confusopoly

My electricity company (Southern Electric) has two flavours of tariff -- one with a standing charge and one without. I had previously assumed that the no-standing charge one would be cheaper for low usage but the standing charge version cheaper at higher usage. In fact (having just done the maths) the standing charge tariff is cheaper only if your usage is in the range 364 to 514 units a quarter. Since the average household apparently uses between 3300 and 4600 units a year depending on who you believe, I can't help suspecting a lot of people are on the (default) standing-charge tariff when they'd be better off on the other one.

Oh, and anybody still on the RSPB tariff should switch to the newer 'better plan' one as it is just as 'green' (if you care about that; arguably it doesn't make a difference) and cheaper.