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Martin Lewis: Ofgem boss quizzed on standing charges

Jonathan Brearley, chief executive of Ofgem, the energy regulator, is quizzed on standing charges

Jonathan Brearley, the chief executive of the energy regulator has told Martin Lewis why he’s considering mandating energy tariffs with low, or no, standing charges.

Households pay the fixed daily charges to cover the costs of connecting to a supply, but there have been widespread calls for these fees to be scrapped.

Jonathan Brearley said households who have disabled or elderly people living in them would see their bills become "hugely expensive" without this change.

He wants customers to be able to choose which tariff is right for them.

"We think you should be able to choose... we're very open to the idea that actually some people might need some help from their energy company to do so", he said.

Mr Brearley also urged anyone who has children under five, disabled or elderly people living in their home to get onto the "priority service register". This provides extra support for those struggling with inconsistent energy supply.

This clip was originally from Adrian Chiles on 12 December 2024.

The full interview with Ofgem boss Jonathan Brearley is available to listen to on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sounds.

Release date:

Duration:

3 minutes