UK Energy Costs

[teddymeow]

Put the central heating on for an hour last night (thermostat has a +1 hour option) to take the chill out of the air. It didn't switch off after an hour but I didn't notice. Wasn't until 4 hours later when the wife said "the radiators are still on". I went and check the boiler and it was still firing.

Means there's either a wiring issue or a stuck valve. For ****'s sake! Now we need to get some odu out to check all is okay.

[MartyG]

I've been wondering if Bulb have been playing cautious because of the support they've been getting to keep afloat. I'm mindful of it being taken over atm and that changing

No, it's because they're been adding the heating rebate to the balances and the automated system is adjusting the payments because of the increased balances.

[Cassius_Smoke]

Put the central heating on for an hour last night (thermostat has a +1 hour option) to take the chill out of the air. It didn't switch off after an hour but I didn't notice. Wasn't until 4 hours later when the wife said "the radiators are still on". I went and check the boiler and it was still firing.

Means there's either a wiring issue or a stuck valve. For ****'s sake! Now we need to get some odu out to check all is okay.

We've had this. For us it's that the thermostat lost connection to the boiler and it didn't know to switch off. Had to resync it.
As you say, you don't notice until you've flushed pounds down the drain.

[fishbowlhead]

Put the central heating on for an hour last night (thermostat has a +1 hour option) to take the chill out of the air. It didn't switch off after an hour but I didn't notice. Wasn't until 4 hours later when the wife said "the radiators are still on". I went and check the boiler and it was still firing.

Means there's either a wiring issue or a stuck valve. For ****'s sake! Now we need to get some odu out to check all is okay.

My other half left the hot tap on in the downstairs toilet the other night so the hot water was running all night, only noticed it when i got up for a wee at 5am i could hear the boiler going, we have a combi boiler so it just kept going all night.

[Neon Ignition]

No, it's because they're been adding the heating rebate to the balances and the automated system is adjusting the payments because of the increased balances.

So in theory, when the rebate ends they will jack the minimum payments right up to compensate?

[MartyG]

So in theory, when the rebate ends they will jack the minimum payments right up to compensate?

It's an automated system based on yearly historical billing divided by 12 to give the monthly payments. At least that's the idea, paying more in the summer when you use less to cover the winter payments and keeping monthly payments the same.

Given that the cap is increasing in March, they may well increase, but it'll depend on your balance, the wholesale prices which are influenced by outside factors, and how far the companies are buying ahead. One of the issues we have in the UK is we do not currently have the ability to store gas supplies as they do in Europe, so we are far more exposed to price fluctuations.

[Neon Ignition]

I think I'd rather they just billed for last month use like everything else does

[MartyG]

You can ask for that, but it will likely cost you more in the long run. Plus you're not going to know how much you're going to pay month-to-month.

[Neon Ignition]

Well, after last months needless jump we're back to not turning on the gas at all so December will be getting into the rough of it

[Asura]

I think I'd rather they just billed for last month use like everything else does

I'm sure you can arrange that if you call them.

It's a thorny issue, because I get what MartyG means. On a year where the energy price fluctuation is modest (so, most years) it works well, because you over-pay in the summer and under-pay in the winter, and they're constantly adjusting to keep it as consistent as possible.

But they do sometimes take the piss. I left a supplier a few years ago because they suddenly asked me for a ton more, and couldn't really justify it even with that calculation.

[teddymeow]

We've had this. For us it's that the thermostat lost connection to the boiler and it didn't know to switch off. Had to resync it.
As you say, you don't notice until you've flushed pounds down the drain.

I've done some testing tonight and, after changing the batteries in both the remote control and the receiver (remnants of the previous owners' ****wittery DIY) and the boiler has been consistently switching off when it should. Phew!!

[CMcK]

Prices are bound to drop soon. The gas price while still about double a year ago is nowhere near the tens times normal prices earlier in the year.

[Cassius_Smoke]

I've done some testing tonight and, after changing the batteries in both the remote control and the receiver (remnants of the previous owners' ****wittery DIY) and the boiler has been consistently switching off when it should. Phew!!

Good you fixed it.
Yeah these wireless ones do this sometimes. Ours needs to be in a particular spot in the kitchen for it to work.

[teddymeow]

Good you fixed it.
Yeah these wireless ones do this sometimes. Ours needs to be in a particular spot in the kitchen for it to work.

Yeah, the hot water came on and went off without issue this morning, as programmed.

Looking at getting a full Hive system next year so won't have to put up with this **** much longer.

[charlesr]

In America these smart systems like Hive have been causing issues on the grid because people get them and never change the defaults so they all click on at exactly the same time