Gas/Electricity Price Increases

[Koldov]

Or have I got this completely wrong...?

 

I just meant that they appear to have estimated you will be using £867 more than the average household... based on the original "Ofgem has announced the energy price cap will increase to £3,549 per year for dual fuel for an average household" (not sure why this page is still up).

 

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/ofgem-updates-price-cap-level-and-tightens-rules-suppliers

 

However, from October 2022 when the cap is actually set at £2500 (for usage in an average household), they are therefore estimating you will be using nearly £2K over...

 

How's that server farm going anyway...?

[Ditto]

Not sure what your current DD is (or your usage history), but even if you meant "increasing my DD to £368", that would mean a yearly spend of £4416 (£368*12).

 

I'm dreading that email.... I'm with Scottish Power and may well be looking at a 'pay as you go' scenario... I am £300+ in credit and there is already a note on my account that I should increase my DD!!!

 

Luckily it seems they do offer it:

 

https://www.scottishpower.co.uk/small-business/customer-services/payments-pricing#:~:text=Monthly%20Variable%20Direct%20Debit

 

Couldn't find anything for EDF on a quick search...

The mythical £2500 isn't going to apply - it's a big house, but cavity wall insulated, double-glazed, loft deeply insulated, efficient boiler and 90% LED lights - maybe 1.5 times would be appropriate, but it is an increase per month leading to an annual figure over 3 times the 'average house' figure. For sure, we are now at home 100% of the time as a result of covid changes remaining and two teenage boys that don't know how curtains open or what an off switch does, but I think it's EDF taking advantage or simply screwing up! I do like your idea of switching to someone that does do do variable though. I think a safe bet the cap is going to apply to all providers for at least the next 12 months.

[Andrew_C]

it's EDF taking advantage or simply screwing up!

Or, quite possibly, both.

[Ditto]

Or have I got this completely wrong...?

 

I just meant that they appear to have estimated you will be using £867 more than the average household... based on the original "Ofgem has announced the energy price cap will increase to £3,549 per year for dual fuel for an average household" (not sure why this page is still up).

 

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/ofgem-updates-price-cap-level-and-tightens-rules-suppliers

 

However, from October 2022 when the cap is actually set at £2500 (for usage in an average household), they are therefore estimating you will be using nearly £2K over...

 

How's that server farm going anyway...?

Actually, server farm isn't far off! I usually have home laptop on (this one), main PC (big Dell Workstation) on standby, Mrs Ditto work laptop laptop on with 2 monitors, kids, 1 PC each and 5 screens between them on standby and endless other devices on standby often. We can, no doubt save a bunch on electricity and I plan to start, but heating is the tough one. The OH isn't going accept woolly jumpers as an Xmas present!

[Koldov]

Yes, my OH has been WFH for the past couple of years and it looks like it will be permanent... apparently she needs a laptop and dual 27" monitors... and the heating on (anything below 20 degrees feeling a bit chilly allegedly) and the TV on for 'background noise'/important 'daytime TV' gossip/news!

 

I know it might be difficult to explain to some teenagers and make them have any sense of monetary value, but maybe explain it in terms of if they continue to use excess electricity the TV package, X-Box/Playstation subscription, mobile phones, etc. will have to go!

 

Unfortunately all the energy company has to go on is your previous usage...

Edited September 28, 2022 by Koldov

[BOOT]

The way things are going, nobody will have a home left to heat.

[JATSO]

Turned our heating on for the first time since March the other night to test issues and warm up for a couple of hours.

Test went ok just waiting for the bill now.

[LeMarchand]

TV on for 'background noise'/important 'daytime TV' gossip/news!

 

If it's a work laptop, she could use it to power her phone or a tablet if you have one and have the SKY/NOW/Virgin/BBC/whatever app running. If it's her own machine, during the glorious few days I had WfH during lockdown I used a secondary virtual desktop for Spotify and "break" stuff to cut down a bit on distraction. CTRL + WIN + left/right is your friend.

[Koldov]

I have now supplied the OH with a slanket, hat and fingerless gloves ( ) as we are having radiators moved in the next couple of weeks and for some reason (ease and cheapest way probably) the installers put the original ones up on all the internal walls and even missed out putting one in the hall - which is a big external wall and is always cool (even in Summer) so freezing in Winter.

 

That will mean a fair amount of water used and the heating having to go on to test...

 

We are also getting new glass put in the windows (previous ones were installed 20+ years ago and most have blown) and as the frames are 'ok' it should work out at roughly £1K instead of £5 or £6K to have the whole lot replaced.

Edited September 28, 2022 by Koldov

[Koldov]

Do you think people have already started submitting this month's meter reads....?

 

[6Foot2]

Do you think people have already started submitting this month's meter reads....?

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]66524[/ATTACH]

 

Oi! Scottish Power! Why are all these people logging into my account?

 

[Koldov]

Hopefully submitting meter reads that are drastically lower than mine!

[mavhc]

You can change your DD amount to whatever you want, right?

[pooley]

You can change your DD amount to whatever you want, right?

 

Yes, I've gone as far as cancelling mine. I'll pay what I owe at the end of every month.

[JATSO]

Yes, I've gone as far as cancelling mine. I'll pay what I owe at the end of every month.

 

According to the energy suppliers regulator on the radio 4 (yes I listen to radio 4, must be an age thing ) today you will be paying more if you don't have a DD, how that is fair or works I don't know.

[mavhc]

You still pay by DD, just you adjust it up and down as required. What I end up doing is paying less and then just logging into Octopus and paying the difference when I'm bored

[LeMarchand]

yes I listen to radio 4, must be an age thing

 

Surely most of the stuff in your house is steam powered? Just collect the reams of unnecessary printing near your printers for fuel and you'll be golden .

[msi_school]

I have found that Octopus and OVO kept bothering me about increasing my DD when it was already covering the usage emails letters and even an occasional phone call but they where both less bothered by my requesting a refund every month.

[mavhc]

From their pov if you run out of money they're in trouble, so they'd rather have the money and give it back to you.

 

Octopus never seem to care

[LeMarchand]

From their pov if you run out of money they're in trouble, so they'd rather have the money and give it back to you hold onto it until you keep kicking up a stink.

 

Corrected. At one stage, many moons ago, I was somehow £100s in credit but I had to fight to get it back.

[JATSO]

I bet they earn millions in interest sitting on the money they build up that is just credit owed back to their customers.

 

Never let energy payment credit build up, demand it back, its better in your account than theirs.

[mikeprice]

EDF notified me 5 days ago that it's estimated my gas/electricity bill will increase by about £1200 per annum. Today they have said they are increasing my DD by £368 per month. Currently I am about £400 in credit. Perhaps it related to being on a deal by EDF due to the takeover of a collapse provider and therefore not having had previous increases, (@mikeprice, I think your circumstances are they same), but look as though I'd going to have to do some serious number checking. How easy is it for them to bill me (variable direct debit?) for the exact usage per month. They are set up to receive readings every 30 seconds so can I just ask for that?

 

yes - we did get dumped onto EDF when our old (and greener) supplier

luckily EDF put us on a fixed rate that was even cheaper than the previous supplier - but that stopped JUST before all the companies started going bust

EDF offered me another fixed rate which seemed quite expensive at the time but I accepted it as I couldn't; find anything better at the time

actually I accepted because I had 2 weeks to change my mind and wanted to look for a decent green tariff - but I couldn;t find one at the time

 

I was dead lucky - our rate is fixed until Sept 2024 and is FAR lower than the normal at the moment

 

Hence EDF should only be asking for more money if our usage goes up - which is unlikely with the new solar panels!

[Ditto]

yes - we did get dumped onto EDF when our old (and greener) supplier

luckily EDF put us on a fixed rate that was even cheaper than the previous supplier - but that stopped JUST before all the companies started going bust

EDF offered me another fixed rate which seemed quite expensive at the time but I accepted it as I couldn't; find anything better at the time

actually I accepted because I had 2 weeks to change my mind and wanted to look for a decent green tariff - but I couldn;t find one at the time

 

I was dead lucky - our rate is fixed until Sept 2024 and is FAR lower than the normal at the moment

 

Hence EDF should only be asking for more money if our usage goes up - which is unlikely with the new solar panels!

You've done well - I don't recall getting a fixed rate offer, but even if I did - too late now. If you ever dismantle any of your sheds, do let me know as I might need to burn the remains to keep warm for a few more days!

[elsiegee40]

You still pay by DD, just you adjust it up and down as required. What I end up doing is paying less and then just logging into Octopus and paying the difference when I'm bored

 

Unfortunately DD is controlled by them not you. We can’t reduce the amount taken in a DD; it’s the amount demanded by the energy company. EDF is now sitting on a £2000 credit of ours and won’t reduce our DD because our gas bill is estimated. In fact they want to increase it.

 

We have smart meters. The electricity bill clearly shows the massive reduction in consumption since we got our solar panels last February. The gas bill only started being estimated when they fixed the electricity meter a few months ago. Every time we call them they say they can see the meter reading and the gas bill is corrected.

 

I bet they earn millions in interest sitting on the money they build up that is just credit owed back to their customers.

 

Never let energy payment credit build up, demand it back, its better in your account than theirs.

We are trying, but EDF is a pile of

Edited September 29, 2022 by elsiegee40

[Theblacksheep]

 

Octopus never seem to care

 

It took them about 12 months to work out we owed £95 from our move from Bulb. I asked them if it was fair to ask for that amount 12 months later, so they gave us a £50 goodwill credit and we only had to pay £45.

 

I was on the 5p/16p tariff until June 22, but they didn't tell me about the new tariff changes beforehand, even before the end date in may 22 they informed us they are keeping us on 5p/16p until June 23.

 

I'm pretty comfortable being in credit with them, cant rate them highly enough.