What might your energy bill add up to?
Let’s put the rates and usage from your bill together. You can check electricity, gas or both, with standing charges included.
Energy direct debit calculator: is yours too high?
Quick-fill benchmark: Q4 2026 (1 Oct – 31 Dec 2026). Recorded verification date: 20 September 2026. Results are estimates based on the rates and usage entered.
What you enter and what the calculator does with it
- You enter annual consumption in kWh — not a monthly spending amount. kWh figures appear on your bill or in your online account, usually as an annual total.
- Rates are yours unless you quick-fill. The unit rate and standing charge fields are for your own tariff. The quick-fill button replaces them with reference rates: the Ofgem price-cap rates for the period shown on the button, averaged across England, Scotland and Wales, on a Direct Debit single-rate meter. Your region's capped rates differ.
- VAT is applied once. Price-cap rates already include VAT, so leave the VAT switch on. Turn it off only when your figures exclude VAT, in which case 5% is added once.
- If you do not know your usage, quick-fill uses Ofgem's Typical Domestic Consumption Values as a stand-in. That is an assumption about a typical household, not a measurement of yours.
- Single-rate tariffs only. Economy 7 and other time-of-use tariffs have separate day and night rates, which this calculator cannot represent accurately — use the Economy 7 calculator instead.
Rates include VAT (5%)
UK price-cap rates already include VAT. Turn this off only if you're entering ex-VAT figures — VAT is added once.
Effective 2026-10-01 to 2026-12-31. Checked 20/09/2026.
The Ofgem price cap limits unit rates and standing charges, not the total amount a household can pay. Your actual bill depends on your energy use, region, meter and payment method.
Enter valid values for the selected fuel(s) to see your estimated bill.
Optional product information · affiliate link
Tapo P110 Smart Plug (Energy Monitoring)
See exactly which appliances are quietly inflating your bill — track real-time watts, kWh and runtime from your phone.
- Real-time energy monitoring
- Cuts standby/vampire power
- Schedule appliances off-peak
Affiliate link — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, which keeps PowerGuardian free and independent.
A worked example
This example uses the same calculation as the tool above, with the Ofgem capped rates for 1 July – 30 September 2026 — verified rates, not illustrative ones — applied to Ofgem's typical consumption values. Your own figures will differ.
| Step | Electricity | Gas |
|---|---|---|
| Annual usage | 2,500 kWh | 9,500 kWh |
| Unit rate | 26.11p per kWh | 7.33p per kWh |
| Standing charge | 57.19p a day | 29.04p a day |
| Usage cost | £652.75 | £696.35 |
| Standing-charge cost (365 days) | £208.74 | £106.00 |
| Annual total per fuel | £861.49 | £802.35 |
| Combined annual total | £1,663.84 | |
The method
For each fuel: annual cost in pounds = (annual kWh × unit rate in pence per kWh + standing charge in pence per day × 365) ÷ 100. Gas and electricity are worked out separately and then added. Rates here include VAT, so no VAT is added again. Average monthly cost is the annual total ÷ 12.
These rates are the Great Britain averages Ofgem publishes for the period, on a Direct Debit single-rate meter. See the UK energy price outlook for the confirmed cap periods, their sources and what moves them. Forecast rates are never used in this calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Track your energy use
Independently chosen kit that helps UK households cut energy use.
Tapo P110 Smart Plug (Energy Monitoring)
See exactly which appliances are quietly inflating your bill — track real-time watts, kWh and runtime from your phone.
- Real-time energy monitoring
- Cuts standby/vampire power
- Schedule appliances off-peak
Estimated benefit: Shows what each appliance costs to run
Shop on AmazonAd – affiliate link. PowerGuardian may earn a commission from Amazon or another approved affiliate partner at no extra cost to you.
Home Energy Monitor (Whole-House)
Track your whole-home electricity use live and find where the kWh are going before the bill lands.
- Whole-house live usage
- Spot expensive habits fast
- App history & alerts
Estimated benefit: Shows where your electricity goes
Shop on AmazonAd – affiliate link. PowerGuardian may earn a commission from Amazon or another approved affiliate partner at no extra cost to you.
Affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This keeps PowerGuardian free and independent.
Compare Your Energy Costs
Use PowerGuardian to understand your energy costs before switching supplier or changing tariff.
View Energy Guides