Back to News
    Regulation
    Neutral
    4 July 2026

    Gas and electricity standing charge: July 2026

    Gas and electricity standing charge: July 2026

    Article Summary

    Key point
    Ofgem may introduce low or no standing charge tariffs by July 2026. This could lead to higher unit rates for gas and electricity, impacting how consumers pay for their energy.
    Why it matters
    No immediate change to household bills, but worth watching.
    Expected impact
    Mixed / neutral impact — A structural or regulatory development to monitor.

    Ofgem may introduce low or no standing charge tariffs by July 2026. This could lead to higher unit rates for gas and electricity, impacting how consumers pay for their energy.

    What This Means

    While a zero standing charge sounds appealing, it's crucial to understand the trade-off. Higher unit rates mean those who use more energy will likely see their bills increase significantly. We advise consumers to monitor these developments closely and consider how their consumption patterns might be affected. This shift could disproportionately impact larger households or those with less efficient homes, potentially negating any perceived benefit.

    • Consumers: No immediate change to household bills, but worth watching.
    • Businesses: Limited direct cost impact for businesses for now.
    • Energy market: A structural or regulatory development to monitor.

    From The Source

    Uswitch · 4 July 2026

    This summary and analysis is based on reporting from Uswitch. Read the full original article on their website.

    Read on Uswitch

    Related Guides

    Go deeper on the topics in this story.

    Related Calculators

    Put the numbers to work for your own home.

    Join The Free UK Energy Briefing

    Receive weekly updates on energy prices, supplier changes, standing charges, power cuts and major UK energy developments.

    No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Compare Related Suppliers

    How the suppliers in this story score on our intelligence dashboard.

    British Gas

    Declining
    55/100 PowerGuardian Score

    The UK's largest supplier remains financially rock-solid but service and complaint metrics continue to lag the market, with sma…

    Compare Supplier

    EDF Energy

    Stable
    70/100 PowerGuardian Score

    EDF is a steady, financially robust supplier with mid-table service and fair fixed-tariff renewals.

    Compare Supplier

    Octopus Energy

    Improving
    86/100 PowerGuardian Score

    Octopus continues to lead the UK market on customer service and complaint handling, backed by genuinely competitive smart tarif…

    Compare Supplier

    We value your privacy

    We use essential cookies to make the site work. We'd also like to use analytics cookies to understand how you use our site — including which product recommendations and affiliate links you click — so we can improve it. These only run if you accept. Read our Privacy Policy for more details.