The energy price cap now
From 1 October to 31 December 2026, the cap for a typical household paying by Direct Debit works out at about£1,723 a year. It changes next on 1 January 2027.
| Unit rate | Standing charge | |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity | 26.32p per kWh | 54.83p a day |
| Gas | 7.97p per kWh | 29.68p a day |
- These are national averages for Direct Debit. Your region's rates differ: see Ofgem's regional table.
- Ofgem notes that electricity carries no VAT from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, so comparisons with earlier periods can mislead.
- The cap limits unit rates and standing charges on standard variable tariffs. It is not a cap on your total bill.
See the rates for your region on Ofgem's site.
What you can do about it
- Check you're not paying over the odds. If you're on a standard variable tariff you pay the capped rates. A fixed deal can be cheaper or dearer: compare the unit rate and standing charge, not just the monthly figure.
- Make some of your own. Plug-in solar is now legal in Great Britain and can trim a bill in the sunny months. How plug-in solar works and what it saves.
- Use less at the expensive times if you're on a time-of-use tariff, and run big appliances when rates are lowest.
Source: Ofgem energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Checked 3 November 2026.