What is a fixed charge and why do I pay it?
We’re committed to being fair and proactive across our service to our customers. That’s why we’ve put together this blog to provide deeper insight into your heat tariff and your fixed charge. We hope you find it useful.
What is a fixed charge?
Alongside a usage charge which pays for the heat you use, a heat tariff will also include a fixed charge. The fixed charge covers the costs to keep you connected to the wider network and is a set amount you pay every day.
Most energy tariffs include a fixed charge, from gas and electricity to heat networks, and they are sometimes known as a ‘standing charge’.
What does the fixed charge cover?
A lot of work happens behind the scenes to ensure you have a reliable heat supply 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Fixed charges are important, as they help make sure you receive the reliable heating and hot water supply that you need.
Just like gas and electricity operators, we use a lot of equipment to deliver heating and hot water to your home. You often can’t see much of this equipment, as it’s underneath your feet – shown by the diagram below:
Across our networks, the fixed charge covers the cost to install, look after and upgrade:
The fixed charge also helps us provide:
- 24/7 emergency response with customer service and engineering teams ready to help whenever needed.
- An all-inclusive service for maintenance and repairs, providing a simple solution to fix issues quickly.
What is an all-inclusive maintenance service?
Your fixed charge gives you access to our all‑inclusive maintenance service, which provides simple, reliable support at no additional cost. If you have a problem with your heating or hot water, and the issue is on our network, our engineers will be there to help. They will get your heating back on track quickly.
As your daily fixed charge covers all repairs on the network, you won't need to worry about any surprise labour or repair bills, unless something has been intentionally damaged.
Keep in mind that our all-inclusive service only covers the equipment we’re responsible for. Anything inside your home, beyond your HIU, such as radiators, showers and taps, is yours to look after.
If you think there’s something wrong with your heating and hot water supply, get in touch with our Customer Care team and we’ll send an engineer to put things right. In an emergency, we’ll on site within four hours, day or night.
