The standing charge is a fixed charge which you must pay even if you’re not using your heating system. The charge will be shown in your Heat Supply Agreement as an annual rate which will be split into a daily rate for the purpose of billing you. The same as a typical gas or electricity bill.

 

It's important to understand that our standing charge covers much more than the daily standing charge you’d pay for a typical gas bill.  It includes: 

  • our administration costs for providing metering and billing services,

  • your share of the standing charges for the utility supplies we buy to power the central energy centre, and

  • a share of the costs for servicing and inspecting the equipment which makes up the heat network, including the HIU and heat meter in your home. 

In some cases, we also collect a fund through the daily standing charge to cover future costs for replacing any of the equipment which forms part of the heat network should it break or reach the end of its life. Your welcome brochure will explain if this applies to your heat charges. If this doesn’t apply, your welcome brochure will let you know that any costs for replacing equipment forming part of the heat network are to be managed separately through your service charge. If you’re unsure get in touch and we’ll be able help you understand how you’ll be charged.

 

Unlike if you had a gas boiler or other traditional heating system you won’t have to worry about additional costs for servicing and insuring your boiler, as it’s all incorporated in your daily standing charge. if you had a gas boiler you could expect to pay around £200 a year for servicing, this would be an additional cost on top of your gas bill. You'd also have to worry about putting aside a pot of money to replace your boiler when it reaches the end of it's life. Being connected to a heat network these costs will either be included in our standing charge, or in your service charge depending on what network you're connected to. The exact arrangements will be explained in your 'Welcome to your new home' brochure.


You can find our more about our charges and how we'll bill you here https://www.watkinsenergy.co.uk/charges.html