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Energy cost check

Am I overpaying for energy?

Short answer

Compare your usage, your rates and your Direct Debit with what is typical. Ofgem's typical home uses 2,500 kWh of electricity and 9,500 kWh of gas a year, about 6.8 and 26.0 kWh a day. At the cap's Great Britain average Direct Debit rates for 1 October to 31 December 2026, that costs about £1,724 a year.

Updated

  • 6.8 kWh

    Electricity a day at Ofgem's medium use

    2,500 kWh a year

  • 26.0 kWh

    Gas a day at Ofgem's medium use

    9,500 kWh a year

  • £1,724

    A year for medium use at the cap's average Direct Debit rates (Taupia arithmetic)

    1 October to 31 December 2026

See the five-step bill checkEnergy price cap rates by region

Three things decide whether an energy bill is fair: how much you use, what you pay per unit and per day, and whether your Direct Debit matches. This page sets your usage against Ofgem's typical values, prices those values at the cap, and walks through a five-step bill check.

How much energy does a typical home use?

Ofgem usage bandUse a year, and a day (from 1 July 2026)Dual fuel cost by Direct Debit, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (Taupia arithmetic)
Low useElectricity 1,600 kWh (4.4 a day); gas 6,000 kWh (16.4 a day)About £1,208 a year, £101 a month
Medium useElectricity 2,500 kWh (6.8 a day); gas 9,500 kWh (26.0 a day)About £1,724 a year, £144 a month
High useElectricity 3,800 kWh (10.4 a day); gas 14,000 kWh (38.4 a day)About £2,424 a year, £202 a month

What do Ofgem's typical values mean for my bill?

Ofgem's typical domestic consumption values changed on 1 July 2026. The table above lists them with what each band costs under the cap.

  • For a single-rate electricity meter, Ofgem's values are 1,600 kWh a year for low use, 2,500 kWh for medium and 3,800 kWh for high: about 4.4, 6.8 and 10.4 kWh a day.
  • For gas they are 6,000, 9,500 and 14,000 kWh a year, about 16.4, 26.0 and 38.4 kWh a day.
  • Multi-rate meters such as Economy 7 have their own values: 1,900, 3,400 and 6,100 kWh a year, about 5.2, 9.3 and 16.7 kWh a day. Ofgem assumes 58% of it is used at the day rate and 42% at night.
  • Ofgem uses the medium values to work out the typical annual bill it publishes with each cap, and reviews the values every two years.
  • Medium use at the cap's Great Britain average Direct Debit rates for 1 October to 31 December 2026 (Taupia arithmetic): 2,500 kWh at 26.32p plus 365 days at 54.83p is £858.13 for electricity; 9,500 kWh at 7.97p plus 365 days at 29.68p is £865.48 for gas. That is about £1,724 a year, or £144 a month.
  • The same arithmetic gives about £1,208 a year (£101 a month) for low use and £2,424 (£202 a month) for high use.
  • By region, medium use costs from about £1,672 a year in the East Midlands to about £1,805 in Merseyside and North Wales, by Direct Debit.
  • The overpayment estimator further down starts from the cap on the previous typical values, the basis this site's cap history uses, and the note under it gives both figures.
  • These are Great Britain figures. Northern Ireland is outside Ofgem's cap.
Sources (2)

How do I check my energy bill in five steps?

Five checks to run against your latest bill.

  1. 1

    Check whether the reading is real or estimated

    Your bill should say if it is estimated. If an estimate looks too high, send your supplier a meter reading and it should send an updated, accurate bill.

  2. 2

    Compare your unit rate with your region's cap

    On a default tariff, your unit rate cannot be above the cap for your region and the way you pay. For 1 October to 31 December 2026, the Direct Debit electricity cap runs from 25.36p to 27.86p per kWh across Great Britain's 14 regions.

  3. 3

    Check the standing charge

    You pay it every day, even if you use no energy. By Direct Debit the cap allows 42.92p to 67.66p a day for electricity, depending on your region, and 29.68p a day for gas on average.

  4. 4

    Check that electricity VAT shows 0%

    In Great Britain, domestic electricity carries no VAT under the temporary zero rate that began on 1 October 2026. Gas stays at 5%, and Northern Ireland keeps the reduced rate.

  5. 5

    Check your Direct Debit against your usage

    Suppliers must base fixed Direct Debits on the best and most current information. Multiply your yearly kWh by your unit rates, add 365 days of standing charges and divide by 12, remembering that winter costs more.

Sources (6)

How do I know if I am paying too much for energy?

  • Your fixed deal has ended. Citizens Advice says that when a fixed tariff ends you will usually be put on your supplier's standard variable tariff.
  • Fixed deals can cost less than the cap: in August 2026, Ofgem said fixed tariffs were available at £100 or more below the October price cap.
  • Your bills keep using estimated readings. Citizens Advice says that without readings your supplier sends estimated bills, which might not be accurate.
  • Your Direct Debit has gone up but your usage has not. Citizens Advice says the supplier must explain how it reached the figure and give you the meter readings it used.
  • Credit keeps building all year, rather than running down over the winter.
  • Your unit rate or standing charge is above your region's cap on a default tariff. That is an error to raise with your supplier.
Sources (4)

When does a high bill not mean I am overpaying?

  • In winter. Citizens Advice reminds you that your usage will be higher in the winter months, so judge your costs over a year, not one month.
  • When credit built up over the summer is covering those winter months.
  • When a low Direct Debit has been building up a shortfall that a later bill catches up on.
  • When you simply used more. Ofgem says the cap does not limit the cost of your total bill: it limits the unit rate and standing charge.
Sources (2)

How can Taupia help me check my energy bill?

  • Upload a recent bill in the Taupia app and it reads the unit rates and standing charges you actually pay and shows whether you are on a default tariff.
  • It compares live energy deals from 19 suppliers covering around 90% of the GB market on your own usage, and switches only once your household approves.
  • It alerts the household before a renewal or contract end, so the same drift does not start again.
  • In a shared home it splits the bill by the percentages your household sets and tracks who has paid, without moving any money.
  • Taupia is free.

Energy overpayment estimator

Enter your current monthly bill. The market benchmark is already filled in for you, so you get an annual figure straight away.

Pre-filled with the price cap for typical use: £1,935 a year, about £161.25 a month, for 1 October to 31 December 2026. That is the like-for-like basis we use across our cap history; Ofgem states the same cap as £1,723 on its current typical-use basis. Replace it if you have a real quote.

Monthly gap

£21.67

Annual overpayment

£260.04

Diagnosis

High overpayment risk

The cap limits unit rates and standing charges, not your total bill, so your own usage moves this figure. Use your real monthly bill for a stronger estimate.

Check my energy bill

Reference only. Real savings vary by region, contract terms, usage pattern, and available offers.

Energy overpaying questions

How much electricity does a typical UK home use a day?

Ofgem's typical values from 1 July 2026 are 1,600, 2,500 and 3,800 kWh of electricity a year for low, medium and high use on a single-rate meter: about 4.4, 6.8 and 10.4 kWh a day. For gas the values are 6,000, 9,500 and 14,000 kWh a year, about 16.4, 26.0 and 38.4 kWh a day.

Is 10 kWh of electricity a day a lot?

It is close to Ofgem's high-use value for a single-rate meter, 3,800 kWh a year or about 10.4 kWh a day. Medium use is about 6.8 kWh a day. Homes on Economy 7 or another multi-rate meter have higher typical values, up to 6,100 kWh a year for high use.

Why is my energy bill so high this month?

Winter use, an estimated reading, a change in your unit rate or standing charge, or a Direct Debit set too low earlier in the year are common reasons. Check whether the bill is estimated, compare your rates with the cap for your region, and send a meter reading if the estimate looks high.

Should my electricity bill show VAT?

Not in Great Britain while the temporary zero rate lasts: domestic electricity has carried no VAT since 1 October 2026, and Ofgem's cap rates already reflect it. Gas still carries 5% VAT, and electricity in Northern Ireland keeps the reduced rate. If a Great Britain bill adds VAT to electricity supplied while the zero rate applies, ask your supplier why.

Is a credit balance on my energy account a bad sign?

Not always. Credit built up over the summer can cover the higher winter months. A balance that keeps growing all year suggests your Direct Debit is set too high. Suppliers must base fixed Direct Debits on the best and most current information, and you can ask yours to lower your payments.

When is switching energy supplier worth it?

When a fixed deal costs less than your current tariff on your own yearly usage, after any exit fee. Citizens Advice says you can switch when you have 49 days or less left on a fixed contract, and that with 50 days or more left you might have to pay an exit fee.

Keep your energy costs under control

Use these pages to move from diagnosis to action.

Start here

Energy price cap rates by region

Recommended

The unit rate and standing charge in your own region, for each way of paying, to check your bill against.

Turn the bill check into a decision

Taupia reads the unit rates and standing charges on your bill, compares live energy deals from 19 suppliers on your own usage, and alerts your household before a renewal. It is free, and nothing changes without your approval.

Compare energy dealsEnergy price cap rates by region

Cite this page

Taupia. "Am I overpaying for energy?". Last updated 15 October 2026. https://taupia.com/compare-energy-prices/am-i-overpaying