Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he had with representatives of the energy sector on reducing standing charges.

BEIS Ministers have regular discussions with representatives of the energy sector on a range of energy issues, including standing charges.

Standing charges are a commercial matter for individual suppliers, which reflects the necessary costs to provide and maintain a live supply to a customer’s premises.

Ofgem limits standing charges under the price cap which they set and ensure millions of households pay a fair price for their energy. Ofgem’s review of standing charges concluded that retaining the current methodology would protect users with greater energy needs, such as disabled users and users with electric heating in areas off the gas grid.