What is the Ofgem energy price cap for a typical household in 2026/27?

Full answer

The Ofgem energy price cap sets a limit on what suppliers can charge per unit of gas and electricity, plus daily standing charges, for customers on a standard variable default tariff -- it is not a cap on total bills, since actual bills still depend on how much energy a household uses. For the April to June 2026 quarter, the cap implies an annual bill of £1,641 for a household with "typical" consumption paying by direct debit, based on unit rates of 24.67p per kWh for electricity and 5.74p per kWh for gas, alongside daily standing charges of 57.21p for electricity and 29.09p for gas. Because the cap is reviewed and changed quarterly by Ofgem, this £1,641 typical figure applies specifically to this quarter and will be replaced by a new figure from July, which can be higher or lower depending on wholesale energy costs, network costs and policy charges built into the cap calculation. Households that use more or less energy than the "typical" assumption (currently based on a medium-use household) will see bills above or below £1,641 accordingly, since the cap only fixes the unit rates and standing charges, not the total amount paid. Prepayment meter customers and those paying by standard credit (quarterly bill, not direct debit) may face a different typical annual cost under the same unit rates, reflecting the different standing charge and payment method assumptions Ofgem applies to each payment type.

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