ScottishPower has set out the breakdown of variable costs that may change each quarter for its Flexi Product, with values applying from 1 April 2024 and a further column for 1 October 20241. The page lists each component separately, naming who sets the cost and whether it is applied to the unit rate or the daily standing charge1.
For single rate electricity in the Eastern region, the Renewables Obligation is shown at 3.178 pence per kWh on both dates, and the Capacity Market at 0.777 pence per kWh from 1 April 2024 and 0.687 pence per kWh from 1 October 20241. Balancing Services Use of System rises from 0.853 to 1.361 pence per kWh across the two dates, while Distribution Use of System unit rate falls from 2.549 to 2.492 pence per kWh1. The Distribution Use of System standing charge is 13.50 pence per day on both dates, and Transmission Network Use of System is 10.46 pence per day on both dates, with a unit rate of 0.022 pence per kWh1. Smart meter costs are 4.26 pence per day from 1 April 2024 and 4.18 pence per day from 1 October 2024, and Assistance for Areas with High Electricity Distribution Costs is 0.049 and 0.046 pence per kWh respectively1.
Multi rate electricity in the same region shows a Capacity Market rate of 0.613 pence per kWh from 1 April 2024 and 0.580 pence per kWh from 1 October 2024, and a Distribution Use of System unit rate of 2.104 and 2.103 pence per kWh1. Gas rates list a Gas Transportation charge of 1.351 pence per kWh from 1 April 2024 and 1.305 pence per kWh from 1 October 2024, a smart meter standing charge of 3.25 and 3.19 pence per day, and a Green Gas Levy of 0.11 pence per day on both dates1.
The page describes the components as costs that may change each quarter, and states that most are linked to the costs included in the price cap set by Ofgem, with Balancing Services Use of System linked to National Grid's latest forecast1. The same page carries equivalent tables for other regions, including East Midlands, where the Distribution Use of System standing charge for single rate electricity is 18.91 pence per day on both dates1.
"Breakdown of variable costs that may change each quarter"
Why it matters for households
These figures are the building blocks of a variable tariff, not the final price a household pays. They show how much of a bill comes from network, environmental and social scheme costs rather than from the energy itself, and how much of that sits in the standing charge that is paid regardless of how much gas or electricity is used. For a household weighing a fixed tariff against a variable one, the split matters because the unit rate components respond to wholesale and network forecasts while the standing charge components do not fall when usage falls. Households on a standard variable tariff can see which elements are tied to the price cap and which are tracked separately. The page does not state the total unit rates or standing charges a customer pays, and no regional totals beyond the component values have been reported.
What happens next
The page shows a second set of values dated 1 October 2024, indicating that these components are reviewed quarterly1. No further dates or changes beyond 1 October 2024 are given1.
Sources1 cited
- flexi-2024-charges | Gas and Electricity Company | ScottishPower, scottishpower.co.uk