Household budget guide

Average household bills in the UK by household type, and the cost of living alone

Short answer

At October to December 2026 prices, household bills average about £350 a month for one person living alone, £443 for a couple (£221 each) and £501 for a family. That covers energy, council tax at England's average Band D, water, broadband and a TV Licence. Living alone costs about £129 a month more than half a couple's bills.

Updated 15 October 2026

£350.04

a month living alone in a flat or one-bed home, with 25% off council tax

£442.86

a month for a couple, or £221.43 each

£128.61

more a month living alone than half a couple's bills

Estimate your own household bills Sharing? Average bills in a house share

Built from published official figures, not a survey: Ofgem's typical energy use at the October to December 2026 price cap, England's average Band D council tax, the average water bill, Ofcom's average broadband price and the TV Licence fee. Every input, source and assumption is listed below, and the estimator works the figures out again for your council tax band, energy region and payment method.

Estimate your household bills

Choose your household, your council tax band, your energy region and how you pay for energy. It uses the same published averages as the table below.

Who lives there?

How do you pay for energy?

Council tax band (England)

Energy region

£350.04 a month

£4,200.46 a year

Bill by bill, a month

Gas and electricity: £100.65
Council tax: £149.50
Water and sewerage: £53.25
Broadband: £31.64
TV Licence: £15.00

Council tax includes the 25% single person discount.

Taupia's arithmetic, not a quote. Energy is Ofgem's typical use for the household, priced at the capped rates for 1 October to 31 December 2026 read from Ofgem's regional tables on 13 October 2026. Council tax applies England's band proportions to the 2026/27 average Band D, which includes parish precepts, so your council's figure will differ. Water, broadband and the TV Licence are national averages. Each line is rounded to the penny.

Check whether you are overpaying for energy

Household bills by household type at October to December 2026 prices

Household (Ofgem usage level)	A year and a month	Bill by bill, a year
Living alone in a flat or one-bed home (low use, 25% council tax discount)	£4,200.46 a year, £350.04 a month	Energy £1,207.78, council tax £1,794.00, water £639.00, broadband £379.68, TV Licence £180.00
Couple in a two or three-bedroom home (medium use)	£5,314.29 a year, £442.86 a month, £221.43 each	Energy £1,723.61 (Ofgem publishes £1,723, or £1,935 on the like-for-like basis Taupia leads with), council tax £2,392.00, water £639.00, broadband £379.68, TV Licence £180.00
Family in a home with four or more bedrooms (high use)	£6,015.10 a year, £501.26 a month	Energy £2,424.42, council tax £2,392.00, water £639.00, broadband £379.68, TV Licence £180.00
Two to five sharers: average bills in a house share	One typical home's bills divided between 2 to 5 people	Shown with and without council tax, for student and mixed houses

Living alone

How much are bills for one person living alone?

About £350 a month, or £4,200.46 a year, for one person in a flat or one-bed home paying England's average Band D council tax with the single person discount.

Energy: £1,207.78 a year at Ofgem's low typical use of 1,600 kWh of electricity and 6,000 kWh of gas, at the Great Britain average Direct Debit cap rates for 1 October to 31 December 2026.
Council tax: £1,794.00, which is England's average Band D of £2,392 less the 25% GOV.UK takes off when you live on your own. You need to apply to your council for it.
Water at £639.00, broadband at £379.68 and a TV Licence at £180.00 cost the same whether one person uses them or two.
That makes £4,200.46 a year, or £350.04 a month. In Band A, council tax after the discount is £1,196.00 and the monthly total £300.21.

Sources: Ofgem: review of typical domestic consumption values, decision (27 May 2026), table 1 (read 15 October 2026); Ofgem: energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (read 15 October 2026); MHCLG: Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (25 March 2026) (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: Council Tax, who has to pay (read 15 October 2026); Discover Water: average annual bill 2026/27 (Water UK figures) (read 15 October 2026); Ofcom: Pricing and consumer engagement report (26 February 2026), figure 24 (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: TV Licence (read 15 October 2026)

Couples

What are average monthly bills for a couple?

£442.86 a month, or £221.43 each split equally, for two people in a two or three-bedroom home.

Energy: £1,723.61 a year at Ofgem's medium typical use of 2,500 kWh of electricity and 9,500 kWh of gas. That reproduces Ofgem's own £1,723 for a typical home, which checks the method. On the like-for-like basis Taupia leads with, the same cap is £1,935.
Council tax is the full £2,392 at England's average Band D. GOV.UK bases a full bill on at least 2 adults, and spouses and partners who live together are jointly responsible for paying it.
With water at £639.00, broadband at £379.68 and a TV Licence at £180.00, the total is £5,314.29 a year.
Split 50/50, that is £221.43 each a month. Split by income, each partner pays the same share of the bills as their share of your combined take-home pay.

Moving in together: split bills by income or 50/50

Families

How much do bills cost for a family home?

£501.26 a month, or £6,015.10 a year, for a family in a home with four or more bedrooms, at the same council tax band.

Energy is the bill that grows: £2,424.42 a year at Ofgem's high typical use of 3,800 kWh of electricity and 14,000 kWh of gas, against £1,207.78 at low use.
Council tax stays at £2,392 here because every household is costed at England's average Band D. A home in a higher band pays more: Band E is £2,923.56 and Band F £3,455.11 at the same average.
Water, broadband and the TV Licence come to the same £1,198.68 a year as they do for one person.

Sources: Ofgem: review of typical domestic consumption values, decision (27 May 2026), table 1 (read 15 October 2026); Ofgem: energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (read 15 October 2026); MHCLG: Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (25 March 2026) (read 15 October 2026); legislation.gov.uk: Local Government Finance Act 1992, section 5 (band proportions) (read 15 October 2026)

Inputs

Where do these figures come from?

Published figures, each read at source on 15 October 2026. The arithmetic is Taupia's own.

Energy use: Ofgem's typical domestic consumption values from 1 July 2026, set in its 27 May 2026 decision: low 1,600, medium 2,500 and high 3,800 kWh of single-rate electricity, and 6,000, 9,500 and 14,000 kWh of gas. Ofgem's medium value is the median household's use, which it treats as typical.
Energy prices: Ofgem's Great Britain average Direct Debit cap rates for 1 October to 31 December 2026, 26.32p per kWh and 54.83p a day for electricity, and 7.97p per kWh and 29.68p a day for gas. Gas includes 5% VAT, and electricity has no VAT in this period.
Each energy figure is use times the unit rate, plus 365 days of standing charge, for each fuel. At medium use that gives £1,723.61 against Ofgem's published £1,723, or £1,935 on the like-for-like basis Taupia leads with.
Council tax: £2,392, England's average Band D for 2026/27 from MHCLG, including adult social care and parish precepts. Other bands follow the proportions in the Local Government Finance Act 1992.
Water: £639, the forecast average water and sewerage bill for households in England and Wales from April 2026 to March 2027, from Water UK figures on Discover Water.
Broadband: £31.64 a month, Ofcom's average promoted price for a superfast broadband and landline bundle in September 2025, in September 2025 prices.
TV Licence: £180 a year, from GOV.UK.

Read before comparing

What do the figures assume?

Each assumption moves the result. Check them against your own home.

Matching each household to Ofgem's low, medium or high use is Taupia's assumption: one person in a flat or one-bed home, a couple in two or three bedrooms, a family in four or more. Your own use can sit anywhere.
Every household pays England's average Band D. MHCLG says bands A to C account for nearly two thirds of homes in England, so many pay less. The estimator lets you pick your band.
One water figure for everyone: £639 is an average across England and Wales, and a home with a meter pays for what it uses.
One broadband line at a new-customer price. Ofcom's figures exclude the effect of any annual price rises.
Energy is one quarter's cap rates for a whole year. Ofgem sets the cap every 3 months, so a real year mixes four sets of rates.
Single-rate electricity and mains gas. On a multi-rate tariff such as Economy 7 you pay one unit rate at peak times and another off-peak, so your figures will differ.
A TV Licence is included. You only need one to watch or record live TV or use BBC iPlayer.
Rent, a mortgage, mobile phones, insurance and food are left out.

Sources: MHCLG: Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (25 March 2026) (read 15 October 2026); Discover Water: average annual bill 2026/27 (Water UK figures) (read 15 October 2026); Ofcom: Pricing and consumer engagement report (26 February 2026), figure 24 (read 15 October 2026); Ofgem: energy price cap (read 15 October 2026); Ofgem: energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: TV Licence (read 15 October 2026)

Council tax

How much is council tax in each band?

At England's 2026/27 average, from Band A to Band H. Your council's own figures will differ.

Band A: £1,594.67 a year, or £1,196.00 with the single person discount.
Band B: £1,860.44, or £1,395.33 with the discount.
Band C: £2,126.22, or £1,594.67 with the discount.
Band D: £2,392.00, or £1,794.00 with the discount.
Band E: £2,923.56, or £2,192.67 with the discount.
Band F: £3,455.11, or £2,591.33 with the discount.
Band G: £3,986.67, or £2,990.00 with the discount.
Band H: £4,784.00, or £3,588.00 with the discount.
The Local Government Finance Act 1992 fixes each band as a proportion of Band D in England: Band A pays 6/9 of it and Band H 18/9. The average includes parish precepts, which vary from place to place.
GOV.UK says the bill is usually split into 10 monthly payments, and that you have a legal right to ask to spread it over 12.

Sources: MHCLG: Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (25 March 2026) (read 15 October 2026); legislation.gov.uk: Local Government Finance Act 1992, section 5 (band proportions) (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: Council Tax, who has to pay (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: paying the right level of Council Tax, a plain English guide (read 15 October 2026)

Council tax discounts and exemptions you can claim

Across the UK

Do these averages apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

Partly. The energy prices cover Great Britain, but council tax and water work differently in each nation.

Energy: Ofgem's cap rates apply in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has no Ofgem cap: the Utility Regulator regulates Power NI's electricity tariff and the SSE Airtricity and Firmus Energy gas tariffs there.
Wales: council tax uses the same proportions plus a ninth band, I, and the Welsh Government gives 25% off when you are the only adult in the home. The £639 water average covers England and Wales.
Scotland: England's average Band D does not apply, and mygov.scot says the cost of water, sewerage and drainage is included in your council tax bill. A discount for living alone applies to the water and sewerage charges too.
Northern Ireland: the bill for local services is domestic rates, calculated from the home's capital value, and NI Water says domestic water charges remain deferred. People aged 70 or over who live alone may get a 20% Lone Pensioner Allowance on their rates.
So outside England, keep the energy figures and swap in your own council tax or rates bill and your own water charges.

Next steps

How can I bring my household bills down?

Start with the bills where you have a choice, then check every discount you are owed.

Energy: Ofgem says default and deemed tariffs are usually among a supplier's most expensive, so compare your unit rates and standing charges with your region's cap and with fixed deals.
Broadband: Ofcom found broadband without a landline was on average £7.00 a month cheaper than the same broadband with one, in September 2025.
Council tax: apply for any discount or exemption you qualify for. GOV.UK says you need to apply, even if you are disregarded.
TV Licence: you only need one to watch or record live TV on any channel or service, or to use BBC iPlayer. Streaming services and on-demand TV other than BBC iPlayer do not need one.
Shared homes: agree how each bill is split before the first one arrives, and keep the standing charges equal.

Sources: Ofgem: energy terms explained (read 15 October 2026); Ofcom: Pricing and consumer engagement report (26 February 2026), figure 24 (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: Council Tax, who has to pay (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: TV Licence (read 15 October 2026)

Check whether you are overpaying for energy

Step by step

How do I work out my own household bills?

Five steps, in the order the estimator asks for them.

1
Choose the household closest to yours
Living alone, a couple or a family. It sets the energy use and whether the 25% single person discount applies.
2
Find your council tax band
It is on your council tax bill, or search your address on GOV.UK's band checker for a home in England or Wales.
3
Find your energy region
Enter your postcode in Ofgem's region finder. Unit rates and standing charges differ from region to region.
4
Pick how you pay for energy
Direct Debit, standard credit (paying when the bill arrives) and prepayment each have their own capped rates.
5
Swap in your real bills
Replace each average with what you actually pay your water company, broadband provider and council, and you have your own monthly total.

Sources: GOV.UK: check your Council Tax band (England and Wales) (read 15 October 2026); Ofgem: energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (read 15 October 2026); MHCLG: Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (25 March 2026) (read 15 October 2026)

Where Taupia fits

How does Taupia help with household bills?

Taupia keeps your energy, broadband, mobile and water bills in one place, so you see your own monthly total rather than an average.
It compares energy, broadband and mobile deals and switches once your household approves. Nothing changes without your approval.
In a shared home it splits each bill by the percentages you set and tracks who has paid. It never moves money itself.
Council tax stays with your council. Taupia does not set up council tax or switch water.
Taupia is free.

Household bills FAQ

Questions about average household bills

What are the average household bills in the UK per month?

At October to December 2026 prices, Taupia's arithmetic from official averages gives about £350 a month for one person living alone, £442.86 for a couple and £501.26 for a family. That covers energy, council tax at England's average Band D, water, broadband and a TV Licence, but not rent, a mortgage or mobile phones.

How much are bills for one person living alone?

About £350.04 a month, or £4,200.46 a year, for one person in a flat or one-bed home. That is energy at £1,207.78, council tax at £1,794.00 after the 25% single person discount, water at £639, broadband at £379.68 and a TV Licence at £180. In Band A the monthly total falls to £300.21.

What are average monthly bills for two people?

About £442.86 a month for a couple in a two or three-bedroom home, or £221.43 each split equally. Energy at Ofgem's medium use is £1,723.61 a year, matching Ofgem's own £1,723 for a typical home, or £1,935 on the like-for-like basis Taupia leads with. Council tax is the full £2,392 at Band D.

Why does living alone cost more per person?

Most bills do not halve when you live alone. Standing charges, water, broadband and the TV Licence cost one person what they cost two, and the single person discount takes only 25% off council tax. On these figures one person pays £128.61 a month more than half a couple's bills, about 58% more.

Do I get the single person discount automatically?

No. GOV.UK says you get 25% off if you live on your own, or if everyone else in your home is disregarded, but you need to apply to your council. If you get a discount you are no longer entitled to, for example after a partner moves in, tell the council, or you could be fined and asked to repay it.

Do these averages apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

Only partly. Ofgem's energy prices cover England, Scotland and Wales, but the council tax figure is England's average. In Scotland, water and sewerage are billed with council tax. Northern Ireland has domestic rates, deferred domestic water charges and energy tariffs regulated by the Utility Regulator rather than Ofgem's cap.

Do the figures include rent or a mortgage?

No. They cover the running bills of a home: energy, council tax, water, broadband and a TV Licence. Rent or a mortgage, mobile phones, insurance and food are left out, so add your own figures for those when you plan a budget or work out how much money you need to move out.

Related guides

Turn the averages into your own budget

Guides for sharing these bills, moving out and checking what you pay.

Start here

Average bills in a house share, per person

Recommended

The same bills divided between 2 to 5 sharers, with and without council tax.

Official references

Cite this page

Taupia. "Average household bills in the UK by household type, and the cost of living alone". Last updated 15 October 2026. https://taupia.com/manage-bills/average-household-bills

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Taupia keeps your energy, broadband, mobile and water bills in one place, compares energy, broadband and mobile deals and splits each bill between the people who share it. It never moves money, it is free, and nothing changes without your approval.

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Average household bills in the UK by household type, and the cost of living alone

Short answer

Estimate your household bills

Household bills by household type at October to December 2026 prices

How much are bills for one person living alone?

What are average monthly bills for a couple?

How much do bills cost for a family home?

Where do these figures come from?

What do the figures assume?

How much is council tax in each band?

Do these averages apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

How can I bring my household bills down?

How do I work out my own household bills?

Choose the household closest to yours

Find your council tax band

Find your energy region

Pick how you pay for energy

Swap in your real bills

How does Taupia help with household bills?

Questions about average household bills

Turn the averages into your own budget

Track your own household bills