Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks area, 1 October to 31 December 2026

Energy price cap rates in North Scotland: 1 October to 31 December 2026

In North Scotland, where Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks runs the electricity network, the price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026 sets a Direct Debit electricity rate of 26.35p per kWh with a 55.14p daily standing charge, and gas at 7.87p per kWh with a 29.87p daily standing charge. The electricity standing charge is 0.31p above the Great Britain average of 54.83p a day. A household on Ofgem's typical consumption paying by Direct Debit would pay about £1,717 a year at these rates, £7 less than the Great Britain average of about £1,724.

Written by Margaux CarluerLast updated 13 October 2026

Electricity standing charge

55.14p a day

Direct Debit; Great Britain average 54.83p

Electricity unit rate

26.35p per kWh

Direct Debit; Great Britain average 26.32p

Typical annual cost

about £1,717

Direct Debit at Ofgem's typical use, Taupia's arithmetic

North Scotland cap rates by payment method, 1 October to 31 December 2026

The most a supplier can charge on a default tariff in this region, for each way of paying, with the Great Britain Direct Debit average for comparison. Electricity figures are for single-rate meters.

North Scotland: cap rates by payment method, 1 October to 31 December 2026
Payment method	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)
Direct Debit	26.35p	55.14p	7.87p	29.87p	£1,717
Standard credit	27.83p	63.67p	8.29p	37.50p	£1,853
Prepayment meter	25.54p	55.14p	7.57p	29.87p	£1,668
Great Britain average, Direct Debit	26.32p	54.83p	7.97p	29.68p	£1,724

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. The North Scotland rows are Ofgem's figures for Northern Scotland.

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.

Source: Ofgem, standing charges and unit rates by region (read 13 October 2026)

What these rates mean for a typical bill in North Scotland

At Ofgem's typical consumption, electricity in North Scotland comes to about £860 a year: 2,500 kWh at 26.35p plus 365 days at 55.14p. Gas comes to about £857: 9,500 kWh at 7.87p plus 365 days at 29.87p. That is about £1,717 a year by Direct Debit, £7 less than the Great Britain average of about £1,724 by the same arithmetic.

Paying by standard credit costs more because both its rates and its standing charges are higher: about £1,853 a year here at typical use. A prepayment meter comes to about £1,668. Your own bill depends on your usage, meter and tariff, and a fixed tariff sits outside the cap altogether.

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.

Assumptions behind these figures

2,500 kWh of electricity and 9,500 kWh of gas a year: Ofgem's current Typical Domestic Consumption Values.
A standing charge for each of 365 days, at the rates for the whole year.
Single-rate electricity. Multi-rate meters such as Economy 7 have their own capped rates on Ofgem's page.
A default tariff. A fixed tariff keeps the rates in its contract whatever the cap does.

Postcode areas in the North Scotland energy region

Ofgem's postcode lookup maps these postcode areas to North Scotland (read 13 October 2026). A split area has districts in another region as well, so check the lookup if your postcode is in one.

Whole postcode areas: AB, HS, IV, KW, PH, ZE
Split postcode areas, mostly in this region: DD, PA

Check a postcode with Ofgem's lookup

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.

Check my tariff in the app

Frequently asked questions

What is the energy price cap in North Scotland for October to December 2026?

For 1 October to 31 December 2026, a default tariff paid by Direct Debit in North Scotland is capped at 26.35p per kWh for electricity with a 55.14p daily standing charge, and 7.87p per kWh for gas with a 29.87p daily standing charge. At Ofgem's typical consumption that comes to about £1,717 a year by Taupia's arithmetic. The cap limits the rates, not the total bill, so using more energy costs more.

Why is the standing charge in North Scotland higher than the national average?

The Direct Debit electricity standing charge here is 0.31p above the Great Britain average of 54.83p a day. Ofgem sets a separate maximum for each distribution region and says it reflects how many people live in the region, 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. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks runs the electricity network in this region.

Do these rates apply if I am on a fixed tariff?

No. The cap applies to default tariffs, including the one a home is supplied on when nobody has chosen a deal. A fixed tariff keeps the unit rates and standing charges in its contract for the whole term. To compare a fix with the cap, price both on your own annual usage rather than on a typical household.

I am moving into a home in North Scotland. Which rates will I pay?

Until you choose a tariff, the existing supplier bills you on its default tariff, and the cap limits that to the rates on this page for the way you pay. Ofgem says you can choose a new tariff or supplier after you have moved in, and a standard variable tariff has no exit fee. Take a meter reading on the day you move in so your bill starts from your own usage.

When do these 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.