Electricity Suppliers & Prices

Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:28 am Author: John Gregson

Hi All,
Haven't posted or been on for a while due to moving premises and finally got a few minutes to spare after a hectic month.

The rent for our last unit included all services so we have never had an electricity bill.

I'd appreciate it if anybody could tell me who they use for their electricity supply or who is the cheapest/best deal?

Cheers John

Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:50 am Author: John Wilson

Since we work from home we just use Scottish Hydro

Just curious what people spend roughly a year on electric?

We were £800 for the last quarter but not sure if that's high or not as it's roughly what we each quarter

Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:48 pm Author: John Childs

£800 sounds a lot for working from home John especially as I presume that, like mine, all your domestic useage is in that price.

Ours was £960 for the last quarter but, on top of my house, we've got all the workshops, fitting bay with loads of lights and electric infra-red heaters etc etc etc.

Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:19 pm Author: Mike Grant

Whatever you do don't use British rip off Gas.

I used uswitch.com they were very helpful. Got my bill more than halved with EDF Energy.

Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:55 pm Author: Neil Speirs

After a lot of research and checking out all the different on-line comparison sites we signed up to a 3 year contract with EDF. 1 year on & they still seem alright to be with....touch wood :roll:

Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:29 am Author: John Gregson

Hi all, Thanks for the replies - normally I would use a comparison site, as I did with my home energy, but I don't have anything to base the usage on as I haven't had commercial electricity before.

Will give EDF a buzz

Cheers John

Thu Jul 16, 2009 6:50 pm Author: Mike Grant

I am currently paying 9.2p per unit, locked in for 3 years. This I think is a fair price. British rip off Gas wanted to screw me for 22p per unit. (:)

Barstewards! My God they leave a bitter taste on my tongue. (chat.)

Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:10 pm Author: Martin Pearson

Mike, that's really strange because I am with British Gas and I have no complaints, just as well really because the electric is paid through the Landlord and I can't change the supplier.

Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:26 pm Author: Chris Dowd

We are with British Gas too, no complaints and we are paying less than 9.2p.

We were with Npower, and saved over £1,000 a year by changing.

Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:47 pm Author: Mike Grant

Long story short, I was paying 7p per unit which shot up to 23p per unit overnight. I blew my top when I found out and tried to change supplier only to be told I was locked in at that rate for 5 YEARS

I blew a gasket again as I had not authorised it and never received notice of the increase. I was told that as I hadn't replied to the letter (which I never got) I was automatically locked in for 5 years. This would mean I was paying up to £250 a month for a small workshop up from £40 a month average. WTF!
My wife then renegotiated it down to 11p per unit and a contract of 12 months from that date. When it came to renew time I had a nice letter that stated that they were pleased to let me know that my account was to go up to 22p per unit. Needless to say I was pleased to tell them where to stick their gas pipe! (hot)

Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:24 pm Author: Phill Fenton

They're all robbing (oh i swore !) anyway.

I don't understand it at all - our government did away with the monopoly system that British Gas and Electricity used to have to introduce more competition and fairer prices. The result is we get robbed by everyone instead of just a nationalised industry.

I'll continue with my current scheme which is a long extension lead that plugs into a nearby lampost. This results in the local council paying my electricity bill which is only fair since I pay them a fortune in rates and waste disposal charges. :-?

Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:27 am Author: Martin Pearson

Phill, are you actually paying rates for your unit this year ? I took over a small unit a couple of months ago and was told what the rates for the unit would be a month, about a week later a letter arrived to say that the rates had been abolished for this year in order to try and help small businesses.

Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:54 am Author: Chris Dowd

I wish Martin!!

We just had our place re-valued and they want an extra £3.5k a year just because we added a mezzanine floor and some offices, and they also back dated it!!

Don't get me going on rates :-?

Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:51 am Author: Phill Fenton

Yes we are still paying business rates Martin - but I do recall hearing somewhere that in Scotland there were plans to abolish rates for small businesses during the current recession in an effort to help. I have never heard anything official though and they still take our standing order payment each month. I think I'll investigate further.

Fri Jul 17, 2009 10:28 am Author: Neil Speirs

We have a small business scheme north of the border which means if your rateable value is under 8k you receive 100% relief, 8k to 10k gets you 50% relief and 10k to 15k gets 25% relief.

My shop is rated at £8,750 pa, so the £750 is costing me about 2k a year in rates :cry:

Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:18 pm Author: Phill Fenton

I've just spoken to my financial director (Alison :-?

) who agrees with what Neil has said and tells me we get a 50% relief on our rates. But even paying 50% of an outrageous amount is still pretty outrageous. :lol1:

Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:22 pm Author: John Childs

Phill wrote:I've just spoken to my financial director (Alison ) who agrees with what Neil has said and tells me we get a 50% relief on our rates. But even paying 50% of an outrageous amount is still pretty outrageous.

And it's gonna hurt when the subsidy ends.

Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:43 pm Author: Martin Pearson

My unit is very small Phill, probably only about a third the size of your unit but it's big enough for me just now. When I moved in I was told that the unit qualified under the small business scheme for a 50% reduction in rates so I was expecting to be paying something although it wasn't that much a month. About a week latter another letter came through the post which said that the rates on the unit had been abolished for this year in order to try and help small businesses. i will sort the letter out and mail you a copy.

Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:46 am Author: John Gregson

Hi all, Tried to get my electricity through EDF - was past from dept to dept and lost interest after speaking to 8 different people, in the course of 1 hour. Nobody seemed to know what to do or even want the business, strange way to run a company - must be related to talktalk.

In the end rang Npower - spoke to one dept and signed up for 2 years fixed at 8.28p per unit and standing charge of £32,79 per qtr. Discount of 2% for DD.

Thought the above might be of interest to you. As for rates - the small business relief only applies if you actually fill in a form and apply for it. 50% relief for all properties under £5000 rateable value (I think - please check if unsure) but you need to apply within 6 months of end of year.

Cheers John

Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:06 am Author: Neil Speirs

John Gregson wrote:Hi all, Tried to get my electricity through EDF - was past from dept to dept and lost interest after speaking to 8 different people, in the course of 1 hour. Nobody seemed to know what to do or even want the business, strange way to run a company - must be related to talktalk.

In the end rang Npower - spoke to one dept and signed up for 2 years fixed at 8.28p per unit and standing charge of £32,79 per qtr. Discount of 2% for DD.

Thought the above might be of interest to you. As for rates - the small business relief only applies if you actually fill in a form and apply for it. 50% relief for all properties under £5000 rateable value (I think - please check if unsure) but you need to apply within 6 months of end of year.

Cheers John

That's a good deal on your electric John, I'm 9.4p per unit & £38.70 per qtr standing charge which was a great price last year at the height of the electric price hikes.

We also need to apply in writing for the small business rates relief scheme but its not a long winded process. I think the discounts vary quite a bit between country's.

Sat Jul 18, 2009 12:05 pm Author: Ian Johnston

COUNT YOURSELVES LUCKY, at least you have an option

NIE is our only supplier at around 15.8p per unit on average

Mon Jul 27, 2009 9:23 am Author: Derek Heron

John Gregson wrote:Hi all, Tried to get my electricity through EDF - was past from dept to dept and lost interest after speaking to 8 different people, in the course of 1 hour. Nobody seemed to know what to do or even want the business, strange way to run a company - must be related to talktalk.

In the end rang Npower - spoke to one dept and signed up for 2 years fixed at 8.28p per unit and standing charge of £32,79 per qtr. Discount of 2% for DD.

Thought the above might be of interest to you. As for rates - the small business relief only applies if you actually fill in a form and apply for it. 50% relief for all properties under £5000 rateable value (I think - please check if unsure) but you need to apply within 6 months of end of year.

Cheers John

Hi John do you have a contact for this price they are coming back to me with 10.82 unrestricted rate with quarterly charge 32.79

derek

Mon Jul 27, 2009 9:34 am Author: John Gregson

Just spoken to Derek regarding the electricity unit price - I didn't have a contract but there was electricity on at the unit when I moved in which was supplied by Npower. This might explain why I received the good unit price as the supply was already there.

Cheers John

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