Energy price cap calculator

Ofgem cap, 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026. Last checked 21 October 2026.

The Ofgem price cap for a typical household paying by direct debit is £1,723 a year from 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026. That is up £60 (3.6%) on the previous period. VAT on electricity is 0%, down from 5% in this period, so the two periods are not like for like.

Choose your region and how you pay, enter your usage, and you'll see what that usage costs a year at the capped rates. The cap limits the price per unit of energy and the daily standing charge. It does not limit your total bill.

Your details

Region

Your region follows your postcode, and your supplier can confirm it. The cap differs slightly across the 14 regions of Great Britain. If you're unsure, choose "Great Britain average".

How you pay Direct debit Standard credit (pay on receipt of bill) Prepayment meter

The cap is set separately for each.

Typical usage Low 1,600 kWh electricity, 6,000 kWh gas Medium (Ofgem's typical household) 2,500 kWh electricity, 9,500 kWh gas High 3,800 kWh electricity, 14,000 kWh gas Enter my own figures

Ofgem uses these three sizes as guides. Your bill or supplier app shows your real usage over the last year, which will be more accurate.

Electricity used in a year (kWh)

Find it on your bill or in your supplier's app. Use the figure for a full 12 months, not a single month.

Gas used in a year (kWh)

Gas is often shown in cubic metres or units on the meter. Your bill gives the figure in kWh.

I don't use gas at home

Your annual cost on the cap

£1,723 a year

Great Britain average, Direct debit, from 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026

Fuel	Unit rate	Standing charge	Cost for a year
Electricity	26.32 p/kWh	54.83 p/day	£858.212,500 kWh: £658.06 365 days: £200.15
Gas	7.97 p/kWh	29.68 p/day	£865.159,500 kWh: £756.81 365 days: £108.34
Total	£1,723.36

Cost = (kWh × unit rate) + (365 days × standing charge) for each fuel, using the rates Ofgem publishes for your region and payment method. VAT is included as in Ofgem's figures: 5% on gas and 0% on electricity in this period. Rates are rounded to two decimal places here, but the costs use Ofgem's unrounded figures, so a hand check can differ by a few pence. The electricity rates are for single-rate meters; Economy 7 and other multi-rate meters have their own rates, which this calculator does not cover.

Change since the last period

Up £60 a year, or 3.6%, compared with 1 July 2026 to 30 September 2026, for the same usage.

VAT on electricity is 0%, down from 5% in this period, so the two periods are not like for like.

This is the cost of your usage at the capped rates. Your actual bill depends on your real usage, and on whether you are on a default tariff at all. Fixed tariffs are not capped.

The calculator needs JavaScript to work out your cost. The current rates are published by Ofgem: Ofgem unit rates and standing charges.

Ofgem reviews the cap every three months. The next announcement is expected on or around 25 November 2026, for rates starting 1 January 2027. Ofgem has not confirmed that date on its own pages as far as we can see, so treat it as an expectation. We'll update the figures once Ofgem publishes them.

Last checked: 21 October 2026 against Ofgem's published default tariff cap levels.
Source: Ofgem: energy price cap default tariff levels
Also: Ofgem: unit rates and standing charges

Questions about the price cap

What is the energy price cap?

It's a limit set by Ofgem, the energy regulator, on the price per unit of gas and electricity and on the daily standing charge that suppliers can charge on default tariffs in Great Britain. Ofgem reviews it every three months.

Does the cap limit my total bill?

No. It limits the rates, not the amount. If you use more energy, you pay more at the same rates. The headline figure, £1,723 for the current period, is for a typical household's usage, and is not a ceiling on what any home pays.

Who does it apply to?

Households in England, Scotland and Wales on a default tariff, often called a standard variable tariff. It doesn't apply to fixed-price deals, and it doesn't cover Northern Ireland, which has a separate energy market. Business customers are not covered.

Why do the rates differ by region and payment method?

Ofgem sets the cap separately for each region of Great Britain and each way of paying, because the cost of supplying energy and of handling payments differs. That is why this calculator asks for both.

Is this the price I'll pay, and where do your figures come from?

It's the cap applied to the usage you enter, with rates taken from Ofgem's published tables. Your supplier's bill may differ for reasons we can't see, for example a different tariff, a different period, or charges for a smart meter or debt repayment. The source and the date we last checked it are shown on this page.

Cap rates by region

Unit rates and daily standing charges for 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026, worked out from Ofgem's tables for single-rate electricity and gas. They include 5% VAT on gas and 0% VAT on electricity.

Direct debit

Direct debit: unit rates in p/kWh and standing charges in p/day, 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026
Region	Electricity unit rate	Electricity standing charge	Gas unit rate	Gas standing charge
North Western England	26.49	45.68	7.86	29.81
North Eastern England	25.46	61.58	7.92	29.79
Yorkshire	25.60	61.67	7.90	29.77
Northern Scotland	26.35	55.14	7.87	29.87
Southern England	26.47	47.81	8.17	29.16
Southern Scotland	26.11	61.41	7.87	29.89
Merseyside and Northern Wales	27.86	67.66	7.91	30.08
London	26.60	42.92	8.15	30.20
South Eastern England	26.88	52.32	8.05	29.26
Eastern England	26.61	51.84	7.91	29.34
East Midlands	25.36	51.45	7.82	29.41
West Midlands	25.60	57.23	7.90	29.71
South Western England	26.58	55.58	8.12	29.31
Southern Wales	26.55	55.41	8.09	29.96
Great Britain average	26.32	54.83	7.97	29.68

Standard credit

Standard credit: unit rates in p/kWh and standing charges in p/day, 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026
Region	Electricity unit rate	Electricity standing charge	Gas unit rate	Gas standing charge
North Western England	27.98	53.73	8.29	37.50
North Eastern England	26.89	70.61	8.35	37.50
Yorkshire	27.05	70.67	8.32	37.50
Northern Scotland	27.83	63.67	8.29	37.50
Southern England	27.95	56.41	8.61	37.48
Southern Scotland	27.58	70.19	8.29	37.50
Merseyside and Northern Wales	29.43	76.72	8.33	37.50
London	28.09	50.51	8.58	37.49
South Eastern England	28.39	61.19	8.48	37.49
Eastern England	28.11	60.62	8.34	37.50
East Midlands	26.78	60.05	8.24	37.50
West Midlands	27.04	65.99	8.33	37.50
South Western England	28.08	64.55	8.55	37.49
Southern Wales	28.05	63.93	8.52	37.49
Great Britain average	27.80	63.49	8.39	37.49

Prepayment meter

Prepayment meter: unit rates in p/kWh and standing charges in p/day, 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026
Region	Electricity unit rate	Electricity standing charge	Gas unit rate	Gas standing charge
North Western England	25.68	45.68	7.58	29.81
North Eastern England	24.68	61.58	7.66	29.79
Yorkshire	24.82	61.67	7.61	29.77
Northern Scotland	25.54	55.14	7.57	29.87
Southern England	25.66	47.81	7.94	29.16
Southern Scotland	25.31	61.41	7.57	29.89
Merseyside and Northern Wales	27.01	67.66	7.62	30.08
London	25.78	42.92	7.90	30.20
South Eastern England	26.06	52.32	7.78	29.26
Eastern England	25.80	51.84	7.68	29.34
East Midlands	24.58	51.45	7.54	29.41
West Midlands	24.82	57.23	7.64	29.71
South Western England	25.77	55.58	7.89	29.31
Southern Wales	25.74	55.41	7.80	29.96
Great Britain average	25.52	54.83	7.70	29.68