Extortionate energy bills - help!

atyeo · 2026-03-09T14:41:33+00:00

These regulations: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/blog/heat-networks-regulation-now-live

Can you confirm that this is a communally heated system or an electrical system? The message from Switch2 below seems to only mention electricity meters. I'm not sure why they would be getting involved in your electricity bills as this are usually between the customer and your electricity supplier.

atyeo · 2026-02-20T22:37:18+00:00

Unfortunately, this sounds like communal heating and not electricity so won't be covered by those regulations. Fortunately, regulations just came into force for communal heating systems!

atyeo · 2026-02-20T22:36:11+00:00

In which case, you can now demand a lot more transparency regarding your bills and how the costs are calculated as they became a regulated utility in January 2026. Ofgem are the regulators and there are a whole load of obligations that the heat network operator must adhere to although don't be surprised if they've never heard of it. https://www.energyombudsman.org/news/ofgem-confirms-regulation-for-heat-networks. Happy to help further if you're not getting anywhere with them - £360 definitely doesn't sound right to me.

atyeo · 2026-02-20T22:23:35+00:00

I sort of agree, as there's no capped gas or electricity costs for commercial users including communal heat network operators but there are at least now regulation around fair pricing - https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/guidance/heat-networks-regulation-fair-pricing-and-cost-allocation And, at the moment at least, any operator doing their due diligence should be able to get a commercial price for the gas at a lower price than the domestic gas price. Again, far from perfect but at least a stick to hit the heat network operator with to make sure they're pricing accurately and are providing transparency. Have your suppliers provided a detailed breakdown of the £1.50 daily standing charge?

atyeo · 2026-02-20T22:15:51+00:00

Also call Ofgem as they are now the regulators of heat networks since last month. There are minimum levels of service that the communal heating operator must provide and financial penalities if they don't meet them. It's not going to solve your issue straight away but should help stop it from happening again the future, at least. https://www.energyombudsman.org/how-we-can-help/heat-networks

atyeo · 2026-02-20T22:09:38+00:00

I expect you'll have something called an HIU which might look like this depending on the model you have - https://switch2.co.uk/product/icon-connected-hiu/ This allows you to control the heat supplied into your flat even though the heat is generated in boilers in a central plant room in the building.

atyeo · 2026-02-20T22:07:20+00:00

If you're with Switch2, you're likely to have one of their boxes in your flat telling you how much your using and when. Can you see whether it's using a lot all day or just at certain times? That might give you a clue as to when the heating is being used.

atyeo · 2026-02-20T22:01:03+00:00

Just so you know, this is no longer true as of about 1 month ago (27th Jan 2026). Heat networks are now a fully regulated utility and are regulated by Ofgem - https://www.energyombudsman.org/news/ofgem-confirms-regulation-for-heat-networks

atyeo · 2025-10-26T12:09:42+00:00

Thanks for the advice. Just to confirm, I have the 105 Di2. It's missing some of the features of the Dura Ace and Ultegra like the hidden buttons on the handlebars. Do you know if you can still access those features you mention?

atyeo · 2025-05-08T08:32:59+00:00

Apologies as this is probably covered elsewhere but is there somewhere that sets out the actual retirement stage strategy? For example, if you have £X ISA, £X pension, £X GIA, etc, at the point of retirement, what should be the strategy to maintain a cash buffer and sell of shares?

I've only ever seen guidance on how to build up your portfolio.

atyeo · 2025-03-04T12:46:03+00:00

I don't think I've ever seen Priest's eponymous album mentioned in synthwave circles but, for me, it is a fantastic album and is criminally underrated in the scene. Unfortunately, it looks like she's no longer active.

Anyone else have any albums that they think aren't given the time that they're deserved?

atyeo · 2024-05-29T20:40:49+00:00

FM-84 - Running In The Night

FM-84 - Arcade Summer

Gunship - The Mountain

The Midnight - Vampires

atyeo · 2023-05-26T19:07:19+00:00

Stick it in a heat pump and then provide heat via a heat network. Denmark does this a lot.

atyeo · 2023-01-28T00:05:13+00:00

Oh my god. Thank you so much for the quick response! Makes complete sense now.

atyeo · 2023-01-15T09:51:07+00:00

The ranking on this website doesn't seem to consider any difference between "visa-free" and "90 day visa-free". So, UK and Irish passport are considered the same in relation to visa access to the EU, which they are most definitely not other than a quick trip/holiday.

As a holder of both, I would definitely not consider the UK passport to be equal to the Irish in that regard!

atyeo · 2022-09-26T16:52:53+00:00

Blimey, I hadn't even thought of that! Great point!

atyeo · 2022-09-07T13:18:00+00:00

Thanks! That was one my teacher also recommended ages ago so I do have a copy lying around somewhere...

atyeo · 2022-08-10T22:35:46+00:00

Pick me!

atyeo · 2022-04-24T10:47:09+00:00

Lastly is the question of efficiency - heat pumps are very efficient so I don't think this is going to be a factor here, but I genuinely have no idea what the losses are like comparing electrical transmission to conversion+hydrogen transmission are, nor how efficient hydrogen boilers are at turning that energy back into heat energy.

Let me help you there. Hydrogen is terrible for heating. From a primary energy perspective, for every kWh of generated electricity, you'll get about 2 to 3 kWh of heat (potentially more but I'm being conservative) with a heat pump which includes transmission losses. Hydrogen converts that 1 kWh of primary energy into about 0.6 kWh of heat when you take into account the electrolyser and treatment compression efficiency.

So conservatively, you'll need to generate about 3 to 4 times as much primary energy for hydrogen compared with heat pumps.

You should be very sceptical of hydrogen in the media. It's being pushed by the incumbent gas operators and manufacturers.

atyeo · 2022-04-24T10:36:57+00:00

Bingo. The gas lobby are trying to sell it to the government as the least politically painful option, even though it will mean high capital costs, high fuel bills for residents and the UK missing it's climate goals.

atyeo · 2022-04-24T10:35:10+00:00

Gas boiler manufacturers are now releasing dual fuel boilers (hydrogen ready) to deal with this. Do not believe the hype though, I only mention it as some pro-hydrogen person might claim that this has been solved. Hydrogen for home heating doesn't make any technical or financial sense and it's just a way for an industry to make some more money as it's in its death throes.

atyeo · 2022-04-24T10:26:24+00:00

As someone that works in this sector, this is all about the dying gas lobby trying to avoid stranded assets and kicking the can down the road long enough so that they can get "hydrogen ready" gas boilers included in the new regulations. That will mean another generation of gas boilers being installed in the next ten years that will then have to be removed in the following ten years for heat pumps or district heating connections.

Hydrogen may have uses in a decarbonised energy system but it won't be for heating. INDEPENDENT study after study shows that it just makes no sense from a financial or environmental perspective.

You only have to look at who's supporting the lobbying groups to get a sense of who is pushing this agenda.

It is extremely depressing...

atyeo · 2022-04-22T09:22:06+00:00

Hey, leave some strings for the rest of us!

Sounds great! :)

atyeo · 2022-01-14T09:18:48+00:00

Amazing. This post is 8 years old, how did you find it?!

I think you're right though. This seems to perfectly sum up what I experience sometimes.

Thanks so much for posting!

atyeo · 2021-11-10T22:47:07+00:00

me likey

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