About the UK Energy Price Cap Calculator
This UK energy price cap calculator estimates what you will pay for gas and electricity on a standard variable (default) tariff between 1 October and 31 December 2026. Choose your region and how you pay, enter your yearly electricity and gas use in kWh, and it applies the Ofgem price cap unit rates and daily standing charges to give an annual bill, a monthly average and a split between energy used and standing charges.
Use it to check whether a fixed deal beats the cap, to budget your monthly Direct Debit, or to see how much cutting your usage would save. Ofgem’s headline figure of £1,723 a year is for a typical dual-fuel Direct Debit household using 2,500 kWh of electricity and 9,500 kWh of gas — the 2026 typical domestic consumption values that this calculator uses as defaults. Your own kWh figures are on your bill or in your supplier app.
The cap limits the unit rate and standing charge, not your total bill. Rates are derived from Ofgem’s published cap tables for period 17a and include VAT: electricity carries no VAT from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, while gas still carries 5%. Figures cover single-rate meters in England, Scotland and Wales; Northern Ireland is not covered by the cap, and suppliers’ exact rates can differ by a fraction of a penny.
With the default inputs, the estimated yearly bill is £1,723.61. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the uk energy price cap calculator
- 1Pick your region (or keep the GB average) and how you pay.
- 2Choose dual fuel or electricity only.
- 3Enter your yearly electricity and gas use in kWh from your bill or app.
- 4Read the yearly bill, monthly average and split between usage and standing charges.
Formula and method
Ofgem sets a maximum annual charge for each region and payment method at zero use (the standing charge) and at a benchmark consumption of 2,500 kWh for electricity and 9,500 kWh for gas. The unit rate is the difference between those two figures divided by the benchmark kWh, and the daily standing charge is the zero-use figure divided by 365. VAT is then added — 0% on electricity and 5% on gas for October 2026 to March 2027 — and rates are rounded to two decimal places of a penny.
The GB average is the simple average of the 14 regions, which reproduces Ofgem’s published average Direct Debit rates of 26.32p/kWh and 54.83p/day for electricity and 7.97p/kWh and 29.68p/day for gas. Your bill is then your yearly kWh multiplied by the unit rate plus 365 days of standing charges for each fuel.
- unit
- Capped unit rate in pence per kWh (incl. VAT)
- standing
- Capped daily standing charge in pence per day (incl. VAT)
- kWh
- Your yearly consumption of each fuel
Worked examples
Typical dual-fuel home on Direct Debit
2,500 kWh × 26.32p = £658.00 plus 365 × 54.83p = £200.13 for electricity, and 9,500 kWh × 7.97p = £757.15 plus 365 × 29.68p = £108.33 for gas. The total of about £1,724 matches Ofgem’s headline cap of £1,723 for a typical household.
Prepayment meter, GB average
Prepayment unit rates are lower (25.52p/kWh electricity, 7.70p/kWh gas) with the same standing charges, so the typical bill is about £1,678, matching Ofgem’s prepayment cap.
All-electric flat in London
London’s capped electricity rate is 26.60p/kWh with a 42.92p daily standing charge. Using 4,200 kWh a year costs £1,117.20 plus £156.66 in standing charges — about £1,274, or £106 a month.
Frequently asked questions
What is the energy price cap from October 2026?+
From 1 October to 31 December 2026 the cap for a typical dual-fuel household paying by Direct Debit is £1,723 a year, up 4% on the previous quarter. Average rates are 26.32p/kWh and 54.83p/day for electricity, and 7.97p/kWh and 29.68p/day for gas.
Does the price cap limit my total bill?+
No. The cap limits the unit rate and daily standing charge a supplier can charge on a standard variable tariff. The £1,723 figure is only an illustration for typical use; if you use more energy you pay more.
Why is there no VAT on electricity?+
The government removed VAT from household electricity bills from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, so capped electricity rates include 0% VAT. Gas still carries the usual 5% domestic VAT, which is included in the gas rates shown.
What is typical energy use in the UK?+
Ofgem’s 2026 typical domestic consumption values are 2,500 kWh of electricity and 9,500 kWh of gas a year for a medium user, and 3,400 kWh for households with an Economy 7 or other multi-rate meter.
Why does my region change the price?+
Standing charges and unit rates differ by region because network costs, the number of customers and average consumption vary. Merseyside and North Wales has the highest electricity standing charge and London one of the lowest.
How often does the price cap change?+
Ofgem reviews the cap every three months, for January–March, April–June, July–September and October–December, and announces each new level about five weeks before it takes effect.