65% rise in energy in October!

Our deal expired on the 30th May, after a good look round, we’re on the variable rate, for now. I regularly logon to our account and our usage has significantly dropped this year compared with this time last year, we’re doing all we can.

The standing charge is NOT just about servicing your account. Its compensation for the inefficient companies who went bust and the cost of passing their customers onto other companies. We should not be bailing out bankrupt companies and their customers.

I will try the phone tomorrow. I have an account number. Thanks again Chestnut

Grammaretto SSE has been migrated to Ovo but still seems to be showing as SSE on the website (part of the Ovo family). A friend of mine with SSE got an e-mail saying 'Welcome to Ovo Energy' so don't know if you have. Says a letter will follow in the post. The e-mail allocated her a new account number with Ovo.

If you ring 0345 070 7373 during the day you should get through to a person if you follow the instructions. I presume your SSE bill is showing the same phone number. You may be caught between the two at the moment. You could try ringing Ovo and quote your new account number if you have one.

Thanks Chestnut I will follow those instructions. I tried the contact number but it's an automated helpline. I think I can ring during office hours to an 0345 number. The company is SSE.
I have just spoken to a neighbour who says everyone is in the same boat and we will have to shower the Australian way and use a microwave for all our cooking. and wear overcoats in the house

It’s frightening for young families, I never had central heating until my twenties, but there was the coal fire and an immersion heater. Most people haven’t a chimney or immersion heater. We got used to going to bed cold but had hot water bottles and loads of layers. We were all in the same boat. Tge divide between people will grow bigger. Think a lot of people will choose food over fuel, you can’t have children hungry. Food is a struggle for most people now goodness know how people on very low incomes will manage.

Grammaretto Who is your energy supplier? There must be a phone number on the bill to ring if you have a query. You need to tell them your husband has died so they change the name and contact details (e-mail address and phone number).

On your bill it will show how much you pay per kWh for your electricity and gas, and what your standing charge is for both as well. Write them down and then find an old bill and write the same down to compare. The cost went up on 1st April so you will have different rate before that date and after that date.

It also depends on whether you are on a fixed rate tariff or a flexible one. If fixed then the rate you pay will stay the same during the life of that tariff. If on a flexible tariff then it will go up as the cost increases.

The Tories are obviously going to choose Truss who thinks a bit of tax cutting will solve the UK's many problems but won't admit some of them stem from Brexit. Sunak would increase support to householders for energy costs but he's going out to grass. Johnson has wasted a lot of time. Energy is so critical it should be be nationalised (also water) as France has done - hardly a socialist measure under Macron.

I am very worried now. I find it hard to believe what I am being charged. It is about to increase to £500 per month! gas and electric. I pay by direct debit.
My gas boiler stopped working 3 months ago and my old gas Rayburn cooker has been outside in the rain for over a year now. Where are they getting their figures from?

There is no-one to speak to either. How do you get through to energy companies now?

Our correspondence, all online, is addressed to my late husband which I find disconcerting and leads me to believe that there is no-one there at all just a robot collecting money.

I am writing this on here in the hope that someone can point me in the direction of a human being to speak to.

So why , when the energy companies are raking in massive profits are prices rising so fast? Plus, Russia seem to be coining it in despite “sanctions”.

Agreed Casdon.

There is no reason at all to raise the standing charges, cost of the power is one thing, and it is controlled to a certain extent by the markets, but standing charges are not.

volver

They can't abolish the standing charge because its covers the cost of connection and of servicing your account.

They can't abolish the Green Levy because the world is on fire and we need to do something about it.

VAT on Fuel, agree with abolishing that.

They need to take a holistic approach to providing affordable fuel to this country instead of arguing about bringing back grammar schools and "taking out" the leaders of other countries. And before anyone asks, no, I don't know what they should do. But I'm not standing for PM.

They could significantly reduce the standing charge though, or at least not put it up again in October, as there’s no reason for that element to go up as steeply as it has done this year that I can see?

They can't abolish the standing charge because its covers the cost of connection and of servicing your account.

They can't abolish the Green Levy because the world is on fire and we need to do something about it.

VAT on Fuel, agree with abolishing that.

They need to take a holistic approach to providing affordable fuel to this country instead of arguing about bringing back grammar schools and "taking out" the leaders of other countries. And before anyone asks, no, I don't know what they should do. But I'm not standing for PM.

Just been studying Martin's comments on whether to have a fixed tariff or a flexible tariff (price cap). I fixed my tariff in March and while it was expensive it wasn't as bad as it is now. It is now impossible to decide which is best.

Octopus has just offered my daughter a fixed rate of:
Electricity (day rate) per kWh: 51.74p prev 19.62p
Electricity (night rate) per kWh: 35.69p prev 14.00p
Electricity standing charge: 44.57p prev 22.71p
Gas rate per kWh: 15.59p prev 3.58p
Gas standing charge: 27.22p prev 22.71p
The previous rates are what she paid before 1st April.

That is a shockingly high increase, much higher than my fixed rate in March. I suggested she stay on the flexible tariff (price cap) and ride the storm that we know is coming on 1st October. But even Martin doesn't know what to advise.

The govenment need to get their big boy pants on and abolish the standing charge, green levy and vat on fuel. Just for a start.

I heard this morning that Hungary - a country known for its very right wing politics has capped the charge on petrol £1.05
Home fuel etc. the supply is privatised and the suppliers are still making money.

Why can’t we?

Chestnut

To get back to the OP, is anyone now having to choose between a fixed term tariff and a flexible one? It's a really bad time! No good fixed ones around, they are very expensive, and you would pay those high rates starting now.

If you choose a flexible tariff you pay less now but it will go up in October. You are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Anyone making that choice now and what are you going to do?

Yes we are in that situation with Scottish Power. Our fixed rate ends on July 31st. We were offered another fixed rate tariff but there were two negatives with it - there was an exit penalty of £300 per fuel and an additional variable charge every quarter, they said it could be a credit but that is very unlikely IMO. So I looked at their standard tariff and if that goes up by 50% we will still be paying less than the fixed rate tariff offered. So we decided to go on the standard tariff, see what the usage costs are and possibly change supplier when this is possible, I believe it is virtually impossible to go to a new supplier now.

Katie59

We’ve just signed up a new deal and it is 45% up fixed for year, but no penalty to change, so if it is too much we’re not tied in.

That’s a good deal. The only fixed tariff we were recently offered by Scottish Power had a £300 exit penalty per fuel type.

Martin Lewis was on R4 again this week he was furious about the lack of government response. I wonder if the extra £400 per household is a direct response? He also suggested that Sunak, Truss and Johnson get around the table and agree a way forward for whoever is in charge come September. Which sounded quite a grown up response.

Namsnanny

Puts a different spin on working from home, doesnt it?

Good point. I did read that some people went back in to work in air conditioned offices. Guess it depends on the cost of the commute.

Puts a different spin on working from home, doesnt it?

Im also tired of the "energy saving tips" People were very keen to begin with but it will very quickly become very wearing. Not being able use an oven, wash laundry properly, boiling kettles and keeping hot water in a flask etc etc.
I remember past winters when many elderly people died of hypothermia. I think that is why the winter fuel allowance was first introduced for pensioners.
The current parliament seem to be burying they're heads in the sand. We need strong leadership and a firm hand to guide the country through the potential disaster staring us in the face.

Chewbacca that is horrendous and you cannot exactly save on that usage of gas!

I do not see the point of removing VAT, I think the standing charges have to be tackled. Other countries are not in the financial predicament we are.

My charges are fixed until next July but I am aware I will receive a very nasty shock then.

I received my gas/electricity bill for the June - July period. In that 29 day period, I used 1 unit of gas. The cost for that one unit was £0.79p. The standing charges and vat were x8 the cost of the energy used.
I'm dreading the winter months.