Martin Lewis has called for the standing charge on energy across the UK to be slashed. The fixed amount which customers must pay on top of the units of energy used - which currently sits at £300 annually - must be paid regardless of gas and electricity consumption.
Which in-turn means that even if you use no energy whatsoever for a full year, and your usage amounts to £0 - you'll still need to pay the basic standing charge regardless. These charges are used to pay for things like energy grid upkeep, and the amount varies depending on your location of residence across the UK.
Money Saving Expert founder Martin has previously called for the charge to be slashed, labelling it a 'moral hazard' which 'disempowered' hard-working bill payers across the board. Taking to Twitter, the financial guru, wrote: "The high energy standing (daily) charges are a moral hazard and should be reduced. It is outrageous that people have to pay £300/yr just for the facility of having gas & electricity even if they use none."
