Patrick Hurley has secured a commitment from an energy minister to write to Ofgem about the effect of regional electricity network charges on business competitiveness.
The Labour MP for Southport raised the issue after investigating differences in domestic standing charges. He said the same charging system might also impose higher fixed costs on businesses in Merseyside and north Wales.
Hurley asked for the regulator to examine the business impact alongside household bills, bringing a regional competitiveness argument into an existing debate about how network costs are recovered.
Energy minister Blair McDougall agreed to write to Ofgem and to share the regulator's response with Hurley.
McDougall said Ofgem's cost allocation and recovery review was already considering how costs should be recovered from consumers, including the arrangements for network charges.
The undertaking starts a formal exchange with the regulator but does not predetermine the review or promise lower charges. Any change would require further regulatory or government action after Ofgem's analysis.
