Labour accused of ‘rank hypocrisy’ over pledge to cut energy bills
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The SNP has accused Labour of “rank hypocrisy” over its pledge to reduce energy bills while parts of Scotland still face “shocking and vastly outdated” grid charges. The SNP said while Scotland generates around 15.5% of the UK’s electricity – nearly double its population share of 8.2% – Scots continue to pay “some of the highest energy bills in Europe”.
Tariff prices remain the same across the UK but standing charges vary by region. The SNP said the policy unfairly penalises Scotland, which produces a disproportionate amount of energy but pays higher standing charges compared to areas such as the South East of England where power production is not as strong.
Standing charges in the Scottish Hydro network area, which covers the Highlands and islands, increased by 113.7% between 2021 and 2023, although Ofgem said standing charges for customers who pay by direct debit across the UK have also more than doubled over that time.
The current single rate daily standing charge is 61.97p a day for northern Scotland and 64.17p for southern Scotland. London and the South East have lower costs at 41.57p and 57.84p respectively, but areas such as the northern region of England pay a much higher charge at 72p per day, while Yorkshire’s standing charge is 68.27 a day.
Amid its calls for a shake-up to the rules around standing charges, the SNP has also attacked Labour over its pledge to reduce energy bills. During the general election campaign, the party said it would reduce annual household power bills by £300 by 2030.
