Energy bills to rise - how much is yours going up by?

[GusB]

Today's news that energy prices are set to rise didn't exactly come as a surprise to me. I had an email from my supplier a couple of weeks ago advising that they'll be switching me to a higher-priced tariff at the end of this month. I thought I was on to a good thing when my fixed-rate contract with E.on ended at the end of May; I was able to find a far cheaper variable tariff with another supplier. It seemed to good to be true...

Energy bills to rise by at least £139 for millions of households

Fuel poverty charities say the price cap increase will come at the worst time during winter.

www.bbc.co.uk

Energy prices will rise for millions of people across the UK in October, right at the start of the cold weather.
Regulator Ofgem said the price cap for default domestic energy deals would be raised to cover suppliers' extra costs.
The typical gas and electricity customer is likely to see their bill go up by £139 to £1,277 a year.
Charities warned the timing would hit struggling families hard, who already face losing an extra £20 a week from Universal Credit in October.
Prepayment customers will see an increase of £153, from £1,156 to £1309, the regulator said.
Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley told the BBC: "The reason the price cap is going up is there has been a record increase in energy prices across the board, not just in gas and electricity but in petrol and diesel."
He urged customers to shop around for the best tariffs, saying there were big savings to be made by switching.
"You don't have to live with this tariff. The price cap is a backstop. We'd encourage any customer, particularly those struggling to pay their bills, to contact their supplier, and get access to a wide-range of help and support," he said.
"This is a devastating increase," said Peter Smith, director of policy and advocacy at fuel poverty charity National Energy Action.
"Millions of household budgets are already stretched to the limit and this massive increase could not be coming at a worse time."

Having done the rounds of the comparison sites, it would appear that the "loyalty" tariff that I've been offered with my new supplier (Symbio Energy) still seems to be far cheaper than what other providers are offering, but it's still a fair hike. Their customer service, app and website are awful, though, so I'm very much getting what I pay for! Finances are tight just now, so price is very much is the priority.

I'd be interested to see how others have fared. I deliberately went for a variable tariff the last time I switched and, from what I've seen online, some of the cheaper deals are also variable tariffs. I don't mind the idea of a fixed-term contract if the deal is good enough, and if the exit fee is around the £30 mark, I don't mind paying that if a newer deal can save me more. Thoughts?

 

[Mojo]

I was formerly with Green Network Energy, who went into administration earlier this year. We were then moved to EDF but unfortunately since then I’ve not had any bills from them, so cannot get any sort of meaningful estimate of my usages, making price comparisons between companies very difficult.

 

[Darandio]

Coupled with the removal of the Universal Credit uplift it's going to be crippling for many.

 

[Starmill]

Coupled with the removal of the Universal Credit uplift it's going to be crippling for many.

At least motor fuel and staple food and basic household supplies aren't getting much more costly (and potentially difficult to come by) at the same time.

Oh, wait.

 

[Darandio]

At least motor fuel and staple food and basic household supplies aren't getting much more costly (and potentially difficult to come by) at the same time.

Oh, wait.

Indeed there are rough times ahead. People already had to make harsh choices each winter between food and heating, this year there will be many more.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The winter period bills are normally the highest ones of the year and we are nearly half-way through October.

 

[birchesgreen]

I've been told by my provider that peoples' bills will (with them) go up by about 5 quid a week on average. I hope i am below the average!

 

[mikeg]

Formerly with Green, am in the process of being migrated to Shell, it's going from about the best deal on the market at the time to the price cap, an increase of roughly 70 percent on what I paid at the beginning of the year.

I've been told by my provider that peoples' bills will (with them) go up by about 5 quid a week on average. I hope i am below the average!

If you're below the average it means you'd likely previously been paying over the odds so would be a strange thing to hope for.

 

[GusB]

They say if it seems too good to be true... My cheap supplier (Symbio) was one of those that went under over the last couple of weeks and apparently their customers are being taken on by E.on, which I'd just switched from! I had already decided to jump ship to EDF because Symbio were absolutely abysmal, but I seem to be caught in limbo between the two.

EDF quoted me £92 per month and I was on £45-ish per month before, so that's more than double. My only saving grace is that they've used a personal projection which is higher than my actual usage and I should hopefully be able to bring it down once I've supplied the new lot with a set of readings. It's still going to be nowhere near as low as what I had been paying.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I'm with Utility Warehouse, they promise the following:

We'll always beat the Ofgem "price cap" calculation by up to 5%. And we promise to keep our prices lower than the price cap for as long as you remain a customer.*

To get the full 5% you need to bundle in other products like landline and broadband.

I'm on their Economy 7 tariff. On 1 October the Standing Charge went down (by a very small amount), the nightime rate stayed the same and the daytime rate increased by 13.5%, so the increase any individual faces will depend on their daytime/nighttime split.

I do not recommend Utility Warehouse, but then I don't recommend any of the other majors I have been with either! But you have to go with someone. It's like you know you are going to get your head kicked, but you get to choose what colour of boot it is done with. Utility Warehouse tried to screw me over the monthly budget payment where I would have built up a £1,000 credit balance after 12 months. Nice, for them at least!

The 'average bill' quoted in all the publicity (£1,277 per year) is of little use to anyone in the real world (that's the polite version). Anyone, particularly those on a low income who need to avoid sudden large bills, needs to take control and do their own calculations.

Ofgem will refer you to your energy supplier to advise what their default tariff actually is.

There are actually a large number of averages, depending upon energy type, location and payment method.
Energy type:

• Electricity: Single-Rate Metering Arrangement
• Electricity: Multi-Register Metering Arrangement
• Gas
• Dual-fuel

Payment Type

• Other Payment Method (direct debit)
• Standard Credit (pay on receipt of bill)
• Pre-Payment Meter

Regions

• North West
• Northern
• Yorkshire
• Northern Scotland
• Southern
• Southern Scotland
• N Wales and Mersey
• London
• South East
• Eastern
• East Midlands
• Midlands
• Southern Western
• South Wales

There is then a GB average and a GB average including VAT.

NONE of those figures, on the official spreadsheet, say £1,277 per year!

The averages on the official spreadsheet assume:

• Electricity: Single-Rate Metering Arrangement - 3,100 kWh per year
• Electricity: Multi-Register Metering Arrangement - 4,200 kWh per year with a 42% nightime / 58% daytime split
• Gas - 12,000 kWh
• Dual-Fuel is calculated from the Single-Rate Metering and Gas figures

Of course, everyone will have their own usage patterns, so need to do their own sums rather than relying on any quoted average.

MOST IMPORTANTLY - do not trust any estimate given to you by your supplier, check it, dispute it, escalate it, make a formal complaint. Then they will reduce your payment to a more realistic level.

If you want to blow your mind, download the following spreadsheet from the Ofgem website. It is well hidden but sticking 'default_tariff_cap_level_v1.9' in the search box may find it.

"It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard.” (Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy)

The spreadsheet also reveals just how much you are paying for all the 'green energy' deals and installations.

A simpler version of the cap is available in the pdf below. Again, the quoted typical average of £1,277 does not appear anywhere in the document!

 

[BananaRepublic]

Energy prices, particularly for gas, are going to remain high for some time.
Reports in the German press suggest they wont start to settle to pre-Corona levels until 2024.
The only mechanism the government has got to protect consumers, is the price cap, but that can’t be kept down indefinitely under the pressure of increasing market costs.
Suspending the 5% VAT on gas and electric would help.

 

[birchesgreen]

If you're below the average it means you'd likely previously been paying over the odds so would be a strange thing to hope for.

Don't think so but lets hope its by 3 quid instead of 4 or 5. Every little helps eh?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

If you have chosen to always be on a fixed tariff, can the energy supplier increase it during the period they originally fixed it for?

 

[skyhigh]

If you have chosen to always be on a fixed tariff, can the energy supplier increase it during the period they originally fixed it for?

They can't, otherwise there would be no point in choosing a fixed tariff. The only issue is if your supplier goes bust - you'll be moved to a new one with no interruption in supply, but you won't keep your fixed tariff.

I can't get my head around the price cap to be honest, I was looking at gas options and I couldn't work out what the cap actually was in p per unit. I was on a flexible tariff at 3.7p per unit per gas, but chose to fix for 2 years at 5.2p instead to at least give me some certainty.

My fixed electricity ends in January- I'm currently paying 12p per kWh during the day and 5.5p for 5 hours from 20.30, so I'm expecting my daytime rate to at least double unless things change by then.

Tough times ahead for many.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I can't get my head around the price cap to be honest, I was looking at gas options and I couldn't work out what the cap actually was in p per unit. I was on a flexible tariff at 3.7p per unit per gas, but chose to fix for 2 years at 5.2p instead to at least give me some certainty.

My fixed electricity ends in January- I'm currently paying 12p per kWh during the day and 5.5p for 5 hours from 20.30, so I'm expecting my daytime rate to at least double unless things change by then.

The default gas cap is as follows:
Standing Charge, the same throughout the country: £107.01 for Standard Credit (SC) £90.81 for Other Payment Method (OPM) (aka Direct Debit).
For the purposes of the cap, usage is assumed at 12,000kWh but the cost varies by region. For the Midlands it is £594.20 for Standard Credit, £553.32 for Other Payment Method so £594.20 / 12,000 = 4.95p per kWh (SC) or 4.61p (OPM), but you'll have to work out how many units/cubic metres that equates to, I'm all electric so never looked into it. Does a gas bill convert cubic metres to kWh anyway?

The default electric cap for Multi-Register Metering (aka Economy 7, variants are available) is as follows:
Standing Charge: £103.60 (SC), £87.52 (OPM) for the Midlands, varies nationally.
For the purposes of the cap, usage is assumed at 4,200 kWh with a 42% nighttime / 58% daytime split. The cost varies by region. For the Midlands it is £919.68 (SC), £862.52 (OPM). Then it gets complicated, I haven't got a clue how you would work out the pence per unit rate and apply that on a personal basis to see if the cap fits. On a personal basis, your usage will almost certainly not be 4,200 units and your nighttime / daytime split will almost certainly not be 42% / 58%.

I'm now paying 7.2p nighttime and 26.6p daytime (excluding VAT), with a split more like 75% / 25% because I know how to use storage heaters to keep daytime electric usage as low as possible. That electric fire for an hour in the evening is equivalent to 3.64 hours charging the storage heater in the small hours.

From press reports, the fixed deals currently on the market are HIGHER than the default cap, but by signing up to one you may hedge against the forecast massive increase in the cap when it is reviewed in February - to come into effect in April 2022. That is, you would pay more than you need to now, but may / could / would pay less than the cap from April.

One of the price comparison websites has turned off it's comparison / switching function as they can no longer offer you a saving by switching.

Going direct to the providers, they often hide the Standard Variable Tariff (ie the default capped rate and currently their cheapest rate) and highly promote only their fixed price tariffs. Naughty, naughty people. I understand that the Union of Sharks has registered a complaint on behalf of their members as they are being given a bad reputation by the energy providers!

If you have chosen to always be on a fixed tariff, can the energy supplier increase it during the period they originally fixed it for?

No, not during the period of the tariff, but I'm not sure what you mean by 'always' on a fixed tariff. See my comment above re Standard Variable Tariffs currently being cheaper than most fixed deals on offer.

Energy prices, particularly for gas, are going to remain high for some time.
Reports in the German press suggest they wont start to settle to pre-Corona levels until 2024.
The only mechanism the government has got to protect consumers, is the price cap, but that can’t be kept down indefinitely under the pressure of increasing market costs.
Suspending the 5% VAT on gas and electric would help.

Suspending the Policy Cost charge, or the Smart Metering charge, would offer greater benefits. In the Midlands Region the average user, on the Standard Credit Tariff, is now paying £192.88 per year for Policy Costs (ie Green subsidies) and £16.53 for Smart Metering, compared to £10.90 for VAT.

CORRECTION
The Policy Cost charge and Smart Metering charge mentioned above only relates to the variable element of the typical users bill. The Standing Charge also has a Policy Cost charge of £6.98 and a Smart Metering charge of £11.41.

Or put it another way, the government could decide, in the next budget, to fund Policy Costs and Smart Metering (both as a national priority / national investment or whatever) and reduce the typical Midlands electricity users bill by £209.41 per year. Over to you Rishi!

 

[skyhigh]

The default gas cap is as follows:
Standing Charge, the same throughout the country: £107.01 for Standard Credit (SC) £90.81 for Other Payment Method (OPM) (aka Direct Debit).
For the purposes of the cap, usage is assumed at 12,000kWh but the cost varies by region. For the Midlands it is £594.20 for Standard Credit, £553.32 for Other Payment Method so £594.20 / 12,000 = 4.95p per kWh (SC) or 4.61p (OPM), but you'll have to work out how many units/cubic metres that equates to, I'm all electric so never looked into it. Does a gas bill convert cubic metres to kWh anyway?

The default electric cap for Multi-Register Metering (aka Economy 7, variants are available) is as follows:
Standing Charge: £103.60 (SC), £87.52 (OPM) for the Midlands, varies nationally.
For the purposes of the cap, usage is assumed at 4,200 kWh with a 42% nighttime / 58% daytime split. The cost varies by region. For the Midlands it is £919.68 (SC), £862.52 (OPM). Then it gets complicated, I haven't got a clue how you would work out the pence per unit rate and apply that on a personal basis to see if the cap fits. On a personal basis, your usage will almost certainly not be 4,200 units and your nighttime / daytime split will almost certainly not be 42% / 58%.

That's helpful, thank you.

I'm now paying 7.2p nighttime and 26.6p daytime (excluding VAT), with a split more like 75% / 25% because I know how to use storage heaters to keep daytime electric usage as low as possible. That electric fire for an hour in the evening is equivalent to 3.64 hours charging the storage heater in the small hours.

One of the benefits of my supplier is that they provide 30min usage data for electricity for you to be able to analyse - over the last year, my usage has averaged out at 7.9p per kWh taking into account overnight usage compared to daytime. If I'd been on the standard flexible tariff it would have been 15.2p. I'm under no illusion I'll be able to keep it that low when my fixed term ends in a few months.

From press reports, the fixed deals currently on the market are HIGHER than the default cap, but by signing up to one you may hedge against the forecast massive increase in the cap when it is reviewed in February - to come into effect in April 2022. That is, you would pay more than you need to now, but may / could / would pay less than the cap from April.

That was my decision in the end - pay more now but have the certainty of what I'll be paying for the next 2 years. I'm lucky as I live in a well insulated new-build (and prefer cooler temperatures anyway), so my gas usage over the last year has only been approx. 1200 units - going fixed only increased my bill by approx £50 based on last year's usage. A lot of people won't be that lucky - I know my mum is looking at a significant increase for the amount she uses to heat her home.

 

[Trackman]

I was formerly with Green Network Energy, who went into administration earlier this year. We were then moved to EDF but unfortunately since then I’ve not had any bills from them, so cannot get any sort of meaningful estimate of my usages, making price comparisons between companies very difficult.

I'm in the same boat- was with Avro now going to Octopus.
I've cancelled my direct debit with Avro even though Octopus said keep it going but Avro owe me over £500 and this is not just to cover me for the cold months ahead plus I've been badgering them months for a refund as my direct debit was way too high but they were not very forthcoming.
I've also heard rumours that domestic customers will have to wait 12 months for the money to be transferred to the supplier of last resort by the administrators (who haven't even been appointed yet) and obviously Ofgem will stump up the shortfall if there is one.
As it stands without the energy price increases I'll be paying about £20 extra a month and that's not taking into account at least one months missed DD.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I'm in the same boat- was with Avro now going to Octopus.
I've cancelled my direct debit with Avro even though Octopus said keep it going but Avro owe me over £500 and this is not just to cover me for the cold months ahead plus I've been badgering them months for a refund as my direct debit was way too high but they were not very forthcoming.
I've also heard rumours that domestic customers will have to wait 12 months for the money to be transferred to the supplier of last resort by the administrators (who haven't even been appointed yet) and obviously Ofgem will stump up the shortfall if there is one.
As it stands without the energy price increases I'll be paying about £20 extra a month and that's not taking into account at least one months missed DD.

I was with Yorkshire Energy who went out of business in December last year. The next monthly Direct Debit payment was taken from my account shortly after the company ceased being my supplier and Scottish Power had been appointed by Ofgem. I cancelled the Direct Debit to prevent it happening twice, they did try to take another payment but the bank declined it due to my cancellation! I wasn't out of pocket as the balance was ultimately transferred correctly but I did wonder about the process. A company in administration (or whatever) receives the extra payment so is in a better position to pay its creditors, the appointed supplier of last resort doesn't receive the payment so has to make it up from its own resources (ultimately all other customers pay)?

At that time, I think it took about two months for the old credit balance to appear in my account with the new supplier. No-one gave any indications of timescales, only that it would all be sorted out and the customer would not be out of pocket. It is my understanding (from Twitter) that the supplier of last resort agrees a timescale for such payments with Ofgem as part of the deal to 'buy' the customers of the failed supplier.

It seems to me that, for several years, suppliers have been keen on ever increasing permanent credit balances on customers accounts. Heaven forbid that you want to have that money refunded or reduce your monthly payment to a sensible amount. There, there, pat on head, you don't want to WORRY ABOUT THE BIG BILL do you, let us work it all out for you. Oh you insist on a refund, then we will HAVE TO INCREASE YOUR MONTHLY PAYMENT because no-one can predict how much energy you will use. So you end up with an even larger credit balance next year. Rinse and repeat. It is in their interest to sit on as much of your money as they can get away with.

A recent consultation by Ofgem suggests that utility companies are sat of £1.4 billion of credit balances.

Other than my time with Yorkshire Energy, my most comfortable time with an energy company for several years was the first half of this year with Scottish Power (not out of choice). I didn't give them my bank details, but the old supplier passed them across by email anyway (GPDR?, security?) but as I had cancelled the DD they couldn't just help themselves to whatever of my money they felt like having. I paid by bank transfer only what was necessary, nothing more, nothing less and when I was ready to pay it.

 

[Trackman]

I was with Yorkshire Energy who went out of business in December last year. The next monthly Direct Debit payment was taken from my account shortly after the company ceased being my supplier and Scottish Power had been appointed by Ofgem. I cancelled the Direct Debit to prevent it happening twice, they did try to take another payment but the bank declined it due to my cancellation! I wasn't out of pocket as the balance was ultimately transferred correctly but I did wonder about the process. A company in administration (or whatever) receives the extra payment so is in a better position to pay its creditors, the appointed supplier of last resort doesn't receive the payment so has to make it up from its own resources (ultimately all other customers pay)?

At that time, I think it took about two months for the old credit balance to appear in my account with the new supplier. No-one gave any indications of timescales, only that it would all be sorted out and the customer would not be out of pocket. It is my understanding (from Twitter) that the supplier of last resort agrees a timescale for such payments with Ofgem as part of the deal to 'buy' the customers of the failed supplier.

It seems to me that, for several years, suppliers have been keen on ever increasing permanent credit balances on customers accounts. Heaven forbid that you want to have that money refunded or reduce your monthly payment to a sensible amount. There, there, pat on head, you don't want to WORRY ABOUT THE BIG BILL do you, let us work it all out for you. Oh you insist on a refund, then we will HAVE TO INCREASE YOUR MONTHLY PAYMENT because no-one can predict how much energy you will use. So you end up with an even larger credit balance next year. Rinse and repeat. It is in their interest to sit on as much of your money as they can get away with.

A recent consultation by Ofgem suggests that utility companies are sat of £1.4 billion of credit balances.

Other than my time with Yorkshire Energy, my most comfortable time with an energy company for several years was the first half of this year with Scottish Power (not out of choice). I didn't give them my bank details, but the old supplier passed them across by email anyway (GPDR?, security?) but as I had cancelled the DD they couldn't just help themselves to whatever of my money they felt like having. I paid by bank transfer only what was necessary, nothing more, nothing less and when I was ready to pay it.

Thanks for the insight, was told it might be longer.
Octopus sent me an email recently to set up a direct debit into a 'holding account' - they can go and whistle, I've never heard of them before, who says they wont go belly-up?
They have mentioned I'll be on a variable tariff which is £10 under the Ofgem cap but didn't say if it was monthly or annually - I'm dreading to think what they are going to charge me and this is before energy price hike.
Also I cannot change supplier at the moment so I'll just have wait and see.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Thanks for the insight, was told it might be longer.
Octopus sent me an email recently to set up a direct debit into a 'holding account' - they can go and whistle, I've never heard of them before, who says they wont go belly-up?
They have mentioned I'll be on a variable tariff which is £10 under the Ofgem cap but didn't say if it was monthly or annually - I'm dreading to think what they are going to charge me and this is before energy price hike.
Also I cannot change supplier at the moment so I'll just have wait and see.

The two months wait was earlier this year, things have changed so it may not be that sort of timescale now.

I was concerned about having a credit balance 'lost in space' not available to me and not visible to the new supplier. Scottish Power went on to claim my account was in debit, which technically it was, but I knew that my credit balance would cover the shortfall - if only they and the administrator would agree the amount.

Octopus have a much better reputation. I have no direct experience but a family member is with them through the Co-op. A number of companies partner with Octopus. When I last did a price comparison they were not in the top few cheapest but that depends in part on your personal energy usage and your region. Plus some of those that were in the top few cheapest were completely unheard of or no longer trade!

A while back I did consider Octopus but someone, possibly it was when I transferred to Yorkshire Energy, were cheaper at the time.

If you know your annual usage you can use any of the comparison sites, or any of the companies own websites. For comparison sites remember to find the filter that says 'include all results including those that we cannot switch you to'. You don't have to use your real address for the initial quote, just pick one in the same region. One, I think it is USwitch, tries to trick you into giving full personal details but there is a button beneath which says continue without giving details.

If you do not know your annual usage, they will use standard industry figures to generate a quote:
Gas

Energy Consumption Rate	Average Gas Usage in kWh
Low	8,000 kWh
Medium	12,000 kWh
High	17,000kWh

Electric

Electricity Profile 1 Usage Tier (single rate meter)	Typical Domestic Consumption Value (kWh)
Low	1,800​
Medium	2,900​
High	4,300​
Electricity Profile 2 Usage Tier (Economy 7 / Multi Rate Meter)
Low	2,400​
Medium	4,200​
High	7,100​

Low: This usually refers to small apartments, such as someone living on their own, or a couple sharing a flat.

Medium: A typical medium household would be 3-4 people in a semi-detached house.

High: A family of five or more people in a detached house.

Money Saving Expert - Budget Scheme Advice

Condition 27 of energy suppliers' licences is that they must take reasonable steps to ensure direct debit levels are fair, and to explain the level they're set at. So call up and ask – there may be a justifiable reason.

The problem is that 'fair' is not defined, hence the levels of credit balances being accumulated by the energy providers.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I joined Good Energy on a duel fuel basis in 2014 from being a British Gas customer since our marriage in 1975, but still retain the services of British Gas for their Homecare 400 scheme that covers central heating, plumbing and drains, white goods, electrical and wiring, etc. Good Energy seem to be very much a "Green" company with renewables high in its energy base. They have been very good since I joined them and retained them when we relocated early in 2020. They waited a little later than most before having smart meters installed, but we do have a second generation IHD unit that shows financially both daily and period costs incurred.

 

[skyhigh]

Octopus have a much better reputation. I have no direct experience but a family member is with them through the Co-op. A number of companies partner with Octopus. When I last did a price comparison they were not in the top few cheapest but that depends in part on your personal energy usage and your region. Plus some of those that were in the top few cheapest were completely unheard of or no longer trade!

I'm with Octopus- they're taking on customers from suppliers who've gone bust, they own energy generation capability and they supply the billing systems for several other large suppliers. I think they're probably safe.

They do have several fairly well hidden tariffs on their website, such as Go, Go Faster and Agile which may work out cheaper for certain users.

 

[lkpridgeon]

I'm with SSE and it looks like I'm going to be paying about 5p a day more (~£1.50/month) for electric only (variable plan has risen by 1.5p kWh, standing charge hasn't changed yet). Oil has gone up another 6p/L however part of that is just seasonality.

 

[JamesT]

I see rumours that my current supplier Pure Planet is about to fold. https://www.itv.com/news/2021-10-11...-pure-planet-may-be-gloomiest-energy-news-yet
So I expect it will be going up quite a bit from its current level to whatever the SVR of the new supplier will be.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I have found an online resource which will calculate your pence per unit price. Seems to work for gas and single rate electricity, but no help for Economy 7 users!
The complicating factor is how much an energy provider charges for standing charge - this is capped but a supplier can charge less and adjust the per unit price accordingly. Quickly scanning that forum thread, the main suppliers seem to be charging the maximum allowed standing charge rather than varying from it.

On the spreadsheet, the total bill figure includes VAT, whilst the standing charge / price per unit figures do not.

The discussion is here:
moneysavingexpert - energy-price-cap-explained-please

The calculator is provided by user Jim James in the final post at the bottom of page 3
You can calculate here

You can calculate here http://energy.jj99.co.uk/

 

[Silver Cobra]

My household is currently with Octopus Energy, and the fixed dual-fuel tariff we have been on for the last 12 months ends on Saturday. From then onwards, we are paying around £30 more per month, as we've chosen to sign up to a new 24-month fixed tariff, in hopes to avoid any massive hikes in April next year (had we gone with the standard variable rate tariff for now, it would've only been around £16-20 more per month, but of course that could sky-rocket in April, and there's no guarantee the current fixed rates would still be offered later down the road).

 

[najaB]

Not got any comment on energy prices (as yet) but wanted to point out:

I didn't give them my bank details, but the old supplier passed them across by email anyway (GPDR?, security?)

Nope. Not even close to a GDPR breach - transfer of a customer allows transfer of all relevant information about that customer. There's hardly anything more relevant than payment information!

 

[swt_passenger]

I got a letter today, the writing on the envelope included wording about “important information” on the front, but at a glance the back looked like an invitation to visit an “energy switching website”. I’d heard they’d just about given up as a result of current problems.

I was about to shred it without opening when I realised it was actually about winter fuel payments…

 

[LAX54]

They can't, otherwise there would be no point in choosing a fixed tariff. The only issue is if your supplier goes bust - you'll be moved to a new one with no interruption in supply, but you won't keep your fixed tariff.

I can't get my head around the price cap to be honest, I was looking at gas options and I couldn't work out what the cap actually was in p per unit. I was on a flexible tariff at 3.7p per unit per gas, but chose to fix for 2 years at 5.2p instead to at least give me some certainty.

My fixed electricity ends in January- I'm currently paying 12p per kWh during the day and 5.5p for 5 hours from 20.30, so I'm expecting my daytime rate to at least double unless things change by then.

Tough times ahead for many.

They can't, but they can ask ! If prices go up, and you don't amend your direct debit amount, then you could end up with a bill at the end of the 'fixed' term. I am sure they all have get out clauses to allow the increase !

 

[skyhigh]

They can't, but they can ask ! If prices go up, and you don't amend your direct debit amount, then you could end up with a bill at the end of the 'fixed' term. I am sure they all have get out clauses to allow the increase !

I'll have a look at my t&cs when I get home, but I can't believe any reputable supplier would amend your fixed tariff during the period that it's fixed for. You're right that they may suggest you increase your direct debit payment, but if your usage stays the same your actual costs won't be any higher.