Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he has asked UK ministers to consider removing standing charges from household gas bills, aiming to lower costs for consumers. Multiple outlets report the proposal is being examined following discussion at Prime Minister’s Questions, with Burnham describing the issue as part of wider efforts to bring down energy bills.
Several reports add that ministers are assessing whether scrapping the fixed daily fee could be “feasible” and how any cost would be handled by energy suppliers. The Financial Times notes experts’ expectations that providers would likely recover lost revenue through higher unit rates, while other outlets focus on the government’s investigation and the figures discussed around typical charges.
Some coverage also links the announcement to broader political and policy context. The Independent mentions Burnham also defending the approval of the Jackdaw gas field, while the Mirror frames the standing-charge discussion alongside ongoing pressures affecting bills. The Belfast Telegraph provides a brief version of the same core claim, and Bloomberg similarly presents the move as a government consideration to reduce heating costs.
