Energy price cap calculator: your bill now and from 1 October 2026
The cap is not one number. Ofgem sets a different unit rate and standing charge for each of the fourteen regions, for each way of paying and each meter type. Put in your usage and see what the cap actually means for your home: today, from 1 October, and the January 2027 forecast.
- Ofgem’s own regional rates, not a national average
- Direct Debit, prepayment and pay-when-billed; single-rate and Economy 7
- Your annual and monthly bill, the change on 1 October, and what a fixed deal has to beat
Rates read from Ofgem’s published tables; the page updates when Ofgem sets the next cap. Typical-household headline: £1,663 now, £1,723 from 1 October 2026.
Your bill under the price cap
Enter your annual usage and where you live. The figures are Ofgem's own capped unit rates and standing charges for your region, so this is what a standard variable tariff costs you now and from 1 October 2026 - not a national average.
Ofgem's typical household uses 2,500 kWh of electricity and 9,500 kWh of gas a year; your own figures are on your bill or in your supplier's app. Not sure of your region? It is the electricity distribution area on your bill; London, Southern England and Eastern England cover most of the south-east.
| Your breakdown | Now | From 1 Oct |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity unit rate | 26.11p | 26.32p per kWh |
| Electricity standing charge | 57.19p | 54.83p per day |
| Gas unit rate | 7.33p | 7.97p per kWh |
| Gas standing charge | 29.04p | 29.68p per day |
| Electricity for the year | £861.49 | £858.13 |
| Gas for the year | £802.35 | £865.48 |
| Total for the year | £1,663.84 | £1,723.61 |
From 1 October 2026 domestic electricity carries no VAT (the government's 21 July decision); Ofgem's October rates above already reflect that. Gas still carries 5% VAT. A standing charge is paid every day whether or not you use energy.
Every region at your usage
Standing charges differ by region because network costs do; unit rates move less. Direct Debit, single-rate electricity, from 1 October 2026 unless you change the options above.
| Region | Elec unit rate | Elec standing charge | Gas unit rate | Gas standing charge | Year from 1 Oct | vs now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 25.36p | 51.45p | 7.82p | 29.41p | £1,672.04 | +£61 |
| Eastern England | 26.61p | 51.84p | 7.91p | 29.34p | £1,713.01 | +£62 |
| London | 26.60p | 42.92p | 8.15p | 30.20p | £1,706.14 | +£64 |
| Merseyside and Northern Wales | 27.86p | 67.66p | 7.91p | 30.08p | £1,804.70 | +£56 |
| North Eastern England | 25.46p | 61.58p | 7.92p | 29.79p | £1,722.40 | +£59 |
| North Western England | 26.49p | 45.68p | 7.86p | 29.81p | £1,684.49 | +£63 |
| Northern Scotland | 26.35p | 55.14p | 7.87p | 29.87p | £1,716.69 | +£53 |
| South Eastern England | 26.88p | 52.32p | 8.05p | 29.26p | £1,734.52 | +£62 |
| South Western England | 26.58p | 55.58p | 8.12p | 29.31p | £1,745.75 | +£59 |
| Southern England | 26.47p | 47.81p | 8.17p | 29.16p | £1,718.84 | +£57 |
| Southern Scotland | 26.11p | 61.41p | 7.87p | 29.89p | £1,733.64 | +£60 |
| Southern Wales | 26.55p | 55.41p | 8.09p | 29.96p | £1,743.90 | +£63 |
| West Midlands | 25.60p | 57.23p | 7.90p | 29.71p | £1,707.83 | +£60 |
| Yorkshire | 25.60p | 61.67p | 7.90p | 29.77p | £1,724.26 | +£60 |
Rates: Ofgem, energy price cap unit rates and standing charges by region, read 22 September 2026 (1 July to 30 September 2026 and 1 October to 31 December 2026; Ofgem publishes no gas table for standard credit, so that option uses Direct Debit gas rates). January figure: Cornwall Insight forecast, 26 August 2026. Bills are unit rate x kWh plus 365 days of standing charge, before any supplier discounts.
What changes on 1 October 2026
Ofgem confirmed the October to December cap on 26 August 2026. For a typical dual-fuel household paying by Direct Debit it is £1,723 a year, up from £1,663. Underneath the headline, the national average rates move like this:
- Electricity: 26.11p per kWh becomes 26.32p; the standing charge 57.19p a day becomes 54.83p. The unit rate barely moves because VAT on domestic electricity drops to zero on the same day.
- Gas: 7.33p per kWh becomes 7.97p; the standing charge 29.04p a day becomes 29.68p. Gas keeps 5% VAT, so gas-heavy homes feel the rise most.
- Your region: standing charges range by more than 20p a day between regions. The table in the calculator shows every region at your usage.
The cap applies only to standard variable tariffs. If you are on a fixed deal, your rates do not change on 1 October; what changes is the price you would roll onto when the fix ends.
How this calculator works
- Rates: Ofgem publishes the capped unit rate and daily standing charge for each of the fourteen electricity distribution regions, for Direct Debit, prepayment and standard credit, and for single-rate and multi-rate (Economy 7) electricity meters. We read those tables directly; the figures on this page are Ofgem’s, to the penny.
- Your bill: unit rate multiplied by your annual kWh, plus 365 days of standing charge, for each fuel. That is the same arithmetic your supplier uses for a standard variable tariff, before any discounts.
- Now versus 1 October: the same usage priced at the current period’s rates and at the October period’s rates, so the change is the cap change alone.
- January 2027: Ofgem has not set it yet. We apply Cornwall Insight’s published forecast for a typical household to your October figure as a percentage, and label it as a forecast.
- What a fix has to beat: your October figure. A fixed tariff cheaper than that for your usage saves money against the cap; our comparison prices the fixed deals at your postcode on the usage you enter here.
Limits: Ofgem’s multi-rate figure is one blended unit rate, so an Economy 7 home with an unusual day/night split will differ a little. Ofgem publishes no gas table for standard credit, so that option uses the Direct Debit gas rates. Northern Ireland has its own regulator and is not covered by the cap.
FAQs
What is the energy price cap?
Ofgem’s price cap limits the unit rate and daily standing charge a supplier can charge on a standard variable (default) tariff in England, Scotland and Wales. It is reset every three months. The headline figure you see in the news is what a typical household would pay for a year at those rates, so your own bill depends on how much energy you use and where you live.
Why is my region’s standing charge different?
Part of the standing charge pays for the local electricity and gas networks, and those costs differ by distribution area, so Ofgem sets a different capped standing charge for each of the fourteen regions. Unit rates vary by region too, but by much less. The calculator uses Ofgem’s published figure for the region you pick.
Does the electricity VAT change affect the figures?
Yes. From 1 October 2026 domestic electricity carries no VAT, while gas keeps 5%. Ofgem’s October rates already reflect that, which is why the electricity unit rate barely moves even though the underlying cost rose. The calculator uses Ofgem’s published rates for each period as they are.
Is the January 2027 figure the real cap?
No. Ofgem announces the January to March 2027 cap in late November 2026. The January figure here applies Cornwall Insight’s published forecast (£1,872 a year for a typical household, published 26 August 2026) to your usage as a percentage change on the October figure. Treat it as a guide to the direction, not a price.
Should I fix my energy prices?
A fixed deal that costs less than your October figure for your usage beats the cap, and it also protects you if the cap rises again in January. Check the exit fee and the contract length, and compare the whole bill, including the standing charge, not just the unit rate. Our comparison prices every tariff available at your postcode on your own usage.
Sources and updates
- Ofgem: energy price cap unit rates and standing charges by region (the rate tables this calculator uses)
- Ofgem: energy price cap will rise 4% from October 2026 (26 August 2026)
- Cornwall Insight: predictions and insights into the default tariff cap (January 2027 forecast, 26 August 2026)
Ofgem announces each quarter’s cap about five weeks before it starts; the next announcement, for January to March 2027, is due in late November 2026. We update the rates the day they are published. Related: the January 2027 forecast in detail and the lowest standing charges by supplier.
Compare fixed deals on your usage
Back to Energy Comparison