Chancellor John Healey plans to end gas bill standing charges

Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey plans to abolish fixed daily standing charges on gas bills for 23 million homes, the Guardian reported. Ahead of his first budget statement in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Healey called the charges an unfair and outdated practice. The Guardian reported that he will ask Ofgem, the Great Britain energy regulator, to remove the fixed fee next year or as soon as possible after. [1]

The typical household currently pays 108 pounds a year in standing charges for gas, according to the Guardian. Removing the daily fee is expected to save two-thirds of households an average of 45 pounds annually. As FTMQ News reported earlier, the British government had been considering measures costing over one billion pounds to assist poorer households with rising energy bills. [1][9]

The budget comes alongside other financial measures, according to reports from the Guardian and the BBC. The Guardian reported that struggling households and small shops stand to gain from the budget, while banks and online marketplaces could face higher levies. The BBC reported that the budget will also allocate 15 million pounds to tackle misogyny. [2][5][6]

John Healey has served as Chancellor of the Exchequer since 2026 and previously served as Defence Secretary from 2024 to 2026. A member of the Labour Party, he has represented South Yorkshire constituencies in the House of Commons continuously since 1997. Healey served in junior ministerial roles under Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown between 2001 and 2010. [7][8]