Our electricity contract with EDF comes to an end on 30th April, and the the new prices quoted seem OTT, particularly the standing charges. The 3 phase has gone from 27.1p to 33.36p per Kw, and 53p/day to £1.70 standing charge; the standard meter has gone from 31.5p to 36p per Kw and 60p/day to £1.80 standing charge. An increase of £865 just with the standard charge alone. I just wondered if this was "par for the course" at present, as I was under the impression that prices were coming down since I last renewed. It doesn't even pay to have a broker as last year the prices they quoted for E-on and EDF were far higher than the ones I had received by contacting the companies myself - they seemed very keen for me to go with an obscure company I had never heard of and which had poor customer reviews. I just wondered how everyone else was faring at present regarding their electricity prices.
Electricity prices
- Thread starter RichardSou
- Start date
spark plug
Member
Why two meters? Is one the farm house and one the farm?
There’s been a number of threads about crazy standing charges over the last couple of months, definitely worth shopping around.
There’s been a number of threads about crazy standing charges over the last couple of months, definitely worth shopping around.
- Location
- Northumberland
Just set up for a year yesterday with Eon (moving from BGLite.
Just single phase and although the SC is up 8p to 48p, PPU has dropped about 10p to 22ppkwh.
should save quite a chunk.
There’s an electricity tracker thread in Buildings and Infrastructure bit of the forum.
Just single phase and although the SC is up 8p to 48p, PPU has dropped about 10p to 22ppkwh.
should save quite a chunk.
There’s an electricity tracker thread in Buildings and Infrastructure bit of the forum.
We need 3 phase for some of our equipment, such as fans in the grain store, and for milling barley (when we had livestock). Everything else, including the farmhouse is single phase.
spark plug
Member
Ok, but you don’t need two meters to do that, just the 3 phase one and split your single phase off from there.
It is probably more complicated than that and I doubt the supplier would agree and alter the meters. Also the 3 phase is on reduced hours in Winter, and until May last year, we were not charged a standing charge for the meter and the electricity was less than half the price of the single phase.
Are those prices from a letter/email they generally send when you’re coming close to an end of contract or have you spoke to them direct to get them? Most companies normally try it on & put you on a more expensive contract when the original one runs out if you do nothing.
Call them & they’ll normally sharpen their pencil to keep you.
Call them & they’ll normally sharpen their pencil to keep you.
- Location
- Northumberland
Is it my imagination or have they made getting quotes more awkward than it was last year? Last time I renewed you could go on the website if most of the big players, put in a few bits of info and get a range of quote options. Now, unless you go to one of those comparison/change sites where you know if you put your data in you’ll be hounded relentlessly, it’s harder to get a quote. Most you can’t even call- put your data in and they’ll call you back at some unspecified point in the future which is no good as I’ll be out n about not say at my desk with the figures in front of me. 
Is it my imagination or have they made getting quotes more awkward than it was last year? Last time I renewed you could go on the website if most of the big players, put in a few bits of info and get a range of quote options. Now, unless you go to one of those comparison/change sites where you know if you put your data in you’ll be hounded relentlessly, it’s harder to get a quote. Most you can’t even call- put your data in and they’ll call you back at some unspecified point in the future which is no good as I’ll be out n about not say at my desk with the figures in front of me.
Getting electricity prices is up there with farm insurance quotes, Red Tractor assessments, doing the VAT (although that is getting money back in), having teeth pulled and child birth
spark plug
Member
if your getting a discounted rate for Certain use that’s fair enough, but as you quoted above if both rates are around the same rate then paying an extra standing charge is counter productive.
Yes, it is their renewal letter, and will be phoning them and other companies on Monday, but as the standing charge has quadrupled they have a long way to come down.
- Location
- Northumberland
The way energy companies treat their customers should be criminal.
My electric company offered me better terms than I’ve been on for the past year (although I got a much better deal shopping around ) BUT if I’d not got around to doing anything (because I’ve overlooked it/emails gone to spambox/ bereavement/whatever) theyd’ve charged me over double what I’m paying now to be out of contract
My electric company offered me better terms than I’ve been on for the past year (although I got a much better deal shopping around ) BUT if I’d not got around to doing anything (because I’ve overlooked it/emails gone to spambox/ bereavement/whatever) theyd’ve charged me over double what I’m paying now to be out of contract
Huntstreet
Member
I have just been informed my standing charge is going up from £1.23 per day to £12.25 per day for a 125KVA supply. Seems mad! Its apparently something to do with Residual Banding.
It’s apparently something to do with Rip-off Britain .
Huntstreet
Member
Seems that way. A higher standing charge allows the kWh rate to be kept low. Great if you need a high kva and have high consumption (like a factory). It's not so good if you need a high KVA for the grain dryer for six weeks per year and the rest of the time, you're running a few fans and some LED lights!
You can’t win them all, I suppose. It’s just another £3k extra off the bottom line. I’ll factor in this cost when I sell my wheat. I’m sure the mills will understand
You can’t win them all, I suppose. It’s just another £3k extra off the bottom line. I’ll factor in this cost when I sell my wheat. I’m sure the mills will understand