Price cap details - regional breakdown

[cbmiller]

The price cap has been announced today with a headline figure of £3549. This isn't particularly meaningful for most people, as it is based on an average usage, so it's better to know your exact unit rates. Ofgem publishes the figures under their default tariff cap level document.

We have to do some calculations though, as it provides a

Nil kWh

figure, which is the maximum you can be charged for no usage - this is how to derive the standing charge. Then there is a

12000 kWh

(gas)/

3100 kWh

(elec) figure. To get the unit rate, we can minus the

Nil kWh

figure, and divide by 12000/3100.

Regional breakdown

These rates are for single rate credit meters

Electricity ️

North West	48.6	51.4
Northern	53.5	50.2
Yorkshire	53.1	51.0
Northern Scotland	54.6	51.0
Southern	48.0	52.2
Southern Scotland	54.2	51.8
N Wales and Mersey	52.2	54.0
London	36.7	53.8
South East	46.2	53.3
Eastern	42.5	53.1
East Midland	49.3	51.0
Midlands	52.7	51.7
Southern Western	56.2	51.9
South Wales	52.7	52.o

Region Standing charge (p/day) Unit rate (p/kWh) *

Gas

North West	31.9	14.8
Northern	31.9	14.7
Yorkshire	31.9	14.7
Northern Scotland	31.9	14.7
Southern	31.9	14.9
Southern Scotland	31.9	14.7
N Wales and Mersey	31.9	14.8
London	31.9	15.0
South East	31.9	14.8
Eastern	31.9	14.8
East Midland	31.9	14.7
Midlands	31.9	14.8
Southern Western	31.9	14.9
South Wales	31.9	14.9

Region Standing charge (p/day) Unit rate (p/kWh) *

* Note: this assumes the supplier charges the maximum standing charge

Hope this is helpful to someone. Let me know if I've made any errors.

 

[huru]

@cbmiller

We have to do some calculations though, as it provides a Nil kWh figure, which is the maximum you can be charged for no usage - this is how to derive the standing charge. Then there is a 12000 kWh (gas)/3100 kWh (elec) figure. To get the unit rate, we can minus the Nil kWh figure, and divide by 12000/3100.

There's an assumption here, which is that energy companies will choose to max out the standing charge. They might not do do.

My supplier - Octopus - has recently been offering fixed tariffs where the standing charge is pegged at the current rate. They, or other suppliers, could choose to leave the standing charge where it currently is in October, and that would give them a bit of room to increase the kWh charge. That would benefit small users but cost more for big users.

 

[fujimaki_toru]

@huru The word pegged definitely applies to all of us and energy prices...

 

[wandergirl]

@fujimaki_toru This is definitely not what I meant when I ironically said "get pegged or die trying"

 

[jccarlos26serra]

@fujimaki_toru That implies a good thing though

 

[cbmiller]

@huru This is true. Taking the North West as an example, if they charged no standing charge, their unit rate could be 53.7p/kWh rather than 51.4p/kWh.

I'll add a caveat.

Worth noting that fixed tariffs as per your example are not covered by the price cap.

 

[resjudicata]

@cbmiller The unit rate cap is decided by the differential between the typical and nil usage values, not just fitting into the typical usage cap.

 

[embert]

@cbmiller Can someone help me understand how to make sense of this for my own usage from my smart meter? I presume I look at the kwh usage on a typical day (eg. yesterday). Take the standing charge for my area, multiply by the kwh/p usage for yesterday and add together to give a figure for what the new rate could cost for the same day? Also I could take a random day/week in a winter month to see how much it would cost me then?

 

[csanders0520]

@embert For me, I would recommend a wider time span. Eg. Take your average consumption for electricity and gas for Dec/Jan/Feb 21/22 and calculate on the new charges. Should give you a better idea of a ‘worst case scenario’ to extrapolate that over the course of a year.

 

[embert]

@csanders0520 True I'll do that. Trying not to sound like a school kid, but is my working out correct?

 

[liammansfield20]

@embert There's a calculator on the MSE website that you can plug your annual kwh or monthly spend into and get an idea.

Mines roughly 4000/kwh electric and 6500/kwh gas per year and will go from average £150 per month to £275.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/what-are-the-price-cap-unit-rates-/

 

[embert]

@liammansfield20 Great stuff thanks!

 

[donjackitasy]

@liammansfield20 The numbers from Martin Lewis suggest an increase of 336% between now and next April. I had to double check the maths to make sure as I thought this was ludicrous at first, but it checks out.

 

[heyilovegod2254]

@csanders0520 That would be worse than worst case unless you leave your heating on full blast (with no thermostats) in July

For most people, you should be able to dig out your last year’s usage, and work out exactly what you’ll pay for a similar year, which should be pretty representative

 

[mack3]

@embert I do mine by billing month. I submit monthly meter readings so it’s fairly accurate.

So, (standing charge x days in month) + (kWh usage x unit rate) then add VAT.

 

[yehudim]

@cbmiller It’s not sustainable. The economy, and NHS is going to collapse of something not done. Crime is going to go through the roof as people become more desperate.

 

[storm1485]

@yehudim As someone who works in the NHS, it has already collapsed. It’s going to be a rough winter.

 

[bebopkid]

@storm1485 Dramatisation.

Don't get me wrong, I know EXACTLY how fucked the NHS is, but it's not fair to call it collapsed; it has not.

A collapsed healthcare system is what you see in Venezuela, where heart attack patients are just left to die because there's no medicine to treat them, and main hospitals can only scrunch up enough medication for one or two operations per day in the entire damn building, with prolonged periods of zero operations being the norm on top of that.

The point is that it can get much, much, much, MUCH worse. Let's not pretend there's no more sinking left to be done.

 

[heartnsoul19]

@bebopkid Frontline NHS here. We've had to cram patients into literal cupboards over the summer. What was our gym is now patient bedspaces. What was our dining room is now patient bedspaces. We had two offices at the start of the year, guess what they are now - that's right, patient bedspaces. We have to have our meetings outside in the car park and are down to using 'computers on wheels' in the ward exclusively.

They're calling them 'escalation beds', but they've been in place for months. Over summer.

The NHS hasn't collapsed, but it's creaking and winter isn't even here yet.

 

[bebopkid]

@heartnsoul19 I'm fully aware, believe me.

I'm saying this so that the above statement doesn't lull people into complacency. They'll see their own experiences with the NHS, though shit, are still somewhat chugging along, and then think 'well, at least it can't get any worse!'.

The NHS needs a rally, and calling it dead already doesn't help.