ENERGY MATTERS

[Big Kev]

I have my gas DD set at £80, EON reckon it should be £65. The gas account is currently £15 in debit, it'll sort itself out as the weather warms up. Gas usage was £200 for December and January, as a comparison June, July, August and September were just the standing charge.
The £67 a month, from the government, is applied to my elec account and as I wouldn't reduce the DD amount it's now nearly £300 in credit. I'll give it until April, to see what happens with energy prices, as to whether I request a refund. Elec usage is fairly consistent throughout the year.

[Stanley]

I haven't even looked at my account, I know I don't need to because after the latest government subsidies for the poor and elderly I am in credit. The world has gone mad....
(PS We have a lot to thank a very mild winter for. Only one cold spell so far....)

[Stanley]

Yesterday was a good day for energy matters. I reached the stage in the Ombudsman's attack on BG for me where I could finalise what has been discussed and agreed. Basically, I get an official letter of apology admitting failure, the reinstatement of my monthly account, I have already had the rectification of my bum meters (which had to happen before the other decisions could be put into effect) and finally I get a credit of £100 as recognition of expenses incurred in the last 18 months. (That doesn't pay proper compensation but probably pays the phone bill!)
All I had to do to initiate this closure was to agree to the proposals so I did it, I want this sad episode finished with. (Incidentally I pointed out that as yet I have not had a monthly account but suspect that is because my account is still in credit from the government subsidies.)
So as far as I am concerned this is the end of the saga. I want to see normal service resumed as soon as possible and if it doesn't happen I shall go for their throat yet again. I know now how to do it.
Thanks again to Wendy and Kev, It was their recommendation that I go to Resolver that triggered all this off. The Ombudsman Service has been brilliant and efficient and certainly got the attention of the management at British Gas

[Tizer]

It's great to know you've got a satisfactory result and your patience has been worthwhile. Now we need the regulators to make sure it stops happening to other people. (I think we need a regulator of regulators!)

[PanBiker]

Excellent Stanley.

[Stanley]

Thanks Lads but it would have been a hell of a lot better if I hadn't had that 18 months of misery.
I'm still not convinced they have got it right and won't be until the account settles down into a nice boring groove of a payment for dual fuel on the 14th of every month. Not a lot to ask is it.....

[PanBiker]

It's a result though and a lot further on than you were previously.

My gas meter has stopped being "smart". I got a very small rebate for an overcharge this month after sending them a reading.

[Stanley]

But not yet boring normal and that's what I require from my energy provider. Just like it was in olden times before the days of smart meters when we got a paper bill each month and paid it on Church street in either the gas or the leccy shop.
(And no salad veggies in winter either!)

[PanBiker]

But not yet boring normal and that's what I require from my energy provider.

There is a simple fix for that, but I am afraid you still wont be able to pay the bills on Church Street.

[Stanley]

In case you hadn't noticed I am in the middle of a 'fix for that' and there has been nothing simple about it.

[Big Kev]

Despite Britishvolt being bought out of administration by another 'startup', an Australian company this time, there's still no quick fix for EV battery manufacturing in the UK. I'll continue with diesel.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64754879

[plaques]

Despite Britishvolt being bought out of administration by another 'startup', an Australian company this time, there's still no quick fix for EV battery manufacturing in the UK. I'll continue with diesel.

China has the biggest EV car market unless the West can agree on a standard battery design the Chinese will control the market.
I agree diesel will be with us for a very long time.

[Tizer]

Despite Britishvolt being bought out of administration by another 'startup', an Australian company this time,...

Did you notice? That Australian firm is owned by a New York investment company. I wonder who they are owned by? A bit like the cuddly, local `West Cumbria' mining company that never gets mentioned that its owner is a giant international firm based in Singapore and Melbourne.

[Stanley]

If I hadn't been so busy with other matters yesterday I would have also raised that point Peter. There are many ways to hide the ultimate ownership and control of companies. It's one of the reasons why for years Private Eye has been railing against 'brass plate companies, LLps and other methods of disguising ownership.
I also noted that they have said their objective is to manufacture batteries for static bulk storage of electricity and not vehicle batteries.

[Big Kev]

RR have an agreement with Poland for their Small Modular Reactors https://www.rolls-royce-smr.com/press/i ... y-projects

Certainly something that needs doing here, sooner rather than later, before they demolish all the old coal fired stations. All they need to do is replace the 'kettle'.
Probably a simplistic view but it sounds like a good idea to me, all the infrastructure is already there.

[Tripps]

I've just done the end of month Octopus ritual. Didn't win the wheel of fortune (again).

Pleased to say I've achieved a PB for gas in February, and the electric is down by about 10% . ( Air fryer?)

However in rough terms, the cost of the gas is horrendous. The electricity looks cheap by comparison. It used to be the other way round. Perhaps the way forward is not to use the gas CH and just use local electric appliances. Might try it. . .

[Big Kev]

I've just done the end of month Octopus ritual. Didn't win the wheel of fortune (again).

Pleased to say I've achieved a PB for gas in February, and the electric is down by about 10% . ( Air fryer?)

However in rough terms, the cost of the gas is horrendous. The electricity looks cheap by comparison. It used to be the other way round. Perhaps the way forward is not to use the gas CH and just use local electric appliances. Might try it. . .

I believe gas is still the cheapest heating option, it's only used for heating at Chez Kev. E.ON Next reckon I should be paying £67 a month, everything else is electric and they reckon I should be paying £96 a month for that. I've said it before and will see how it all looks in April.

[Stanley]

I only know two things about my energy bills.
1. They are being monitored by functioning smart meters.
2. I am in credit.

[plaques]

I believe gas is still the cheapest heating option, it's only used for heating at Chez Kev. E.ON Next reckon I should be paying £67 a month, everything else is electric and they reckon I should be paying £96 a month for that. I've said it before and will see how it all looks in April.

I'm the same. By then I will be about £400 in the red with the prospects of another £500 a year added to the bill. Bumper profit time for the energy companies. More money (VAT) for Jeremy Hunt so why the hell don't they pay the medics and nurses a decent wage?

[Stanley]

A very good question Ken but you know the answer. Hunt has to be given room to pull some goodies out of the hat in the budget for the high value clients..... Got to keep the donations rolling in!

[Stanley]

I see I have mail from the Ombudsman Service this morning which I will have to look at later when I have woken up. We have reached the end of the process and I have to look at what BG have offered and accept or decline......

[Pluggy]

EDF just put my monthly direct debit up from £113 to £145 in anticipation of my old cheap tariff expiring next month. (I started a 2 year contract about a month before the prices started going silly) I'm only £6 in arrears at the end of winter because they've already been doing some creative accounting to put it up to £113. Despite what I've actually been using net going down. My Air-conditioner aka air to air heat pump has put the electric up by a fair bump but reduced the gas by a bigger one. Looking at what it will be if I changed now Electric goes up from a tad over 18p per kwH to 33p per kwH (Going on doubled ) whilst gas goes up from 3.124p to 10.243p per kwH ( More than trebled ). AS my winter costs (1st December to 1st March) including what my solar panels produce in winter which isn't a lot has reduced by about a tenner (Electric up by about £120, Gas down by about £130) it makes my plans to extend the air conditioner and ultimately tear the gas out something of a no brainer. Electric is now 5.7 times the price of gas and will become only 3.2 times the price. I don't know what will ultimately happen to gas prices, but I don't honestly excpect them to go back to less than a 5th of the price of electric. Just not having a gas meter will save me £100 a year in standing charges. I'm planning on extending the air conditioner in September this year, keeping the gas in reserve through next winter and getting shut next spring. For several years the gas has done nothing but space heating. cooking and hot water is all elecric (the hot water as much an accident of history as anything). Recent trials trying put hot water back through the combi boiler failed miserably. I reckon the hot water path through the heat exchager has gummed up solid through lack of use. The existing boiler will be 10 years old this year, my mate just had his high quality Veissman combir replaced at 12 years old so the brute is probably on its last legs anyway. My last combi lasted about 12 years but it was pretty poorly and cost me plenty to keep going by that stage. (Que the accident of history with having electric hot water).

[Stanley]

Well done Stephen for doing all the calculations and I'm sure you are on the right track. I haven't the energy or the knowledge to do it and so will be sticking to my gas combi for the foreseeable future. If it packs in, I shall get a new one.
As for the Ombudsman verdict. They have imposed conditions on BG and are waiting for them to accept. I am still in credit according to BG but I think that's just on the payments end, I do not know if they have deducted the cost of energy used and while this process is going on have not issued any invoices.
So, more watch and wait!

[plaques]

Call me a luddite but I fail to see how air driven heat pump systems can save the planet. if 8.67 C (47.6 F ) is the average yearly UK temperature then they will be working at the bottom edge of break even. The heat won't be there in winter when you need it and in summer you won't want it. A ground sourced heat exchanger would be a better bet but even then I have my doubts. Heat pumps are like Electric cars not affordable to the majority of people but sold as the answer to the maiden's prayer.

[Sue]

I let Bob do the thinking. He is keeping a close eye on things. As for current bills, we too had just taken out a 2 year contract before the problems. This expires in August I think . As we are not here in the summer we use little energy here, in France we have a very out door life in the summer, but i s still going to hit us when the contract expires