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Written question asked by Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 15 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 19 May 2026. It was answered by Martin McCluskey (Labour) on Tuesday, 26 May 2026 on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Electricity: Standing Charges

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his department has made of the potential merits of equalising standing charges for electricity consumers across the United Kingdom.

Answer

Standing charges vary by region because the costs of the transmission and distribution networks differ from place to place; a ‘common tariff’ for the most isolated areas would smooth out those higher local costs so customers there avoid very high prices, but it would also mean more of those costs are shared across the wider customer base, putting some upward pressure on prices elsewhere.

The Government knows that, for many consumers, too much of the burden of the bill is placed on standing charges. We are working constructively with Ofgem to bring down the cost of standing charges.

Through its Cost Allocation and Recovery Review, Ofgem has also been reviewing how ‘fixed’ costs, which tend to be funded through standing charges, should be recovered in the future energy system.

The most recent update on this can be found here: Energy system cost allocation and recovery review - Ofgem - Citizen Space.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
1800
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Equality Electricity Standing charges
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk