Energy companies in trouble - good

[190]

The energy industry has to be in a complete mess for this to happen. And if there wasn’t price capping how much would we be paying now? Our bills have doubled in ten years.

I read recently part of the issue has been a lack of energy produced by our wind farms
- lack of wind over the past year, and we’ve been importing electric from France - ffs!

Avro went bust owing us £700 but apparently the new supplier has to give us the credit..

I think the energy industry as a whole has been badly managed and it's not all the fault if the companies going bust. Avro for example was not the smallest and in my experience not the worst of the 3 companies that have gone bust on me. The wholesale gas price fluctuations are unprecedented and the underlying cause of such a gas shortage is where the blame lies, for example the mad rush to renewables without sufficient alternatives when the wind doesn't blow. They could have fired up some coal or oil stations rather than gas but that wouldn't have gone down well with the greens so lets have an energy crisis instead.

I used to run a 2.8 MW CHP plant and the gas supply for that was an interruptible tariff such that we were asked to stop using gas and switch to oil in a situation like this. but I wouldn't be surprised if those arrangements have gone by the wayside.

Your credit and mine with Avro will be safe, it just takes some time to get sorted out.

 

[Chrishazle]

BG as from 1/10/21 Variable price cap tariffs GAS

Supply : ​	​	​	​
Payment method : ​	Direct Debit​	Cash cheque​	Pay As You Go EnergyTM​
​	​	​	​	​
​	Standing Charge​	Unit Rate​	Standing Charge​	Unit Rate​	Standing Charge​	Unit Rate​
Supply area​	pence per day​	pence per kWh​	pence per day​	pence per kWh​	pence per day​	pence per kWh​
​	​	​	​	​	​	​
Eastern​	26.123​	4.056​	30.783​	4.272​	0.000​	0.000​
East Midlands​	26.123​	3.987​	30.783​	4.200​	0.000​	0.000​
London Electricity​	26.123​	4.187​	30.783​	4.410​	0.000​	0.000​
ManWeb​	26.123​	4.066​	30.783​	4.282​	0.000​	0.000​
Midlands​	26.123​	4.047​	30.783​	4.262​	0.000​	0.000​
Northern​	26.123​	3.955​	30.783​	4.166​	0.000​	0.000​
Norweb​	26.123​	4.043​	30.783​	4.259​	0.000​	0.000​
Scottish Hydro Electric​	26.123​	4.010​	30.783​	4.225​	0.000​	0.000​
ScottishPower​	26.123​	4.010​	30.783​	4.225​	0.000​	0.000​
Seeboard​	26.123​	4.053​	30.783​	4.270​	0.000​	0.000​
Southern Electric​	26.123​	4.169​	30.783​	4.391​	0.000​	0.000​
SWALEC​	26.123​	4.174​	30.783​	4.397​	0.000​	0.000​
SWEB​	26.123​	4.197​	30.783​	4.421​	0.000​	0.000​
Yorkshire​	26.123​	3.983​	30.783​	4.195​	0.000​	0.000​
*All prices include VAT and are rounded to make it easier for you to compare prices. The prices you’ll see on your bills and statements will be different because we show them without VAT.​	​

Electric

Supply : ​	Single Rate​	Single Rate​	Single Rate​
Payment method : ​	Direct Debit​	Cash Cheque​	Pay As You Go EnergyTM​
​	​	​	​
​	Standing Charge​	Unit Rate​	Standing Charge​	Unit Rate​	Standing charge​	Unit Rate​
Supply area​	pence per day​	pence per kWh​	pence per day​	pence per kWh​	pence per day​	pence per kWh​
​	​	​	​	​	​	​
Eastern​	24.017​	20.871​	28.586​	21.985​	0.000​	0.000​
East Midlands​	23.770​	20.317​	28.327​	21.401​	0.000​	0.000​
London Electricity​	23.307​	20.773​	27.838​	21.881​	0.000​	0.000​
ManWeb​	23.499​	21.996​	28.042​	23.171​	0.000​	0.000​
Midlands​	25.093​	20.592​	29.720​	21.691​	0.000​	0.000​
Northern​	26.460​	20.208​	31.160​	21.286​	0.000​	0.000​
Norweb​	24.383​	20.141​	28.971​	21.216​	0.000​	0.000​
Scottish Hydro Electric​	27.395​	20.835​	32.147​	21.947​	0.000​	0.000​
ScottishPower​	24.867​	20.391​	29.483​	21.479​	0.000​	0.000​
Seeboard​	24.038​	21.557​	28.609​	22.709​	0.000​	0.000​
Southern Electric​	24.113​	20.680​	28.690​	21.784​	0.000​	0.000​
SWALEC​	24.867​	21.180​	29.483​	22.311​	0.000​	0.000​
SWEB​	25.664​	21.607​	30.320​	22.761​	0.000​	0.000​
Yorkshire​	26.825​	20.076​	31.546​	21.147​	0.000​	0.000​

OUCH! My fixed tariff with Avro was Gas 2.610p/KWH, elec 16.118p/KWH, S/charge 39.9p/dbetween the 2, we're Seeboard area so gas 4.053 and Elec 21.557, plus S/charge totalling 50.161p/d will hurt like hell, would take my bill from about £1800pa to £2500pa!!

 

[grober]

The Russian GDP is heavily dependant on Oil and Gas exports--with a move to renewables and covid reducing demand recently one way of jacking up prices to maintain revenue is to reduce supplies [ just enough] when demand increases -its how the arabs did it in 73 -- petrol rationing followed in the UK

1973 oil crisis - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Chrishazle]

£157pm? That seems wildly expensive = we have a 3 bedroom semi and pay £75 per month (Octopus). Even allowing for the fact that we use Nest so turn things off when we are at our caravan (probably 5 weekends out of 8) it still seems high? No dishwasher however - that is my job! LOL

4 bed detached (small though, unlike our old house!), both retired so home a lot, I have a spreadsheet of energy useage not just for the 15 years we're here but also for the 24 1/2 years we were in the old house - how sad is that! Anyway, roughly 7200Kwhpa Elec and 17200Kwhpa gas - the gas is only for the CH/hot water boiler, everything else is electric. Funnily enough, before Avro I was with Affect Energy which was bought by Octopus, but at renewal time in April 2019 Avro were cheaper by enough to make me switch, tried to get Octopus to get close to what Avro had quoted but no joy. Might get a quote now from Octopus just for laughs!!

 

[Bellow]

4 bed detached (small though, unlike our old house!), both retired so home a lot, I have a spreadsheet of energy useage not just for the 15 years we're here but also for the 24 1/2 years we were in the old house - how sad is that! Anyway, roughly 7200Kwhpa Elec and 17200Kwhpa gas - the gas is only for the CH/hot water boiler, everything else is electric. Funnily enough, before Avro I was with Affect Energy which was bought by Octopus, but at renewal time in April 2019 Avro were cheaper by enough to make me switch, tried to get Octopus to get close to what Avro had quoted but no joy. Might get a quote now from Octopus just for laughs!!

Same as you, my gas is for CH and hot water but also cooking (hobs only though) and annual usage is 11,430 kWh. A smaller house (2 bed) would account for the difference between yours and mine.
My annual electricity usage is 1713kWh. Less than one quarter of yours and that's despite me working from home. How can that be?

 

[Chrishazle]

Probably a number of things. electric induction hob used every evening, likewise countertop "hostess trolley", wife who too often leaves lights on (although almost all bulbs now are LED), maybe it's a southern thing as I notice Gollom is quite a long way North of The Thames, and you're even further north!!

 

[SUPERNOVA1a]

Well from my excel spreadsheet, was a Avro customer for the third year, the price increase is 100% from getting both electricity & gas. This year I have paid £1252 and from the tariff figures from BG I will be paying £2510 for the same usage of gas 19670 kWh & electricity 3931 kWh, if I switch to them. Switching to Eon is even more. Will have cut back some where, anybody want to buy a S63. This is for 250 days calculations and if do a projection for full year from last years usage which was the about the same (gas 31040 & electricity 6831kWh) the numbers still com to 100% increase. Interesting year ahead.

 

[Bellow]

Probably a number of things. electric induction hob used every evening, likewise countertop "hostess trolley", wife who too often leaves lights on (although almost all bulbs now are LED), maybe it's a southern thing as I notice Gollom is quite a long way North of The Thames, and you're even further north!!

The northern aspect would show up more in the gas CH I'd guess. I suspect you have more 'gadgets' than I do. It's all a bit manual here!

 

[190]

I have a spreadsheet of energy useage not just for the 15 years we're here but also for the 24 1/2 years we were in the old house - how sad is that!

You are not alone, I have all 28 years of consumption in our current house on a spreadsheet.

We have had 13 different tariffs/suppliers over that period and I have all the old tariffs on record. The truth is we have been getting cheap energy in recent years as gas started at 2.465p kWh and Avro was 2.987p kWh up until yesterday. That will jump to 4 p or so now but even still, less than double in 28 years is well below inflation.

 

[Gollom]

Probably a number of things. electric induction hob used every evening, likewise countertop "hostess trolley", wife who too often leaves lights on (although almost all bulbs now are LED), maybe it's a southern thing as I notice Gollom is quite a long way North of The Thames, and you're even further north!!

'Oop north we just put another jumper on - still in shorts though

 

[Bellow]

'Oop north we just put another jumper on - still in shorts though

Ice here on the flat roof on Monday morning. Guess the gas prices are going to hurt a bit more the further north.

 

[Chrishazle]

Probably a number of things. electric induction hob used every evening, likewise countertop "hostess trolley", wife who too often leaves lights on (although almost all bulbs now are LED), maybe it's a southern thing as I notice Gollom is quite a long way North of The Thames, and you're even further north!!

'Oop north we just put another jumper on - still in shorts though

We're doing the same, but with experience from living in the Middle East for a few years then returning to Europe, I suspect that the blood pressure pills I have to take are effectivly blood thinners, which make me more susceptible to temperature lowering. We lived in Pakistan, Qatar and Oman for 4 years, came back to UK and for a while really felt the cold until I think our blood thickened back up. We were both a lot younger then (came back from Oman 40 years ago!) so possibly age is also a factor.

 

[merc07]

On a side note, now the lecy cost is almost doubling, does this mean that my solar payments for 50% on the energy I produce will also be doubled !
At the moment the export rate is 5.24p per unit I believe..

 

[190]

This tells a sad tale about the the UK's energy management. No coincidence then that the UK and Spain have the highest gas prices in Europe.

 

[st13phil]

This tells a sad tale about the the UK's energy management.

Regrettably, that is only part of the story.

The reality is that there has been a lack of joined up thinking regarding energy security throughout most (all?) European nations as they dash to burnish their "green" credentials and head towards "net zero". Who'd have thought that a rapid transition to over reliance upon Solar (that doesn't work in the dark) and Wind (that doesn't work when it isn't windy) could have such painful consequences?

The UK is not alone, but may be taking on the unintended role of the canary in the coal mine - assuming there are still any policy makers that can see and understand the relevance of it falling off it's perch.

 

[m80]

All we need is thousands of acres of batteries to store the renewable energy when it can be produced.

We all know there is a battery tree out there that produces batteries in a magic green fashion. The money tree alongside it pays for it all.

Gas storage is an idea of course, until it is used up and then those that stockpiled are like those that didn't.
We used to have big gas storage reserves below the North Sea, as it got more difficult to reach (more expensive) it wasn't so desirable "we must go green".
If this crisis of increased energy value carries on it may become desirable again.

Don't forget folks smart meters are going to save us all. Paid for by the money tree again.
Personally I just turn lights off when they aren't needed, and as yet I haven't plugged an EV in.
There is a recent well respected philosopher that would say "smart meters my ^rse".

 

[st13phil]

We used to have big gas storage reserves below the North Sea, as it got more difficult to reach (more expensive) it wasn't so desirable "we must go green".

The UK is actually sat atop one of the biggest gas reserves on the planet, around a mile beneath our land mass. But our policy makers, egged on by an orchestrated fear campaign conducted in the media, decided to effectively outlaw fracking back in 2019.

If that hadn't happened, we would be in a similar position to the USA who are now enjoying an abundant supply of relatively clean energy without relying upon other nations. There's a lesson there...

 

[m80]

The UK is actually sat atop one of the biggest gas reserves on the planet, around a mile beneath our land mass. But our policy makers, egged on by an orchestrated fear campaign conducted in the media, decided to effectively outlaw fracking back in 2019.

If that hadn't happened, we would be in a similar position to the USA who are now enjoying an abundant supply of relatively clean energy without relying upon other nations. There's a lesson there...

There is probably a fear in Westminster that all our motorways would become blocked by exploiting such gas.

 

[SpikyMikey]

There is a recent well respected philosopher that would say "smart meters my ^rse".

That may very well have been me. I lost count the amount of times SSE contacted me to try and persuade me to have a smartmeter; they phoned, texted, emailed and wrote letters. "It'll save you money" they said. My reply was to quote another contributor to this forum "S'all bøllocks, innit"
They just couldn't comprehend that I am perfectly capable of saving energy by the simple process of switching stuff off when I'm not using it.

 

[Gollom]

That may very well have been me. I lost count the amount of times SSE contacted me to try and persuade me to have a smartmeter; they phoned, texted, emailed and wrote letters. "It'll save you money" they said. My reply was to quote another contributor to this forum "S'all bøllocks, innit"
They just couldn't comprehend that I am perfectly capable of saving energy by the simple process of switching stuff off when I'm not using it.

Curious as to why some folk are so anti-smartmeter?