for people with bed credit, no history etc. & if you think the rates we're complaining about are bad you should see some of the rates they have these people over the coals with & they don't use Vaseline.

 

[jowwy]

Pretty sure that's always been the case, when my son moved into a rented house as he'd never been a customer with any provider before & the house already had a pre-payment meter they refused to replace it. First £10 he put on the first £8 disappeared as standing charge between the previous tenant leaving & him taking over, a call to them got it back.

But the other issue on pre-payments meters is they are usually for people with bed credit, no history etc. & if you think the rates we're complaining about are bad you should see some of the rates they have these people over the coals with & they don't use Vaseline.

They pay less on pre-payment meter, than i do on pay on receipt of bill….with Eon

 

[PaulSB]

I have always read the gas and electric meters monthly so I can submit readings and monitor supplier charges. Recently I've wanted to understand how much energy we are consuming and what might be done to reduce consumption. The meters are read at 07.00 each morning, both are non-working smart meters. The electric meter gives a reading in kWh so the cost calculation is simple as this is how we are billed. The gas meter though is calibrated to measure m3 but gas is also billed in kWh.

My understanding is to convert m3 to kWh one multiplies m3 x 3.6. Is this correct or am I barking up the wrong tree? If the meter shows consumption of 2 units this in kWh is 2 x 3.6 = 7.2.

Currently British Gas charge me 7.343p per kWh. Over the last 14 days we have used no more than 1 unit per day. My calculation is 1 (m3) x 3.6 (conversion) x 7.343 (cost) = 26.4p/day for gas.

We are two people with a combi boiler, average of one shower per day and a gas cooker. The CH is off. 26.4p/day seems ridiculously low and I don't want to drift in to a false sense of security.

 

[DaveReading]

My understanding is to convert m3 to kWh one multiplies m3 x 3.6. Is this correct or am I barking up the wrong tree? If the meter shows consumption of 2 units this in kWh is 2 x 3.6 = 7.2.

No.

Assuming that your meter is measuring m3, the supplier will multiply that by a nominal calorific value (which can vary, but usually around 39.2) and then divide (not multiply) by 3.6 to get kWh.

Strictly speaking there is also a standard "volume correction" of 1.02264 to apply as well, if you want to be super accurate.

 

[PaulSB]

No.

Assuming that your meter is measuring m3, the supplier will multiply that by a nominal calorific value (which can vary, but usually around 39.2) and then divide (not multiply) by 3.6 to get kWh.

Strictly speaking there is also a standard "volume correction" of 1.02264 to apply as well, if you want to be super accurate.

Thank you. Just to be certain I've got this right. My meter readings show usage of 1 m3 per day. Therefore:

1 x 39.2 / 3.6 = 10.88kWh

Cost = 10.88 x 7.343p = 79.89p per day