Do you pay twice as much as us for electricity?

Whilst chatting with a customer this morning about his electricity tariff, I had to check I'd heard him correctly. 

We like to check that our customers can make the most of our efficient electric heating systems, and save money wherever possible. The customer’s electricity tariff often comes up in conversation.

This gentleman seemed happy enough with his dual-rate tariff, which he used to run a washing machine and tumble dryer during the night. The night-time "off-peak" rate that he pays is just five and a half pence per kilowatt hour.  His main heating system is gas-fired, but as he works from home, he needs an efficient way to heat an office separately from the rest of the house.

This very low "off-peak" rate of five and a half pence looks great, but, as I advised the customer, there will always be a downside. On checking his bill, this downside came in the form of a massively inflated standard rate, which we prefer to call "the premium rate".

"An eye-watering 23 pence per kilowatt hour - that's the downside"

The premium rate in this case, was an eye-watering twenty-three pence per kilowatt hour. To put this figure into perspective, we currently pay just under twelve pence per kilowatt hour for our electricity, in the Electric Heating Expert offices. This means that using every light bulb, and every electrical appliance in this particular property, costs almost twice as it should.

The energy supplier responsible for this customer’s bills is one of the “Big Six”. Clearly, they have not only sold their customer the wrong tariff, but also an extremely over-priced tariff. My advice to him was to look online and try one of the small UK-based energy suppliers. They aren’t involved in the alleged price-fixing scandal and usually offer more affordable and more suitable tariffs.

If you'd like some impartial advice on how to choose the best tariff for your needs, we're here to help. Visit www.electricheatingexpert.co.uk and speak with an advisor online.