Energy price cap rates by region: 1 October to 31 December 2026
Ofgem's price cap sets a different unit rate and standing charge in each of Great Britain's 14 electricity distribution regions. For 1 October to 31 December 2026, the Direct Debit electricity standing charge runs from 42.92p a day in London to 67.66p in Merseyside and North Wales, against a Great Britain average of 54.83p. Unit rates vary less: 25.36p to 27.86p per kWh for electricity. At Ofgem's typical consumption the same household would pay about £1,672 a year in the East Midlands and about £1,805 in Merseyside and North Wales at these rates.
Written by Margaux CarluerLast updated
Lowest electricity standing charge
42.92p a day
London, Direct Debit
Highest electricity standing charge
67.66p a day
Merseyside and North Wales, Direct Debit
Great Britain average
54.83p a day
Direct Debit, about £1,724 a year at typical use
Why the price cap is different in each region
The cap is not one national price. Ofgem sets a maximum unit rate and daily standing charge for each of the 14 regions served by the electricity distribution networks, for each way of paying. The national figure it headlines is based on the average of those rates for Direct Debit.
Most of the regional difference sits in the standing charge, which carries much of the cost of the local network. Unit rates differ by region too, but by a smaller margin.
Ofgem says a region's standing charge is calculated based on:
- how many people live in your region
- how much energy is used in your region on average
- the amount of energy the supplier needs to buy
- the cost of building and improving the energy network
Those are Ofgem's four factors, as listed on its regional rates page (read 13 October 2026). The same supplier charges different capped rates in different regions.
How to find your energy region
Your region follows your electricity distribution network, not your supplier, so it stays the same whoever you pay. The quickest check is the postcode lookup on Ofgem's regional rates page, which names the region for any postcode in England, Scotland or Wales.
Each region page below also lists the postcode areas Ofgem's lookup maps to it. Some areas straddle two regions and are marked as split; if yours is one of them, use the lookup rather than the list.
Standing charges and unit rates by region, 1 October to 31 December 2026
Direct Debit comes first because Ofgem's headline is based on it and most households pay that way. Standard credit and prepayment follow. Electricity figures are for single-rate meters; Ofgem publishes separate tables for multi-rate meters such as Economy 7.
| Region | Electricity unit rate (p/kWh) | Electricity standing charge (p/day) | Gas unit rate (p/kWh) | Gas standing charge (p/day) | Typical annual cost (Taupia's arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North West England | 26.49p | 45.68p | 7.86p | 29.81p | £1,684 |
| North East England | 25.46p | 61.58p | 7.92p | 29.79p | £1,722 |
| Yorkshire | 25.60p | 61.67p | 7.90p | 29.77p | £1,724 |
| North Scotland | 26.35p | 55.14p | 7.87p | 29.87p | £1,717 |
| Southern England | 26.47p | 47.81p | 8.17p | 29.16p | £1,719 |
| South Scotland | 26.11p | 61.41p | 7.87p | 29.89p | £1,734 |
| Merseyside and North Wales | 27.86p | 67.66p | 7.91p | 30.08p | £1,805 |
| London | 26.60p | 42.92p | 8.15p | 30.20p | £1,706 |
| South East England | 26.88p | 52.32p | 8.05p | 29.26p | £1,735 |
| Eastern England | 26.61p | 51.84p | 7.91p | 29.34p | £1,713 |
| East Midlands | 25.36p | 51.45p | 7.82p | 29.41p | £1,672 |
| West Midlands | 25.60p | 57.23p | 7.90p | 29.71p | £1,708 |
| South West England | 26.58p | 55.58p | 8.12p | 29.31p | £1,746 |
| South Wales | 26.55p | 55.41p | 8.09p | 29.96p | £1,744 |
| Great Britain average | 26.32p | 54.83p | 7.97p | 29.68p | £1,724 |
Show the standard credit and prepayment tables
| Region | Electricity unit rate (p/kWh) | Electricity standing charge (p/day) | Gas unit rate (p/kWh) | Gas standing charge (p/day) | Typical annual cost (Taupia's arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North West England | 27.98p | 53.73p | 8.29p | 37.50p | £1,820 |
| North East England | 26.89p | 70.61p | 8.35p | 37.50p | £1,860 |
| Yorkshire | 27.05p | 70.67p | 8.32p | 37.50p | £1,861 |
| North Scotland | 27.83p | 63.67p | 8.29p | 37.50p | £1,853 |
| Southern England | 27.95p | 56.41p | 8.61p | 37.48p | £1,859 |
| South Scotland | 27.58p | 70.19p | 8.29p | 37.50p | £1,870 |
| Merseyside and North Wales | 29.43p | 76.72p | 8.33p | 37.50p | £1,944 |
| London | 28.09p | 50.51p | 8.58p | 37.49p | £1,839 |
| South East England | 28.39p | 61.19p | 8.48p | 37.49p | £1,876 |
| Eastern England | 28.11p | 60.62p | 8.34p | 37.50p | £1,853 |
| East Midlands | 26.78p | 60.05p | 8.24p | 37.50p | £1,808 |
| West Midlands | 27.04p | 65.99p | 8.33p | 37.50p | £1,845 |
| South West England | 28.08p | 64.55p | 8.55p | 37.49p | £1,887 |
| South Wales | 28.05p | 63.93p | 8.52p | 37.49p | £1,881 |
| Great Britain average | 27.80p | 63.49p | 8.39p | 37.49p | £1,861 |
| Region | Electricity unit rate (p/kWh) | Electricity standing charge (p/day) | Gas unit rate (p/kWh) | Gas standing charge (p/day) | Typical annual cost (Taupia's arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North West England | 25.68p | 45.68p | 7.58p | 29.81p | £1,638 |
| North East England | 24.68p | 61.58p | 7.66p | 29.79p | £1,678 |
| Yorkshire | 24.82p | 61.67p | 7.61p | 29.77p | £1,677 |
| North Scotland | 25.54p | 55.14p | 7.57p | 29.87p | £1,668 |
| Southern England | 25.66p | 47.81p | 7.94p | 29.16p | £1,677 |
| South Scotland | 25.31p | 61.41p | 7.57p | 29.89p | £1,685 |
| Merseyside and North Wales | 27.01p | 67.66p | 7.62p | 30.08p | £1,756 |
| London | 25.78p | 42.92p | 7.90p | 30.20p | £1,662 |
| South East England | 26.06p | 52.32p | 7.78p | 29.26p | £1,688 |
| Eastern England | 25.80p | 51.84p | 7.68p | 29.34p | £1,671 |
| East Midlands | 24.58p | 51.45p | 7.54p | 29.41p | £1,626 |
| West Midlands | 24.82p | 57.23p | 7.64p | 29.71p | £1,664 |
| South West England | 25.77p | 55.58p | 7.89p | 29.31p | £1,704 |
| South Wales | 25.74p | 55.41p | 7.80p | 29.96p | £1,696 |
| Great Britain average | 25.52p | 54.83p | 7.70p | 29.68p | £1,678 |
Rates are Ofgem's, rounded to two decimal places as it publishes them. Gas rates include 5% VAT; electricity carries no VAT from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Typical annual costs are Taupia's arithmetic: 2,500 kWh of electricity and 9,500 kWh of gas a year, Ofgem's current typical consumption, priced at each set of rates with a standing charge for every day of the year. Ofgem publishes one national headline per cap, not one per region.
For comparison, the same arithmetic on the Great Britain average Direct Debit rates gives £1,724. Ofgem's published headline for October to December 2026 is £1,723 a year on its current typical-use measure, or £1,935 on the previous consumption basis used in the cap-history chart. The published rates are rounded, so the arithmetic lands within a pound of Ofgem's figure.
Source: Ofgem, standing charges and unit rates by region (read 13 October 2026)
Every region's cap rates on its own page
Each page gives the region's rates for all three ways of paying, what a typical bill comes to at those rates, and the postcode areas Ofgem maps to the region.
- North West EnglandElectricity North WestElectricity standing charge, Direct Debit: 45.68p a dayTypical annual cost: about £1,684
- North East EnglandNorthern PowergridElectricity standing charge, Direct Debit: 61.58p a dayTypical annual cost: about £1,722
- YorkshireNorthern PowergridElectricity standing charge, Direct Debit: 61.67p a dayTypical annual cost: about £1,724
- North ScotlandScottish and Southern Electricity NetworksElectricity standing charge, Direct Debit: 55.14p a dayTypical annual cost: about £1,717
- Southern EnglandScottish and Southern Electricity NetworksElectricity standing charge, Direct Debit: 47.81p a dayTypical annual cost: about £1,719
- South ScotlandSP Energy NetworksElectricity standing charge, Direct Debit: 61.41p a dayTypical annual cost: about £1,734
- Merseyside and North WalesSP Energy NetworksElectricity standing charge, Direct Debit: 67.66p a dayTypical annual cost: about £1,805
- LondonUK Power NetworksElectricity standing charge, Direct Debit: 42.92p a dayTypical annual cost: about £1,706
- South East EnglandUK Power NetworksElectricity standing charge, Direct Debit: 52.32p a dayTypical annual cost: about £1,735
- Eastern EnglandUK Power NetworksElectricity standing charge, Direct Debit: 51.84p a dayTypical annual cost: about £1,713
- East MidlandsNational Grid Electricity DistributionElectricity standing charge, Direct Debit: 51.45p a dayTypical annual cost: about £1,672
- West MidlandsNational Grid Electricity DistributionElectricity standing charge, Direct Debit: 57.23p a dayTypical annual cost: about £1,708
- South West EnglandNational Grid Electricity DistributionElectricity standing charge, Direct Debit: 55.58p a dayTypical annual cost: about £1,746
- South WalesNational Grid Electricity DistributionElectricity standing charge, Direct Debit: 55.41p a dayTypical annual cost: about £1,744
Your region, your usage
Check your own bill against your region's cap rates
The rates on this page are the most a supplier can charge on a default tariff in each region. Upload a recent bill in the Taupia app: it reads the unit rates and standing charges you actually pay, shows whether you are on a default tariff, and compares live deals from 19 suppliers on your own usage. Taupia is free, nothing changes unless you approve it, and no saving is guaranteed.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my standing charge depend on where I live?
Because Ofgem sets a separate maximum standing charge for each distribution region, and the standing charge carries much of the cost of the local network. Ofgem says a region's standing charge is calculated from how many people live there, how much energy the region uses on average, the amount of energy the supplier needs to buy and the cost of building and improving the network.
How do I find out which energy region I am in?
Use the postcode lookup on Ofgem's regional rates page, which names the region for any postcode in England, Scotland or Wales. Your region follows your electricity distribution network, so it does not change when you switch supplier. Each region page on this site also lists the postcode areas Ofgem's lookup maps to it, with split areas marked.
Do unit rates change by region as well as standing charges?
Yes, but by less. For 1 October to 31 December 2026 the Direct Debit electricity unit rate runs from 25.36p per kWh in the East Midlands to 27.86p in Merseyside and North Wales, and the gas unit rate from 7.82p in the East Midlands to 8.17p in Southern England. The electricity standing charge spans a wider range, from 42.92p to 67.66p a day.
Does the price cap apply in Northern Ireland?
No. Ofgem's price cap and these regional rates cover default tariffs in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland is outside Ofgem's cap, so none of the figures on this page apply there.
When will these regional rates change?
The rates on this page are for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Ofgem publishes the January to March 2027 cap and its regional rates on 25 November 2026.
Go deeper
- UK energy price cap: rates, history and the next capThe national cap figures, unit rates for every period since October 2023, and the next announcement date.
- Should you fix before the January 2027 price cap?How to compare a fixed deal with the cap on your own usage, with the arithmetic shown.
- Compare energy pricesHow Taupia compares and switches energy across 19 suppliers once you approve a deal.
- The price cap when you move inWhy a new address starts on a capped default tariff, and when you can switch.