Christmas Lights Committee Criticizes Energy Standing Charges

A voluntary organization responsible for a town’s Christmas illumination display has labeled the expense of fixed electricity charges as “outrageous.” Bryan Pycroft, the treasurer for the Portishead Christmas Lights Committee, stated that the committee incurs an annual standing charge exceeding £1,700, even though the electricity supply is only utilized for seven weeks annually. He indicated that this situation leads to the committee “wasting” funds that could be allocated more effectively. Delta Gas & Power (DGP), the committee’s energy provider, has been contacted for a statement. Mr. Pycroft explained that the yearly display utilizes power from nine electricity meters situated on the High Street throughout the holiday period. Nevertheless, the committee is charged a standing fee of 52p plus VAT per meter daily, applied for the full year. A standing charge represents a consistent daily fee on an energy bill, designed to cover expenses such as maintaining the energy infrastructure, conducting meter readings, funding renewable energy initiatives, and supporting government schemes. According to Mr. Pycroft, the committee deactivates the power supply on or approximately 6 January, with no subsequent power consumption occurring unless for testing purposes. He stated, “They [DGP] seem to have difficulty, or their systems do not allow, the concept of drawing power for part of the year.” He further elaborated, “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.” The Portishead Christmas Lights Committee, established in 1974 and comprising 100 volunteers, reported that its display incurs costs of £25,000. While it obtains a grant from the town council, most of its funding is generated through local fundraising efforts. Mr. Pycroft indicated that the committee is amenable to paying charges that are commensurate with their actual consumption. He further commented, “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.” When the regulatory body Ofgem solicited public opinions regarding standing charges, it gathered 30,000 responses, with the predominant sentiment being opposition. Under the price cap set by Ofgem, standing charges have experienced a 43% increase since 2019.