The chancellor has said that scrapping gas standing charges will save 60% of homes £45 a year. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
The Conservatives have dismissed the chancellor’s decision to get rid of standing charges from energy bills as “sleight of hand”. In an interview on GB News, Richard Fuller, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said: “We know there’s a problem with energy prices coming down the track. That’s why the Conservatives last year actually announced that cheap energy plan to get rid of VAT on people’s energy bills and roll back some of the net zero taxes that burden people’s bills. But what Labour is doing is really sleight of hand. They’re moving it from one aspect of your energy bill or your taxes, and putting it somewhere else. Under the Conservatives, of course, we would make the tougher decisions on public spending, so the actual energy bills and people’s taxes would be coming down.”
The chancellor's decision relates to removing standing charges from energy bills. The measure is expected to save 60% of households £45 a year.
The Conservatives had previously proposed a cheap energy plan that included scrapping VAT on energy bills and rolling back some net zero taxes. They criticise Labour's policy as shifting costs from one area to another.
According to Richard Fuller, the Conservatives would make tougher decisions on public spending and would aim to bring down energy bills and taxes.
The current government's decision was announced as part of the 2026 budget. The chancellor aims to reduce household costs by scrapping gas standing charges.