Reviewed by Mustafa Bilgic
Founder, WebCalculator
Unit rates and standing charges are from the Ofgem Q3 2026 price cap announcement (July–September 2026). Rates change quarterly. Not financial advice.
The energy bill calculator estimates your UK gas and electricity costs using the Ofgem Q3 2026 price cap rates. The typical household bill is now £1,862 a year. Enter your actual usage in kWh to see a personalised estimate for your monthly and annual energy costs.
Ofgem Q3 2026 cap rates
Ofgem sets the price cap every quarter. It limits the per-unit rate and standing charge that suppliers can apply to default tariffs. The Q3 2026 cap (July to September) sets a typical dual-fuel bill at £1,862 a year, up from £1,641 in Q2 — a 13.5% increase driven by higher wholesale gas prices.
| Unit rate | Standing charge/day | |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity | 26.11p/kWh | 57.19p |
| Gas | 7.33p/kWh | 29.04p |
Domestic energy is subject to 5% VAT (not the standard 20%). The calculator includes this.
| Household | Elec (kWh/yr) | Gas (kWh/yr) | Est. bill/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bed flat | 1,800 | 7,500 | £1,410 |
| 2-bed house | 2,700 | 11,500 | £1,862 |
| 3-bed house | 3,600 | 14,000 | £2,241 |
| 4-bed house | 4,600 | 17,000 | £2,706 |
The Ofgem Q3 2026 price cap (July to September) sets a typical dual-fuel household bill at £1,862 a year on direct debit. Electricity is capped at 26.11p per kWh with a 57.19p daily standing charge. Gas is capped at 7.33p per kWh with a 29.04p daily standing charge.
Ofgem's typical domestic consumption values are 2,700 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas per year. Actual usage varies widely by household size, insulation, heating type and habits.
No. The price cap limits the unit rate and standing charge your supplier can set on a default tariff. If you use more energy than the typical household, your bill will be higher than the cap headline figure. If you use less, it will be lower.
Ofgem updates the price cap every quarter — in January, April, July and October. Each cap level reflects wholesale energy costs, network charges, policy costs and a supplier margin for the coming three months.
Yes. Fixed-rate deals from energy suppliers are sometimes below the cap. Compare tariffs on Ofgem-accredited comparison sites. The cap only applies to your supplier's default or standard variable tariff.
The standing charge is a fixed daily fee that covers the cost of supplying energy to your home — grid maintenance, meter reading and government levies. You pay it every day whether or not you use any energy. For Q3 2026 it is 57.19p a day for electricity and 29.04p a day for gas.