Student bills in London: energy, water and council tax
Short answer
Most of London is in Ofgem's London energy region. For 1 October to 31 December 2026, daily Direct Debit standing charges are 42.92p for electricity and 30.20p for gas. Thames Water serves most homes; some get Affinity Water or SES Water. A house of full-time students pays no council tax, but must claim the exemption from the borough council.
Updated
42.92p
a day, electricity standing charge
Direct Debit, London region, Oct to Dec 2026
30.20p
a day, gas standing charge
Direct Debit, London region, Oct to Dec 2026
£0
council tax when everyone in the house is a full-time student
You still have to claim the exemption
What a London student house pays for energy at London cap rates, who supplies the water, how the borough council handles the student council tax exemption, and what else to set up. Every rate and rule links to the page it came from.
Energy cap rates in London: London region, 1 October to 31 December 2026
| Rate | Direct Debit | Prepayment meter |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity unit rate (per kWh) | 26.60p | 25.78p |
| Electricity standing charge (per day) | 42.92p | 42.92p |
| Gas unit rate (per kWh) | 8.15p | 7.90p |
| Gas standing charge (per day) | 30.20p | 30.20p |
Which energy rates apply in London?
Most of London is in Ofgem's London region, where UK Power Networks runs the electricity network. The region sets the most a supplier can charge on a default tariff.
- Ofgem's postcode lookup puts central London postcodes, including WC1, EC1, SE1, E1 and SW7, in the London region.
- Not every London postcode is in it: the same lookup puts north London's N8, N15 and N22 in the Eastern England region, Acton and Ealing (W3 and W5) in the Southern England region and Croydon's CR0 in the South East England region. Check your full postcode with Ofgem's lookup.
- Direct Debit, 1 October to 31 December 2026: electricity 26.60p per kWh with a 42.92p daily standing charge, and gas 8.15p per kWh with a 30.20p daily standing charge.
- Prepayment meter: electricity 25.78p per kWh with a 42.92p daily standing charge, and gas 7.90p per kWh with a 30.20p daily standing charge.
- Ofgem says the cap limits these rates, not the total bill: the more energy you use, the higher your bill. A fixed tariff follows its own rates instead.
- Electricity rates are for single-rate meters. Multi-rate tariffs such as Economy 7 have their own capped rates on Ofgem's page.
Sources: Ofgem: price cap rates by region, with its postcode lookup (read 13 October 2026); Ofgem: energy price cap and standing charges explained (read 13 October 2026)
What would energy cost a London student house?
An illustration, not a quote: Ofgem's typical usage for one household, priced at the London Direct Debit cap rates. A shared house usually uses more.
- Ofgem's typical consumption is 2,500 kWh of electricity and 9,500 kWh of gas a year. At the London Direct Debit rates, with a standing charge for all 365 days, that is about £1,706 a year: £822 for electricity and £884 for gas.
- Shared by three: about £569 each a year, or £47.39 a month.
- Shared by four: about £427 each a year, or £35.54 a month.
- Shared by five: about £341 each a year, or £28.44 a month.
- The same usage on a prepayment meter comes to about £1,662 a year at the London prepayment rates.
- These figures assume a default tariff, single-rate electricity and a full year at the October to December 2026 rates, although Ofgem sets the cap every 3 months. A house of three to five adults usually uses more than one typical household, so treat them as a starting point, not a forecast.
Sources: Ofgem: price cap rates by region, with its postcode lookup (read 13 October 2026); Ofgem: typical domestic consumption values decision, May 2026 (PDF) (read 13 October 2026); Ofgem: energy price cap and standing charges explained (read 13 October 2026)
Who supplies water in London?
Thames Water supplies water and takes waste water away in London, though some areas get their water from another company.
- Thames Water says it serves 16 million customers across London and the Thames Valley, supplying water and taking wastewater away.
- CCW lists Affinity Water for parts of north and west London and SES Water for parts of south London, so some homes get their water from one of those companies instead.
- Thames Water says you can tell it about a move up to 28 days ahead. If you leave a shared house with the account in your name, someone still living there needs to set up a new account.
- In England and Wales, students usually pay for water unless it is included in the rent. Citizens Advice says a tenant either has a water bill in their own name or pays for water as part of the rent, so check the tenancy agreement.
- Water UK's postcode checker names the water and the waste water company for an exact address. CCW says a few specific sites are served by another licensed company instead of the usual one.
Sources: Thames Water: about us (read 13 October 2026); CCW: find your water company (read 13 October 2026); Thames Water: moving home (read 13 October 2026); Water UK: find your supplier (read 13 October 2026); Citizens Advice: paying your water bills if you're renting (read 13 October 2026)
Do students pay council tax in London?
Not if everyone in the house is a full-time student, but you still have to claim the exemption from the borough council.
- GOV.UK says households where everyone is a full-time student do not have to pay council tax, and that you can apply for an exemption if you get a bill. To count, a course must last at least 1 year and involve at least 21 hours of study a week.
- If someone in the household is not a full-time student, GOV.UK says you will get a bill but might still qualify for a discount: 25% off if everyone else in the home is disregarded, as full-time students are.
- London Councils represents London's 32 borough councils and the City of London Corporation. Claim the exemption from the council for your address: GOV.UK's council finder names it from a postcode.
Sources: London Councils (read 13 October 2026); GOV.UK: find your local council (read 13 October 2026); GOV.UK: Council Tax discounts for full-time students (read 13 October 2026); GOV.UK: who has to pay Council Tax (read 13 October 2026)
What else should a London student house set up?
Broadband, a TV Licence if anyone watches live TV or BBC iPlayer, and a plan for the weeks the house stands empty.
- Broadband: one contract for the house is usual. Agree whose name it goes in, and match the minimum term to the tenancy so nobody pays after the house moves out.
- TV Licence: GOV.UK says one licence covers the household if you have a joint tenancy agreement, but with separate tenancy agreements anyone who watches TV in their own room needs their own. A licence costs £180.
- Empty weeks: Ofgem says a standing charge is paid every day, even when you use no energy. At the London Direct Debit rates, electricity and gas standing charges come to 73.12p a day, about £15.36 over a 21-day Christmas break before any energy is used.
Sources: GOV.UK: TV Licence (read 13 October 2026); Ofgem: energy price cap and standing charges explained (read 13 October 2026)
Questions about student bills in London
How much are bills per week in a London student house?
For energy alone, about £8.18 each a week between four, or £6.54 between five. That is an illustration of Ofgem's typical use for one household at London Direct Debit cap rates for October to December 2026, and a shared house usually uses more. Water, broadband and a TV Licence come on top; there is no council tax if everyone is a full-time student.
Do we pay council tax if we're all students in London?
No. GOV.UK says households where everyone is a full-time student do not have to pay, but you still need to claim the exemption from the borough council. If one of you is not a full-time student, the household gets a bill; GOV.UK says it has 25% off when everyone else is a full-time student or otherwise not counted.
How do we claim the student council tax exemption in London?
Find your council first: London has 32 borough councils plus the City of London Corporation, and GOV.UK's council finder names yours from a postcode. Then make that council's student exemption claim. GOV.UK says a household where everyone is a full-time student does not pay, but you still need to apply.
Who do we pay for water in London?
Usually Thames Water, unless water is included in your rent. CCW lists Affinity Water for parts of north and west London and SES Water for parts of south London, so check your postcode on Water UK's checker. If the account holder moves out, Thames Water says someone still living there must set up a new account.
Which energy region is London in?
Most of London is in Ofgem's London region, where UK Power Networks runs the electricity network. For 1 October to 31 December 2026, a Direct Debit default tariff there is capped at 26.60p per kWh for electricity and 8.15p for gas. The region follows the local network, not your supplier, so switching does not change it.
Do we still pay bills over the summer in London?
Mostly, yes. Ofgem says standing charges are paid every day: at London Direct Debit rates, electricity and gas together cost 73.12p a day before you use any energy. Rent and broadband usually carry on too. There is still no council tax while everyone is a full-time student.
More help for a London student house
Water, the TV Licence, empty weeks and the energy price cap, in more depth.
Start here
Do students pay water bills?
RecommendedWater rules for students in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
TV Licence when you move in
When a shared house needs one licence, and how to transfer, refund or cancel.
Bills in an empty student house
What keeps charging over Christmas and summer, and how to split it fairly.
UK energy price cap: rates, history and the next cap
The national cap, the rates behind it and when Ofgem next changes it.
Student bills in other cities
Energy region, water company and council tax for 20 university cities.
Taupia for student houses
How a student house sets up and splits its bills in one place.
Keep your London house's bills in one place
Taupia monitors the house's bills, compares and switches energy, broadband and mobile once the household approves, and splits each bill and tracks who has paid. It moves no money, does not set up council tax or switch water, and it is free.