17. Mr. loan Evansasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will introduce legislation to exempt 251W retirement pensioners and those receiving any social security benefit from payment of standing charges for electricity and gas in cases where a certain amount of either fuel is consumed.
§ Mr. GrayThe standing charge on the normal tariff for quarterly-billed consumers is £7–£8 per quarter for gas and £5.10–£7 per quarter for electricity. On average, the standing charges account for l2 per cent. of electricity bills and 17 per cent. of gas bills.
As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security said in the debate two weeks ago, we are taking another look at the effect of standing charges on low income consumers.