No Consumtion, No Bill

[KARL]

Currently we are with Ebico for gas and on a tariff which has no standing charge. That tariff is to end soon and from now on they will only be offering tariffs with a standing charge in some form or other - the "no standing charge" one will nevertheless still charge over £100 annually as a minimum charge. The point is that we no longer use gas but still want to keep the meter/supply available if possible.

Does anyone know of a supplier offering a tariff which genuinely results in a zero charge if you use no gas at all ? Googling has not got me the answer because all the hits are either ones of "comparison" on a consumption basis or else completely off subject - no true zero standing charge examples.

[Old_Geezer]

Unsure why anyone would be tempted to have someone who professes they don't intend to be a customer, on their books. There are fixed costs involved. Good luck though.

[hc4361]

Does this help?
https://www.ukpower.co.uk/no-standing-charge-tariffs

[Buenchico]

Ofgem effectively forced most energy providers to ditch their tariffs which offered no standing charge by limiting the total number of different tariffs that could be placed on offer before customers. (Ofgem's logic, or lack of it, was that having fewer tariffs would make it easier for customers to compare the deals available). As tariffs without standing charges didn't have a lot of take-up, they tended to be included among those which got dropped. My own gas bill went up by about a hundred quid a year because of the change.

As Hc4361's link show though, there are still a few providers who offer such tariffs. However, in some cases it can still be cheaper to pay a standing charge for gas but get a discount for having both gas and electricity from the same supplier.

[KARL]

Thank you hc for prompting me to look at that one more closely - being a little hasty and impatient, although I got that site through googling, I dismissed it too early for being a comparison route whereas now by scrolling down I got to the salient/relevant bit.

Utilita do two gas tariffs with no standing charge. However, they do not do gas only supply so the only option is to do a dual fuel arrangement. On at least one of their tariffs (I have not done a thorough scan) they insist on a smart meter being installed.

[hc4361]

Insistence on the smart meter is going to get more common. We'll end up paying more for our fuel if we don't agree to get one installed. I blame the government for putting pressure on the suppliers.

[EDDIE51]

The standing charge is to cover the cost of installation and maintainance of the Gas pipes and meter , so you will NEVER get a zero charge ! (Unless you can find a property that does not have a gas supply at all ! ) Even if you do not use any gas, the meter and supply pipes still need to be maintained ! As you say, you STILL want to keep the meter and supply available, so you MUST pay the charge !

[hc4361]

Eddie, the companies that don’t have a standing charge (there are still a few) cannot charge you for gas that you haven’t used so the bill would be zero

[New Judge]

//I blame the government for putting pressure on the suppliers.//

In fact, you should blame the EU for putting pressure on the government:

https://setis.ec.europa.eu/publications/setis-magazine/smart-grids/meter-steering-implementation-of-smart-metering-solutions

To save you wading through pages of drivel:

"In Directive 2009/72/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity (also known as the 3rd Electricity Directive), the European Commission instructed Member States to strongly recommend that electricity companies optimize the use of electricity through, inter alia, the introduction of intelligent metering systems or smart grids."

This is also interesting (from the same document):

"Generally speaking, smart metering solutions involve the use of advanced meters and integrated communications systems, they provide the possibility of bi-directional communication between the consumer and the supplier..."

Which is code for "the supplier will be able to control your meter and, if he wishes, operate a differential pricing regime. This will enable him to charge you more to illuminate your house when it is dark and more to heat it when it is cold."

There is nothing in a smart meter for the consumer (other than a nice digital clock which some of them display for you to put on your mantlepiece). If you need a device to tell you that your electricity bill will increase at a greater rate if you switch the light on than if you left it off, you shouldn't be out on your own.

[Zacs-Master]

'If you need a device to tell you that your electricity bill will increase at a greater rate if you switch the light on than if you left it off, you shouldn't be out on your own.'

LOL.

[Zacs-Master]

Bit of a lightbulb expert aren't we, NJ ;-)