The head of SSE is calling on Energy Secretary Amber Rudd to impose a single standard charge for transporting electricity in the UK.

Chief Executive Alistair Phillips-Davies is urging her department to work towards a “simpler and fairer energy market”.

In a letter to Ms Rudd, he said: “The companies operating the electricity networks in areas including the North of Scotland and North Wales face larger costs per customer because of a number of factors, including the land mass they cover, the diverse terrain and remote housing.

“The energy suppliers operating in these regions pay the charges to the network companies, which leads to regional price differences for customers, depending on where they live.”

Mr Phillips-Davies believes the variations in network costs across the UK cause customer confusion, especially in the domestic market.

He adds: “We think the benefits of a move to ‘national pricing’ with the electricity transportation costs flattened out to one standard charge for every customer across Great Britain are worth considering.”

ELN has contacted DECC for a comment.