Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Standing Charges) Bill 2026

Public bill · Private Member · Introduced

The Bill would give the Commission for Regulation of Utilities the power to examine and regulate standing charges on gas and electricity bills. It aims to make sure those charges only cover the fixed costs of providing and maintaining supply, not extra profit, and would let the CRU require companies to lower charges that are too high and approve any planned increases in advance. This matters because standing charges are currently unregulated, so households have little protection from unjustified increases.

Formal long title

Bill entitled an Act to amend the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 to give the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) the legislative remit required to effectively monitor and regulate standing charges on electricity and gas bills, and to provide for related matters.

Last updated 6 March 2026