Price Cap Q&A

  • meldrewreborn's Avatar
    Level 91
    @Evaboo

    Its entirely up to you. Use a spreadsheet to compute the options. Also bear in mind the EPG is now in place for only 6 months - with no assurance of what is to follow, except that it will not be so generous.

    I hope, given the price differential, you prioritise using gas over electricity where you can.

    I think if you moved to variable the saving in standing charges would only save £91 on the two fuels combined.
    Current Eon Next and EDF customer, ex Zog and Symbio. Don't think dual fuel saves money and don't like smart meters. Chronologically Gifted. If I offend let me know by private message, but I’ll continue to express my opinions nonetheless.
  • Evaboo's Avatar
    Level 5
    @Evaboo

    Its entirely up to you. Use a spreadsheet to compute the options. Also bear in mind the EPG is now in place for only 6 months - with no assurance of what is to follow, except that it will not be so generous.

    I hope, given the price differential, you prioritise using gas over electricity where you can.

    I think if you moved to variable the saving in standing charges would only save £91 on the two fuels combined.

    Thank you for the reply.
    Unfortunately I could never get my head around spreadsheets. I self taught on a PC and I'm ok with everything....except those horrendous things 😄

    I was just reading what Martin Lewis has written about the April predicted price hikes. I think I'd better stay as I am, as 'Cornwall Insights' hasn't been far out prediction wise so far:

    "NEWS: The projected new energy price cap, that we assume will start in April when the price guarantee ends, will be:

    UP 73% taking a bill for typical use (use more pay more use less pay less) from £2,500/yr to £4,350.

    The cap will then be DOWN 15% in July to £3,700/yr typical use. Then it is predicted to stabilise around that level.

    However these are very early day predictions (thanks to Cornwall Insights for getting them to us so quickly), we are not even in the April cap assessment period (17/11 to 17/2) yet, so could change a lot.

    If these are in the right ballpark, the promised 'targeted help' will need to be targeted up into middle incomes for people to get through this. Especially if it stays at those levels for the next winter"
  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    If it's any consolation, UK gas futures are trading at 227p a therm today. Last time Ofgem set the cap, they were around 710p. They also peaked massively just before they set the April cap.
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    Last edited by retrotecchie; 17-10-22 at 18:13.
  • meldrewreborn's Avatar
    Level 91
    @retrotecchie

    the OFGEM figures are computed from prices over a past 3 month period I have some faith in Cornwall insight they have a good record of predicting OFGEM price caps however next April is beyond their normal range, and frankly my fix , although higher than current EPG on unit prices, would save me from really massive increases. It would be unlikely that I’d benefit from targeted government support post EPG, unless the chronologically gifted were included.
  • meldrewreborn's Avatar
    Level 91
    @Evaboo

    I first used a proper spreadsheet in 1984! I’ve used multiplan, 20/20, lotus 123 and various versions of excel. My favourite software!
    sticking with your fix seems the right thing to me.
  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    I'm a LibreOffice man myself. I pride myself in not having put anything in Micro$oft or Apple's coffers for over 20 years.

    I was a fan of Lotus 1 2 3 but that was in the 486 days. In fact, I still have the 486 somewhere.
    Last edited by retrotecchie; 17-10-22 at 21:11.