Energy Bill Calculator
Estimate your annual gas and electricity costs from your usage.
Standing Charge Calculator
See how daily standing charges add up across the year.
Price Cap Guide
How the Ofgem energy price cap works and what it means for you.
Average UK Energy Bills
Typical UK gas and electricity bills by home size and usage.
Fixed vs Variable Tariffs
Compare fixed and variable tariffs to decide what suits you.
Why Energy Bills Change
The market forces behind rising and falling UK energy prices.
Price cap, unit rate and standing charge figures on this site come from one canonical record and update when Ofgem announces a new cap period. See the methodology behind these figures.
What do you need help with?
- Work out what my bill should beEnter your usage and current rates
- Understand the price capWhat the cap does and does not limit
- Check my standing chargesThe daily fee you pay before any energy
- Check my direct debitCompare payments with your estimated annual cost
- See prices where I liveCosts across the 14 GB distribution regions
- See where prices may goOur 12-month outlook, updated weekly
Energy bills and the price cap: the essentials
What actually makes up your bill
A domestic energy bill has two parts for each fuel: a unit rate charged for every kilowatt hour you use, and a standing charge applied every day whether you use energy or not. Ofgem's price cap limits the maximum unit rate and standing charge a supplier may charge on a default variable tariff — it does not cap your total bill. Use more energy and you pay more, cap or no cap.
Why 'typical' figures are only a reference point
Headline figures quoted in the news describe a typical household using Ofgem's TDCV benchmark consumption on direct debit. Your own annual cost depends on how much gas and electricity you use, your payment method and the distribution region you live in. That is why every PowerGuardian bill figure states the assumption behind it and links to a calculator you can run with your own numbers.
Forecasts versus official figures
Ofgem sets the cap quarterly and announces it in advance. Anything covering later periods is a projection, not an announcement. PowerGuardian labels official Ofgem figures and PowerGuardian estimates separately on every forecast page, and our forecast methodology explains the inputs behind the projection.
Where households most often overpay
The common causes are a direct debit set well above actual consumption, a default variable tariff left in place after a fixed deal ended, estimated readings that carry an error forward, and paying for a tariff structure that does not match how the household uses energy. Each of those has a dedicated guide and, where useful, a calculator in this cluster.
Guides in this topic
- Energy price cap explained — What the cap covers and how it is set.
- Standing charges explained — The daily charge, why it exists and how it varies.
- Will standing charges be reduced? — The reform options under discussion and what they could mean.
- Average gas bill UK — Typical annual gas costs by household size.
- How much should energy cost? — A benchmark for what a household should be paying.
- Are energy bills too high? — How current UK bills compare with previous years.
- How to read your energy bill — Every line on a UK bill in plain English.
- Direct debit vs paying on receipt — How the cap treats each payment method.
- How suppliers calculate monthly payments — The formula behind a smoothed monthly direct debit.
- Prepayment meter costs — Prepayment rates and how they compare.
- Economy 7 explained — Whether a two-rate tariff suits your usage pattern.
- When will energy prices drop? — What would have to change for prices to fall.
Calculators for this topic
- Energy bill calculator — Estimate annual gas and electricity costs from your usage.
- Standing charge calculator — See what daily charges add up to over a year.
- Appliance running cost calculator — Cost per hour, day and year for any appliance.
- Economy 7 calculator — Compare a two-rate tariff with a single rate.
- Direct debit reasonableness calculator — Check whether your monthly payment is justified.
- Rip-off detector — A quick check of whether you are overpaying.
PowerGuardian research and data
- Standing Charges Report 2026 — PowerGuardian research on standing charge levels.
- Regional Energy Cost Report 2026 — Regional differences in household energy costs.
- UK Energy Market Report 2026 — Market conditions shaping household prices.
- Regional energy prices — Costs across the 14 GB electricity distribution regions.
- 12-month energy price outlook — Our rolling outlook for household prices.
- Price cap predictions — Projected cap levels with the assumptions stated.
- UK energy price forecast 2026 (calendar-year detail) — Calendar-year detail behind the 12-month outlook.
- Gas and electricity trends — Live wholesale and retail price trends.
Official sources
- Ofgem — energy price cap — The announced cap levels and the periods they apply to.
- Citizens Advice — help with energy bills — Independent consumer help on bills and supplier problems.
Your next step
Enter your own usage and rates to see what your gas and electricity should cost.
Run the energy bill calculatorCommon questions on this topic
Last reviewed 13 August 2026
Written and maintained by the PowerGuardian Consumer Desk. The consumer desk turns market data into practical decisions for UK bill payers — when to fix, when to switch, and how to spot tariffs that look cheap but aren't. Guidance is independent: we take no commission from energy suppliers for it.
PowerGuardian publishes independent guidance for UK households. We do not provide regulated legal or financial advice. Read our editorial policy.
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