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Original poster

So how do you get your gas and electricity disconnected so you don't pay standing charge?

90 replies

LaurieFairyCake · 22/08/2022 16:02

Is literally what a family asked me today Sad

Their standing charges are going to be £40-£50 a month so they want it disconnected

I did not know the answer to that so I've kicked the query to someone else (not my area at all) but I figure someone on here will know

I didn't even think you were allowed to ...

OP posts:
BlibBlabBlob · 22/08/2022 17:43

How on earth will they cook a big lasagne with no gas or electric?

BarbaraofSeville · 22/08/2022 17:48

If they don't have an electricity supply, they won't get the £400 that's being applied to electricity accounts, which will cover just about all of the standing charge for the year, so little benefit and likely a lot of inconvenience even if they're happy eating cold food, shopping regularly and washing in cold water.

Or using other forms of heating like a camping stove, which carries other risks - sadly it is likely that there will be an increase in house fires and carbon monoxide poisonings due to people doing this.

Nolongera · 22/08/2022 17:49

LaurieFairyCake · 22/08/2022 17:38

They paid £70 a MONTH to be very frugal last year

The advisor said it would be £40 a month this year to not actually use any gas/electric but just to pay the standing charge

They didn't use their fridge last year and just left their food in the garden in bags when it was cold enough/ and bought more frequently- so they'd buy ingredients for a huge lasagne and cook it once and eat it for 3 days

We pay 85 a month at the new sky high prices and don't eat the same thing 3 days in a row to be frugal, 2 big fridge freezers too so we don't need to use our garden to store food in cold weather.

Something about this doesn't add up.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Cost of living
Original poster
LaurieFairyCake · 22/08/2022 17:50

No, they DID batch cook last year - rather than cook every day (to reduce costs)

My point is they were already frugal last year and couldn't afford the increased costs this year AS WELL as the standing charge (and that the standing charge is going to be two thirds of what they were paying last year)

OP posts:
BarbaraofSeville · 22/08/2022 17:51

Plus we don't know that the standing charge will double. A lot of the recent increase has been due to suppliers going bust, which has eased quite a lot. Plus it's well known that the increased standing charge has been disproportionately hard on low users, so they might not increase it for this reason.

Either your relative is misunderstanding what they're being told, or the advisor is being quite irresponsible with what they're saying.

OfficiallyBroken · 22/08/2022 17:56

SheWoreYellow · 22/08/2022 17:08

You could tell them it was going to be empty for the near future.

Show quote history

Makes absolutely no difference. If you're the legal occupier/owner not having your name against the bill doesn't diminish your responsibility in law for covering the utility bills. Companies successfully pursue 'occupier' accounts with debt on them all the time.

Also the standing charge applies whether the property is empty or not - another reason landlords don't like voids between tenants.

Giving advice that increases someone's debt burden is not a good thing to do.

Original poster
LaurieFairyCake · 22/08/2022 18:00

Not my relative, someone who accesses other psych help through a service I run (not related to gas/electric)

OP posts:
OfficiallyBroken · 22/08/2022 18:01

BarbaraofSeville · 22/08/2022 17:51

Plus we don't know that the standing charge will double. A lot of the recent increase has been due to suppliers going bust, which has eased quite a lot. Plus it's well known that the increased standing charge has been disproportionately hard on low users, so they might not increase it for this reason.

Either your relative is misunderstanding what they're being told, or the advisor is being quite irresponsible with what they're saying.

This is worth remembering. The standing charge has been front loaded because a huge number of companies went to the wall last year - one is still looking for someone to run it (Bulb) and is costing taxpayers a fortune. Each company that picked up extra customers had to make the supply they hedged/pre-bought work for more people than forecast - they all took a huge financial hit to do this.

Hopefully the "big bad" companies left in the fold have done their hedging correctly or have upstream (electricity generation etc) profits to balance the books so additional standing charge increases won't be necessary.

HappyHamsters · 22/08/2022 18:02

How will they cook, keep warm, see in the dark, make a hot drink, have hot water, heat food up, watch tv. Where will they get an alternative source of power from.

HappyHamsters · 22/08/2022 18:04

Have this family claimed all the benefits and help,they are entitled to

Featuredcreature · 22/08/2022 18:07

When I was young my mother got the gas cut off for some reason. They had to come and dig up the garden, no idea why a she did it. We had shit storage heaters for years (when we actually got some). For some reason I thought it was because she thought it was dangerous, but could easily be because they didn't want to pay a standing charge in the skint 80s.

Fifthtimelucky · 22/08/2022 18:09

Just worth saying that for low users it's worth shopping around for a tariff with a low standing charge and a higher unit price.

I am a low user and that's what I have (standing charge is 25p per day and unit rate is 38p per kWh - that's for electricity only and it's fixed until March).

Heavy users would presumably be better off with a higher standing charge and a lower unit rate.

lightand · 22/08/2022 18:09

HappyHamsters · 22/08/2022 18:02

How will they cook, keep warm, see in the dark, make a hot drink, have hot water, heat food up, watch tv. Where will they get an alternative source of power from.

Some families dont cook, keep warm much other than layers, and have the rest of it.

Not all people live the same sorts of lives as others.

FourTeaFallOut · 22/08/2022 18:12

I haven't seen any suggestion that the s/c will change significantly on the svr. Given the rebate from the £400 or £66/month rebate will cover it in its entirety of the standing charge for the next 6 months and they have no idea what further cost of living interventions the government will make in time they would be best advised to hang fire with such dramatic solutions.

JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 22/08/2022 18:15

They are being advised badly.

They should be advised to ensure they are claiming all the help possible. It is likely that with the various help it will be cheaper and safer to use their gas and electric supply frugally rather than alternative power.

NewBootsAndRanty · 22/08/2022 18:18

Fifthtimelucky · 22/08/2022 18:09

Just worth saying that for low users it's worth shopping around for a tariff with a low standing charge and a higher unit price.

I am a low user and that's what I have (standing charge is 25p per day and unit rate is 38p per kWh - that's for electricity only and it's fixed until March).

Heavy users would presumably be better off with a higher standing charge and a lower unit rate.

Who is that woth please?
Most of the companies I've looked at won't even provide a quote for switching..

NewBootsAndRanty · 22/08/2022 18:19

Fifthtimelucky · 22/08/2022 18:09

Just worth saying that for low users it's worth shopping around for a tariff with a low standing charge and a higher unit price.

I am a low user and that's what I have (standing charge is 25p per day and unit rate is 38p per kWh - that's for electricity only and it's fixed until March).

Heavy users would presumably be better off with a higher standing charge and a lower unit rate.

Who is that woth please?
Most of the companies I've looked at won't even provide a quote for switching..

nex18 · 22/08/2022 18:24

Can’t they move to a company without a standing charge?

Hugasauras · 22/08/2022 18:25

nex18 · 22/08/2022 18:24

Can’t they move to a company without a standing charge?

Do those exist?

Nat6999 · 22/08/2022 18:29

If I'd still got my caravan I would be moving in there for the winter, with the solar panel & 12 volt in the caravan it would cost me less than £15 a week, a gas bottle used to last me all winter.

EmmaH2022 · 22/08/2022 18:30

I thought you had to pay to be disconnected and reconnected but that info might be out of date.

nex18 · 22/08/2022 18:31

@Hugasauras i don’t pay a standing charge

Hugasauras · 22/08/2022 18:37

I doubt there are any available for sign-up now. Suspect they will have gone the way of the dodo...

lightand · 22/08/2022 18:40

Nat6999 · 22/08/2022 18:29

If I'd still got my caravan I would be moving in there for the winter, with the solar panel & 12 volt in the caravan it would cost me less than £15 a week, a gas bottle used to last me all winter.

Quite

I dislike the way MNetters all assume people live identical lives.
I can assure you, they do not.

Then there are those who dont live in the same country for up to 6 months per year.

Those who spend some months in other peoples' houses.

Some who would almost rather freeze to death than turn on/up heating.

etc etc yada ydad

EmmaH2022 · 22/08/2022 18:45

nex18 · 22/08/2022 18:31

@Hugasauras i don’t pay a standing charge

Who are you with please?