Energy companies whom levy standing charges on domestic accounts

[steviehowie]

Why are energy companies levying standing charges to domestic customers?

 

 

50 years ago only commercial and industrial premises where charged standing charges.

 

 

So why the explosion in the domestic market? is this a hidden tax?

 

 

Why do Companies such as npower and or Ebico offer no standing charge tariffs?

 

 

What are these standing charges for? Most Energy companies would have you believe its to do with maintenance charges. But my experience of all energy companies is they do not carry out maintenance and certainly meter operators never do mainatainace on meters as most meters are inaccurate most of the time.

 

 

Can anyone provide a clear explanation to this charge?

[Conniff]

I think you can tie this in with the £16.99 line rental for a telephone, what is that all about.

[steviehowie]

Conniff

 

 

the clue is in the 50 years bit of the question asked. The Post Office, then BT have always charged standing charges for line rental from way back, however over the same time period the same is not true of the Energy Companies .

 

 

This has been circuitously added to domestic customer bills with many consumers knowing about the back ground to such charges . A lot of ECO 7 bills used to state clearly the Plan was ( No Standing charges account) yet energy companies have ignored this.

 

 

Are you aware that the standard licence conditions states:-

 

 

22A.2 In respect of supplying electricity to a Domestic Customer under a Deemed Contract or Domestic Supply Contract, the licensee must ensure that all Charges for Supply Activities are incorporated within:

22A.2(a) where the Domestic Supply Contract or Deemed Contract is for a NonTime of Use Tariff:

(i) a single Standing Charge; and/or

(ii) a single Unit Rate; and

22A.2 (b) where the Domestic Supply Contract or Deemed Contract is for a Time of Use Tariff:

(i) a single Standing Charge; and/or

(ii) Time of Use Rates.

The simple way to get ready of phone standing charges is go mobile, but then again costs of calls are more expensive when you operate a mobile compared with a land line.

Check to see if you are incurring standing charges in your utilities bills ? Why pay approx. £ 100 a year for no service? in return.

Stevie H