Standing Charge On Utilities?

[divegirl]

Good Morning.
I'm pretty sure I heard someone [a caller] on LBC the other day saying that the government had blocked companies from using a standing charge on their meters some years ago.
Does anyone know if this is true or false?

Lisa x

[factor-fiction]

Don't think so. I have what is in effect a 'standing charge' as I pay a higher rate on the first X units and a lower rate thereafter- and since I am always bound to exceed the X figure I regard the resultant charge as a standing charge

[rockyracoon]

There was a petition up to Nov last year to get them abolished so don't think it has happened yet

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/23057

[Tilly2]

On my water bill it actually says 'standing charge', so I don't think they can have been blocked.

[divegirl]

Oh well! It says it on mine too Tilly but I could have sworn thats what the said.

Thanks for your answers.

Lisa x

[magsmay]

They were referring, I think, to the daily charge on a payment meter -one that you get money on a key and put it in the meter -its pennies a day even if there is no one living in the property it still accrues. As far as I know its still being charged as we recently acquired a house that had over £100 debt on the key meter from standing charges as the house had been empty for 18 months.

[Old_Geezer]

I've always felt fixed charges should be considered part of a company's overheads and covered in the unit price, but few are keen to be so fair when a fixed part to the bill reflects the costs to them.

[heathfield]

A friend of mine owns and rents out a block of flats. There's a gas meter for the properties, but they happen to be all-electric, with none of them connected to the gas supply. The gas company is demanding a large fixed rate charge for its meter!

[divegirl]

Just plain greed really. I suppose we should be used to it by now.

Lisa x