The Aporia
The Aporia
Press Association Political Staff. (2026, October 21). Ministers looking at removing standing charges from gas bills, Andy Burnham says. Evening Standard. https://www.standard.co.uk/business/business-news/andy-burnham-john-healey-prime-minister-kemi-badenoch-b1301763.html
Press Association Political Staff. “Ministers looking at removing standing charges from gas bills, Andy Burnham says.” Evening Standard, 21 Oct. 2026, https://www.standard.co.uk/business/business-news/andy-burnham-john-healey-prime-minister-kemi-badenoch-b1301763.html.
Press Association Political Staff. “Ministers looking at removing standing charges from gas bills, Andy Burnham says.” Evening Standard, October 21, 2026. https://www.standard.co.uk/business/business-news/andy-burnham-john-healey-prime-minister-kemi-badenoch-b1301763.html.
Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.
On October 21, 2026, Andy Burnham, the Labour leader, announced that his government is considering removing standing charges from gas bills in an effort to alleviate rising energy costs. During Prime Minister's Questions, Burnham stated he had asked the Chancellor and the Energy Secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, to investigate this possibility and report back as soon as possible. Standing charges typically amount to around £100 a year for consumers.
The announcement comes amid criticism from Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservatives, who accused the Labour government of delaying approval for the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea for two-and-a-half years under the previous Tory government's oversight. Despite opposition from environmental groups and some within his own party, Burnham defended the decision to approve the project, arguing it would help fund renewable energy investments.
Downing Street declined to provide a timeline or further details on removing standing charges, citing concerns that simply shifting these costs into unit prices might disproportionately affect high-consumption households. Campaigners have argued that current standing charge structures unfairly penalize low-use consumers, such as elderly individuals living alone.
