John Healey to end standing charges on gas bills for 23m homes

• Chancellor John Healey is abolishing standing charges on gas bills for 23 million homes, calling them unfair and outdated. • He will ask Ofgem to remove the fixed daily fee - typically £108 a year - in 2027 or as soon as possible afterwards. • The Treasury says the move could save 60% of account-holding households an average of £45 a year. • The announcement comes ahead of Healey's first budget statement to the Commons on Wednesday.