Short answer: “Band A” is supposed to be a performance promise tied to your feeder, not a punishment. In theory, Band A feeders should enjoy the highest guaranteed hours each day, so tariffs are higher; Band B–E drop in both promise and price. In practice, three things create the pain: (1) feeders are misclassified or unstable, (2) outages break the guarantee without quick rebates, and (3) many premises still lack smart meters so billing feels arbitrary.

What to do: First, check your feeder band with your Disco and neighbors; mislabels happen. Keep a simple outage log (date, start–stop). If supply falls below the promised hours for your band, file a written complaint referencing the service-based tariff framework and request adjustment. Second, load audit your space: switch to LED lighting, timer your freezers, and isolate high-wattage appliances to off-peak use. Third, push for a prepaid smart meter; it enforces transparency and helps you plan spend. Finally, if a whole street's supply is below band, escalate via NERC's forum office — collective evidence gets faster action.