What is a standing charge on an energy bill?

A standing charge is a fixed daily fee you pay your energy supplier — even if you use zero kWh. It covers the cost of keeping your home connected to the gas and electricity networks, plus policy and metering costs.

How much are UK standing charges in 2026?

Combined gas and electricity standing charges typically add £300–£340 to your annual bill before any energy is used. Exact rates vary by region and supplier and are capped by Ofgem on default tariffs.

Can I get an energy tariff with no standing charge?

Yes. A small number of suppliers offer zero standing charge tariffs, typically with higher unit rates. These usually only beat standard tariffs for very low-use households (e.g. holiday homes or single-person flats).

Why have standing charges gone up so much?

Standing charges rose sharply to cover the cost of supplier failures during the 2021–22 energy crisis (under the SOLR scheme), plus rising network maintenance, smart meter rollout and government policy costs.

Standing Charges Explained

Standing charges are a fixed daily fee you pay your energy supplier — even if you use zero kWh. They cover the cost of keeping your home connected to the gas and electricity networks.

Combined gas + electricity standing charges typically add £300–£340 to your annual bill before you've used a single unit.

What standing charges cover

Maintaining gas and electricity networks.
Meter reading and metering infrastructure.
Government policy costs (renewables, social schemes).
Costs of failed-supplier rescue schemes (SOLR).

How to reduce their impact

Look for tariffs with low standing charges (some are zero).
Avoid having two meters/accounts where one will do.
For very low-use households, a no-standing-charge tariff usually wins.

Find low standing-charge deals