Christmas lights group unhappy with energy charges

A voluntary group that organises a town's Christmas lights display has called the cost of standing electricity charges "outrageous".

Bryan Pycroft, treasurer of the Portishead Christmas Lights Committee, said the group paid an annual standing charge of more than £1,700 despite the electricity sources it uses only being in action for seven weeks of the year.

He said that as a result the committee is "wasting" money that could be better spent elsewhere.

The committee's energy supplier Delta Gas & Power (DGP) has been approached for comment.

Mr Pycroft said the annual display drew power from nine electricity meters on the High Street during the festive season.

However, the committee pays a standing charge of 52p plus VAT per meter per day for the entire year.

A standing charge is a fixed daily fee on an energy bill that covers costs for maintaining the energy network, meter readings, renewable energy investments, and government programs.

The committee switches off the power on or around 6 January and no further power is used unless it is for testing, Mr Pycroft said.

"They [DGP] seem to have difficulty, or their systems do not allow, the concept of drawing power for part of the year," he said.

"We also have trouble getting the message over to them that we are a voluntary organisation and not a commercial business.

"We are neither domestic nor commercial users, but they have a binary understanding meaning we can only be one or the other."

Portishead Christmas Lights Committee, which was formed in 1974 and has 100 volunteers, said its display costs £25,000.

It receives a grant from the town council but the majority of its money comes through local fundraising.

Mr Pycroft said the committee is happy to pay fees that are proportionate to what they are using.

"We're quite happy to pay a higher unit price without the standing charges so the more you use, the more you pay which seems a bit fairer surely," Mr Pycroft added.

When regulator Ofgem asked for the public's views on standing charges it received 30,000 submissions, with the majority against them.

Under Ofgem's price cap, standing charges have risen by 43% since 2019.

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