Average energy bill in the UK (2026)
Last updated: 9 July 2026
The typical UK household pays about £1862 a year for gas and electricity under the July 2026 Ofgem price cap, up from £1641 before 1 July. That works out at roughly £18 more a month. What you pay depends on how much energy you use, which mostly comes down to the size of your home and how you heat it.
The short version
- Typical annual bill: £1862 for a dual-fuel home (was £1641).
- A typical 3-bed home uses about 4,200 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas a year.
- Unit rates under the cap: 26.11p per kWh for electricity, 7.33p for gas.
What the typical bill looks like
The £1862 figure is Ofgem’s benchmark for a household with typical consumption, paying by direct debit. It is not a cap on your total bill, but a guide to what an average home spends. A single person in a flat pays a good deal less; a large family in a four-bedroom house pays more.
The July 2026 rise added around £18 a month to that typical bill. Most of the increase landed on gas, so how you heat your home makes a big difference to how much the change cost you.
Average energy use by home size
Usage is the biggest reason two bills differ. These are typical annual figures by property size. The typical-bill figure above is based on Ofgem’s standard consumption basket, so it won’t line up exactly with any single row here.
| Home size | Electricity (kWh/yr) | Gas (kWh/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bed flat | 2,700 | 7,500 |
| 2-bed | 3,500 | 7,500 |
| 3-bed (UK average) | 4,200 | 11,500 |
| 4-bed+ | 5,500 | 17,000 |
Source: Ofgem typical domestic consumption values, adapted by BillLuma. Gas use depends heavily on home size and insulation.
The rates behind the bill
Your bill is your usage multiplied by these unit rates, plus a fixed daily standing charge for each fuel. Multiply your own annual kWh by the unit rate to estimate your energy cost.
| Fuel | Unit rate (p/kWh) | Standing charge (p/day) |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity | 26.11p | 57.19p |
| Gas | 7.33p | 29.04p |
Source: Ofgem price cap, 1 July–30 September 2026. Typical national figures; your region may differ slightly.
Want to know where your own bill sits against these figures? Upload your bill and we’ll read it for you, or work through the price cap calculator. For more on the fixed daily fee, see standing charges explained.
Common questions
What is the average energy bill in the UK?
The typical UK household pays about £1862 a year for gas and electricity under the July 2026 Ofgem price cap, up from £1641 before 1 July 2026. That is roughly £18 more a month. The figure is for a typical dual-fuel home paying by direct debit; your own bill depends on how much energy you use.
How much energy does the average UK home use?
A typical 3-bed UK home uses roughly 4,200 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas a year. A 1-bed flat uses far less (around 2,700 kWh of electricity), and a 4-bed or larger home uses more (around 5,500 kWh).
What is the average electricity and gas unit rate in 2026?
Under the July 2026 price cap, the typical electricity unit rate is 26.11p per kWh and gas is 7.33p per kWh. On top of that you pay a daily standing charge of about 57.19p for electricity and 29.04p for gas, whether you use energy or not. Rates vary a little by region.
How much did the July 2026 price cap add to the average bill?
Ofgem raised the price cap by 13% on 1 July 2026, taking the typical annual bill from £1641 to £1862, about £18 more a month. The rise fell mainly on gas, so homes that heat with gas felt it most.