WouldBe
Dislicksick
Yes but it wasn't running when I read the smart meter.
My electricity bill has just tripled: how about yours? Alternative suppliers?
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CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
I think my fridge is the highest intermittent user of electrical power in the house.
The council have me one of those OWL meters about 12 years ago to decorate my kitchen cabinet.
Whenever I see a sudden surge in power usage it's always the fridge - I can feel the warmth in the condenser tube - and the sensuous throbbing!
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
cupid_stunt two sheds
Ovo don't do variable direct debits - look at this from the Ovo Forum. They almost seem to take pride in unhelpfulness. They don't even do direct debits on actual use IF YOU HAVE SMART METERS.
Presumably they are only fitting smart meters to avoid the OFGEM fine for not doing it!
Q Will OVO introduce variable DDs where a smart meter is installed?
Will OVO introduce variable Direct Debits where a smart meter is installed? | The OVO Forum
Best answer by Tim_OVO
Updated on 01/03/22 by Jess_OVO
We don’t currently offer a variable Direct Debit payment option. With our Direct Debits your amount won’t change month to month, even if you’ve got Smart Meters installed.
However we’ll regularly check your Direct Debit amount is enough to cover your usage costs. As your smart meters send us your readings regularly, these Direct Debit check in’s are more accurate than if we’re estimating your usage.
Your usage tends to be higher in the winter and lower in the summer which would mean much higher monthly payments in winter, if your Direct Debit varied month to month. Having a more stable Direct Debit amount should allow you to spread your usage costs out throughout the year- building up credit in the summer to see you through the following winter. We find most members prefer things this way as it allows for easier monthly budgeting all year.
Credit interest
There is an oddity about Ovo (and Scottish Power apparently)
Ovo made a big thing they paid 3% on credit balances to loyal DD customers - even suggesting in 2017 they were increasing this to 5% for ever.
There seems little information about this - so don't know if it's still in force.
magneze
🎧
Impact of energy-draining ‘vampire devices’ overstated, says tech expert
Unplugging equipment normally left on standby may not save consumers as much cash as hoped
Interesting - although I'd disagree with the general gist here unless you're sure all your devices are pretty new.
Unless you measure you have no idea what uses lots of standby power. For us - an old stereo - perhaps not surprising, but the TV is pretty recent but uses quite a bit on standby so switching it off at the plug is really effective.
Chz
Stark Raving Sane
Aye, we get 5%. Is pretty much the only reason we didn't move to Octopus last year. The projected savings were about £10, and then factoring in the interest it was even less so we didn't bother.
I'm not surprised they don't offer exact billing though. That float of cash they have from people is what keeps them afloat when prices fluctuate wildly. Moreso, I'm surprised that any of them offer it.
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
My latest PC allegedly uses 65 watts when ON (excluding the screen), but has an external PSU like those you get for laptops.Impact of energy-draining ‘vampire devices’ overstated, says tech expert
Unplugging equipment normally left on standby may not save consumers as much cash as hopedwww.theguardian.com
Interesting - although I'd disagree with the general gist here unless you're sure all your devices are pretty new.
Unless you measure you have no idea what uses lots of standby power. For us - an old stereo - perhaps not surprising, but the TV is pretty recent but uses quite a bit on standby so switching it off at the plug is really effective.
What is your estimate for this PSU if not unplugged?
I would say negligible - but you never know in these days when all PSUs are switch-mode.
As a budding nonagenarian I hanker after the days when all electrical equipment used transformers - power transformers and of course audio output transformers for those lovely glowing valves.
Did my Antofagasta Copper Mine shares a treat (or FAGS if you happen to be Justin Urquhart Stewart)
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
In my case I think the low consumption is because there is no separate graphics card - it's integrated. Seems to work OK on Libre Office electricity spreadsheets though.I'm tempted to test our PC with and without the graphics card to see how much difference that makes. Might be going a bit too far though ...
Cat Fan
Cats and stats
I suppose Shell Energy has a bit of a hedge going on with their other business of fossil fuel extraction
They do throw off a lot of heat though, could save on the heating billthat's up to half a kW
WouldBe
Dislicksick
Only if they run off gas.They do throw off a lot of heat though, could save on the heating bill
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
Regarding Shell - this was formerly "First Utility".
In the last price rise panic (much milder than the current one to be fair) the First Utility boss was trailed as an ex coal miner who saw no need for customers to walk around their houses skimpily clad
First Utility power boss who is arm-wrestling with Big Six
Ian McCaig believes it is possible to save money on energy bills without donning a hairshirt but warns that Labour’s plan to freeze them next year is not the way forward.
I was with First Utility at the time - and this supercilious attitude was what drove me to Atlantic Electricty and Gas - I think.
To be honest I've had more suppliers than Mae West had lovers.
It all started with Amerada Hess around 1999 - they exited the UK after the ENRON crisis.
Not sure why any government ever said the current system was stable, let alone good.
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kalidarkone
Bringing YOU round.....
Hah! I just got an estimated bill from EON re my late ma's empty house....£161. I paid a big bill based on meter readings 6 weeks ago as I'd forgotten to pay after I'd spent 3 months there last year.
I'll offer to pay quarterly based on a meter reading. I wonder if they will go for it?
I'll offer to pay quarterly based on a meter reading. I wonder if they will go for it?
Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
I'm in that calm plateau beyond rage right now but in a minute I'll be furious
StoneRoad
heckling from the back!
Assumes people actually have any savings left, after the shitstorm that was the covid support cock-up, ie especially bad times for the gig economy workers.
ska invita
back on the other side
UK savings in action
....
The figure was more than three times higher than the average of £400mn borrowed in the previous six months and pushed total consumer credit, which includes personal loans and car dealership finance, to £1.9bn net — the highest level in five years.
.....
A fortnightly survey by the Office for National Statistics showed last week that 12 per cent of respondents were using credit cards more than usual to cope with increased prices in the first half of March. The proportion rose to 18 per cent for those aged 30 to 49 and to 21 per cent among renters. Another one in 10 people said they were also borrowing more from family and friends.
.....
BoE governor Andrew Bailey said on Monday that the UK was facing “a historic” hit to real incomes this year, as spiralling energy costs following the Russian invasion of Ukraine contributed to eroding households’ spending power. The BoE data showed that consumers also deposited less money in bank accounts than before the pandemic. Households deposited £4bn in banks and building societies, less than the £6.3bn average in the previous six months and down from the monthly average of £4.6bn in 2019.
UK credit card debt hits record high as inflation and cost of living bite
Consumers borrowed £1.5bn net in February — the highest monthly figure since statistics began in 1993....
The figure was more than three times higher than the average of £400mn borrowed in the previous six months and pushed total consumer credit, which includes personal loans and car dealership finance, to £1.9bn net — the highest level in five years.
.....
A fortnightly survey by the Office for National Statistics showed last week that 12 per cent of respondents were using credit cards more than usual to cope with increased prices in the first half of March. The proportion rose to 18 per cent for those aged 30 to 49 and to 21 per cent among renters. Another one in 10 people said they were also borrowing more from family and friends.
.....
BoE governor Andrew Bailey said on Monday that the UK was facing “a historic” hit to real incomes this year, as spiralling energy costs following the Russian invasion of Ukraine contributed to eroding households’ spending power. The BoE data showed that consumers also deposited less money in bank accounts than before the pandemic. Households deposited £4bn in banks and building societies, less than the £6.3bn average in the previous six months and down from the monthly average of £4.6bn in 2019.
Cat Fan
Cats and stats
The FT is just head and shoulders above the rest of the pack on this stuff.
not a trot
Well-Known Member
BP announce £5 billion profit. Tory woman on the BBC defends it.
StoneRoad
heckling from the back!
BP profits soar as calls for windfall tax grow
The energy giant said underlying income hit $6.2bn due to 'exceptional oil and gas trading'.
www.bbc.co.uk
Unless BP do "something" constructive pdq about using that profit - very publicly - towards cost of living & environmental matters then I would strongly support a windfall / excess profit tax - with the proceeds used to reduce cost of living increases [ how ?] and environmental measures ...
platinumsage
HaveMyPassword123
Johnson just ruled out a windfall tax live on the tellybox this morning.
Thaw
Aye like, so it is.
You have ignored the costs of exiting Rosneft which results in a $20.4billion loss.
Cat Fan
Cats and stats
Debt issued by companies to raise capital should not be confused with personal debt. It's not a problem for BP to have billions of outstanding debt, it's completely normal.
Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
I wouldn't trust him to tell me if the sky was blue. The man wouldn't know truth if it came up to him to say hello and wore a name badge.
He'll flip and flop whichever way the wind blows
StoneRoad
heckling from the back!
being a cynic, let's see what directorships happen or what donations arrive ...
StoneRoad
heckling from the back!
looks like ofgem might be taking an interest ...
I wonder how sharp is their bite, now they've barked ?
Energy firms face deadline in review of direct debit hikes
Some companies have three weeks to respond to accusations they have set direct debits too high.
www.bbc.co.uk
I wonder how sharp is their bite, now they've barked ?
cybershot
Well-Known Member
The article doesn't really tell us anything we don't already know. What it has failed to point out though as has happened with some family members. Is that when their energy supplylier went bust, they were on what is by todays energy cap tariff, an absolute steal! So when they get moved to a new company and find their bills have increased by 80ish percent, they are wondering WTF!looks like ofgem might be taking an interest ...
Energy firms face deadline in review of direct debit hikes
Some companies have three weeks to respond to accusations they have set direct debits too high.www.bbc.co.uk
I wonder how sharp is their bite, now they've barked ?
Other family members have incorrectly been telling them it should only be 54% more. Yes that's right, but only if they were going from energy cap before April, to Energy Cap after April.
If they've gone from a great fixed price deal, to the current price cap, then yes, it will be a hell of a lot more than 54% more.
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