John Healey to end standing charges on gas bills for 23m homes

On budget day chancellor says he will ask Ofgem to remove ‘unfair and outdated’ fixed daily fee in 2027 or soon after

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John Healey is abolishing standing charges on gas bills for 23m homes in a move he says will save two-thirds of households an average of £45 a year.

Before his first budget statement in the Commons later on Wednesday, the chancellor said he would ask Ofgem, the energy regulator for Great Britain, to end the “unfair and outdated” practice next year or as soon as possible after.