Energy price cap rates in West Midlands: 1 October to 31 December 2026
In the West Midlands, where National Grid Electricity Distribution runs the electricity network, the price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026 sets a Direct Debit electricity rate of 25.60p per kWh with a 57.23p daily standing charge, and gas at 7.90p per kWh with a 29.71p daily standing charge. The electricity standing charge is 2.40p above the Great Britain average of 54.83p a day. A household on Ofgem's typical consumption paying by Direct Debit would pay about £1,708 a year at these rates, £16 less than the Great Britain average of about £1,724.
Written by Margaux CarluerLast updated
Electricity standing charge
57.23p a day
Direct Debit; Great Britain average 54.83p
Electricity unit rate
25.60p per kWh
Direct Debit; Great Britain average 26.32p
Typical annual cost
about £1,708
Direct Debit at Ofgem's typical use, Taupia's arithmetic
West Midlands 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.
| 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 | 25.60p | 57.23p | 7.90p | 29.71p | £1,708 |
| Standard credit | 27.04p | 65.99p | 8.33p | 37.50p | £1,845 |
| Prepayment meter | 24.82p | 57.23p | 7.64p | 29.71p | £1,664 |
| 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 West Midlands rows are Ofgem's figures for West Midlands.
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 West Midlands
At Ofgem's typical consumption, electricity in the West Midlands comes to about £849 a year: 2,500 kWh at 25.60p plus 365 days at 57.23p. Gas comes to about £859: 9,500 kWh at 7.90p plus 365 days at 29.71p. That is about £1,708 a year by Direct Debit, £16 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 £1,845 a year here at typical use. A prepayment meter comes to about £1,664. 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 West Midlands energy region
Ofgem's postcode lookup maps these postcode areas to the West Midlands (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
- DY, HR, TF, WR, WS, WV
- Split postcode areas, mostly in this region
- B, GL, ST
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
What is the energy price cap in West Midlands for October to December 2026?
For 1 October to 31 December 2026, a default tariff paid by Direct Debit in the West Midlands is capped at 25.60p per kWh for electricity with a 57.23p daily standing charge, and 7.90p per kWh for gas with a 29.71p daily standing charge. At Ofgem's typical consumption that comes to about £1,708 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 West Midlands higher than the national average?
The Direct Debit electricity standing charge here is 2.40p 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. National Grid Electricity Distribution 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 West Midlands. 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.
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.
- Energy price cap rates by regionStanding charges and unit rates for all 14 regions, by payment method.
- 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.