Here's a few others for you to chew over Skywalker that may get under your skin. I hope they don't make you too hot under the collar, we don't want you feeling the need to turn up your air conditioning this Xmas......you lucky absconder.!

Merry Xmas.: - )

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BT line rental + the extortionate reconnection cost, although not a standing charge as such, it is disproportionately high to what it actually costs.

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Council tax on empty properties.(no service provided) - come to think of it, there's not much service to the occupied properties either.!

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Water and Sewerage standing charges.

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In fairness; to the people who manage to park their car off the road on private land or in a garage overnight, they should only pay half the vehicle road tax licence. Their car is only on a public highway half as much time as a 'highway obstruction' vehicle, which gets used or left constantly parked on the public highway.(after all the insurance is cheaper.!)

"I can visit a supermarket without paying an entrance fee"

You have hit the nail on the head. If you consider how much money we have spent on 'standing charges' over the years - and for what? The ability for the suppliers to connect to us, the paying customer? It's like the Post Office asking us to pay for the postman to walk past the house everyday, even if there is no post! Oh, and you should pay a TV license fee, even if you don't have a TV, BECAUSE the broadcast is there!

It's antiquated. And it makes me furious. Think of an example, and post it here please.

Seasons greetings

Skywalker

Twee:

That annoys me - the different rates for energy used (primary and secondary) why can't they just charge one rate ?

The different rates are just a different way of charging a "standing charge" and is "cheaper" for very low users and not any more "expensive" for uses who use more than the primary threshhold.

Whether standing charges are reasonable is another matter. As I heard mentioned recently, I can visit a supermarket without paying an entrance fee, and (note for useless Councils) they clear their car-parks of snow without charge or excuse.

ronhou:

Have YOU not been told that some of the offers made are NOT shown on any comparison website ?

That is something I am indeed aware of which is why I very carefully used the words "universally available".

For example, restricted offers, social tariffs and - importantly - maturity tariffs do not feature on comparison websites.

For chapter and verse of how a Consumer Focus accredited comparison should work read this...

http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/files/2010/10/Consumer_Focus_Confidence_Code.pdf

In my experience some Consumer Focus accredited websites, for the very valid tariff multiplicity issue you raise, inadvertantly (I hope) do not always list all existing tariffs, or handle dual fuel well. If you are not happy with one comparison site try another until you find one you are confident about. Regarding your "cold call", I may have assumed your existing supplier was British Gas because, please correct me if I'm wrong, you didn't mention who your existing supplier was.

Being assured you will pay less is easy. If you do not know your annual consumption, suppliers may well simply quote an unrealistically low monthly Direct Debit. Therefore you will pay "less" until your annual review at which point your monthly Direct Debit gets hiked.

I'm sorry you don't have confidence in Consumer Focus accredited comparisons, because as long as you quote your Post Code and accurate annual consumption you will get (inadvertant errors excepted) an accurate headline annual cost for each (universally available) tariff, which (if you wish) you can then use to benchmark offers you receive through other channels.

Sorry I tend to take a hard line where people are computer literate enough to post to a Forum but apparently not able to do a simple spreadsheet. Either you want to win out against the big bad profiteering guys or you don't. That's your call.

Taking your example of BG webmaster:

The amount that I would have paid (to BG) would be £32.05p MORE than my current supplier. This was before the really cold weather set in, so one has to guestimate what the next bill would be IF this cold snap continues.

Incidentally I am not disagreeing with you at all with some of your comments. However as I have said there are so very many tariffs for each supplier that it is very difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff. Also you get advised so many different tales on the phone. Have YOU not been told that some of the offers made are NOT shown on any comparison website ? I have, very recently by Southern Electric. Thus it appears that YOUR assertion that comparison websites are a cureall is not altogether valid.

ronhou:

... however the site was not conclusive...

...the comparison sites offer little help other than to say figures based on approximate yearly usage...

The (negative) point you are making (that it's not easy), you are probably right about, but I prefer (when a poster adopts a head in the snow attitude) to try to be helpful to others.

You say "the site was not conclusive", but a Consumer Focus accredited website (subject only to there being no inadvertant errors) provides conclusive proof of the cheapest universally available tariff for the supply area appropriate to the postcode provided. The tariff rates (again only subject to there being no inadvertant errors) are conclusive tariff rates. You can get a more accurate headline cost by entering your annual consumption in kWhrs. Soon this will be on bills but if you don't know ask your current supplier.

Rates vary by supply region, which you haven't mentioned, but are broadly in line with British Gas Websaver 10 Dual Fuel rates in a typical supply area I checked. On the face of it your "cold call" offer looks quite competitive.

Sorry I tend to take a hard line where people are computer literate enough to post to a Forum but apparently not able to do a simple spreadsheet. Either you want to win out against the big bad profiteering guys or you don't. That's your call.

That annoys me - the different rates for energy used (primary and secondary) why can't they just charge one rate ?

Thanks Jalexa however the site was not conclusive.

The following are UNIT PRICES from my latest online bill:

ELECTRICITY. PRIMARY 88 @ 10.676p SECONDARY 8.850p

GAS PRIMARY 450 @ 3.500p SECONDARY 2.549p PLUS no standing charges plus £3.06 per 1/4 online discount

10 minutes ago I received a 'cold call' from British Gas offering the following

ELECTRICITY PRIMARY 170 @ 22.969p SECONDARY 10.055p

GAS PRIMARY 670 @ 7.154p SECONDARY 3.322 PLUS 15% a year discount PLUS a one off £120 dual fuel discount PLUS £125 off my gas bill after one year

So I have to sit down and work all this lot out. ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS !

Not everyone has the time or patience to wade through all of this and the comparison sites offer little help other than to say figures based on approximate yearly usage.

I have the to phone E-ON, NPOWER,SSE, SCOTTISH POWER, SOUTHERN ELECTRIC and on and on to ask them for their best unit rates for comparison, again ABSOLUTE RUBBISH.

Incidentally my family member phoned 'my' supplier yesterday and was quoted the following for electricity only (after asking for the same scheme as mine)PRIMARY 225 @17.624 SECONDARY 11.200 and NEITHER of these figures appear on their site nor on a comparison site

ronhou:

I have checked the unit prices I pay to my supplier with those shown on the same suppliers website and they bear no resemblance.

I believe what you say but read up here ...

http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/get-advice/energy/households/energy-tariffs-explained/social-tariffs

...and challenge your supplier.

Are you saying you are paying more than you think you should be paying by applying the "cheapest available" rule?

You say "nor is it an easy matter to find the 'cheapest rates' on other suppliers sites". As its pantomine season my answer to that is "oh yes it is". Use a comparison website to find the cheapest tariffs available and test your preferred supplier's social tariff against the "cheapest" they offer according to the comparison website.

Sorry to come back so quickly, but thanks Jalexa.

I have checked the unit prices I pay to my supplier with those shown on the same suppliers website and they bear no resemblance. Nor is it an easy matter to find the 'cheapest rates' on other suppliers sites.

So it begs the question, if a supplier has a 'best' non-social tariff why is this not applied to everyone ?

PROFIT ? Or, as i suspect, and the whole country believes, we are being exploited by the suppliers because of our ignorance !

The SOCIAL TARIFF as I am lead to understand is for those people who are disabled and therefore require to have light and heating for medical and or safety reasons.

I would agree the need for policing, but again, as I am lead to understand, it is based on the type of 'medical' benefits paid and not jobseekers etc. So it is, to some extent policed but I could be wrong on this.

Personally I would rather see far less 'schemes' and more equitable unit rates displayed than, 'YOU CAN SAVE £220 by switching to xxxxxxx', based purely on what you might pay in 12 months.

Apart from my bill I have had to phone several companies who say I would pay less, to ask their unit price. Each time I have found that the unit price is higher than I am actually paying now !

ronhou:

Will the suppliers PLEASE list their rates for the SOCIAL TARIFFS, this would be most helpful for those who can claim such.

Actually its often difficult to get suppliers to clearly list their non-social tariffs, however non-social tariffs are readily available via Consumer Focus accredited comparison websites.

Social tariffs, where offered, and I'm not sure about how mandatory it is to offer social tariffs, regardless of payment method have to match the supplier's best non-social tariff. So use a comparison website to list suppliers and then find out whether you qualify for your preferred choice of supplier's social tariff.

Is your other family member in the same supply area? Are you currently on a fixed price deal?

The idea that something as inequitable as a 'social tariff' makes my blood boil. It's like 'social housing' it's never policed, cheap accommodation 'for life' regardless of income.......crazy socialist vote buying schemes.

Christmas - BAH humbug!

Having only registered today I have not read many of the threads so apologies if this question has been answered before !

Looking through many suppliers details I do not see their SOCIAL TARIFFS mentioned, in fact I am bewildered by the different 'schemes' each company has.

As an example I am paying a totally different UNIT price for gas and electricity than has been quoted to another family member seeking the same deal.

Will the suppliers PLEASE list their rates for the SOCIAL TARIFFS, this would be most helpful for those who can claim such.

Thanks