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Why has Standing Charge cost more than doubled?
I was just trying to check my tariff and the only easy way of doing it is to look at the bill for the full breakdown.
What I was surprised at is currently my service charge is 10.96p per day, but if I take one of the offered replacement tariffs (which they suggest to me) it has jumped up to over 23p per day. Why has it gone up so much? How can they increase it by over 100% and nobody says anything?
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Re: Why has Standing Charge cost more than doubled?
Your bill is calculated n two parts, the daily standing charge plus the p/kwh for the power used. When comparing deals you have to calculate both parts and you will find that although the standing charge may go up the p/kwh comes down so the overall effect is an increase of maybe 10% to 15%. Some tariffs have much higher standing charges like 40p per day, but low unit costs, this suits people with very high power consumptions because they get their units more cheaply. If you are a low power consumer, eg a holiday home, you will need a low standing charge and high unit costs. The standing charge is these days used as a tariff marketing tool and no longer represents transmission costs alone.
Re: Why has Standing Charge cost more than doubled?
Thank you for the imformative reply, and I also have come to the same opinion, that the standing charge is now used as a marketing tool, and has little relevance to the consumer, probably to the extent that it should no longer be used? From a consumer perspective when switching suppliers the most acurate information you need to provide is : actual usage and current tariff name. Their softeware (should) then be able to work out which deals are best for you, and save you money.
I have not come across the ability to suggest a requirement to search for lowest standing charge, becaues at the end of the day its irrelevent to consumer. The bottom line, is if i switch, how much will it save me, and am I satisfied with the terms of the deal. e.g. fixed tariff peripd, and consider any lock in charges (if any).
Re: Why has Standing Charge cost more than doubled?
I've been with Scottish Power 12 years and my standing charge is 40p per day each for gas and electricity. I can't believe I can get this half price elsewhere. Bye bye Scottish Power
Re: Why has Standing Charge cost more than doubled?
@Netty the standing charge and p/kWh give a combined bill. If you have a high SC you probably have a low unit cost. If you switch to low SC you will pay more for your units, it is a question of balance. Sites like Uswitch do the calculations for you. It depends if you are a low or high electricity user. Just looking at SC by itself does not give you the full picture. Most people pay around 20 p SC so I expect your unit rates were quite low.
Re: Why has Standing Charge cost more than doubled?
what is the lowest standing charge tariff with S/P
Re: Why has Standing Charge cost more than doubled?
@Microplus501 To benefit from a low standing charge you must accept high p/kwh costs, so it really only benefits very low electricity users. To get an idea of the costs try Uswtich and say you only use 500 kwh a year (some holiday homes are in this category). Probably the lowest standing charges are around 15 to 20 p/day.
Re: Why has Standing Charge cost more than doubled?
My current deal is due to end in December the new tariff for my gas and electricity cN be lower but the standing charge has TRIPLED this is disgusting
Re: Why has Standing Charge cost more than doubled?
I agree goodbuy scottish power
Re: Why has Standing Charge cost more than doubled?
@Dibley There is a range of deals with different standing charges, you can pick the one that suits you best. Low st charges give high kWh costs, so it only suits very low power users. Good luck with your new supplier.
