Seems we are topping the charts, when it comes to monthly energy bills, with West of England households paying the most in electricity “standing” charges in the whole country.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris said he was urging the Government to step in after research showed those living in our region were forking out more on the charge on monthly energy bills than other regions. A situation Mr Norris called “wholly unjust”.
According to the BBC, the amount people in the West are paying in electricity standing charges has now risen to 49p a day – up 101% since April – the highest daily charge in the whole country. In contrast, in London, people are paying just 31p a day.
Standing charges are a daily fee for electricity added to your bill regardless of how much energy you use. In a letter to the Government, Mayor Norris said the charge was hitting poorer West of England households hardest and that the “standing charge postcode lottery” must urgently be addressed.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “Households everywhere have seen a big increase in electricity standing charges, but it seems we in the West of England have drawn the short straw and are paying even more. That is not fair – in fact, it is wholly unjust.
West of Englanders were struggling enough without this extra inflated charge. Now they face a standing charge postcode lottery which is placing severe financial pressure on them during the worst cost-of-living crisis on record. It’s also having a disproportionate and significant impact on poorer households.
Enough is enough. Ministers must step in to level the playing field at once. It should never be the case that people in the West of England have to pay even more based simply on where we live. I urge the Government to reverse this huge injustice and end this energy postcode lottery once and for all”.
Below is the price per day for a single rate electricity meter by region (high to low)
- South Western: 49p a day
- North Scotland: 48p a day
- Southern Scotland: 47p a day
- South Wales: 46p a day
- Midlands: 46p a day
- Northern: 46p a day
- Yorkshire: 46p a day
- North Wales & Merseyside: 45p a day
- East Midlands: 43p a day
- Southern: 41p a day
- South East: 40p a day
- North West: 40p a day
- Eastern: 36p a day
- London: 31p a day
