Where our numbers come from

The source

Every benchmark unit rate and standing charge comes from Ofgem, the UK energy regulator, and specifically from its published energy price cap unit rates and standing charges tables. The underlying cap levels are set out in Ofgem's default tariff level documents. We don't use comparison sites, blogs or second-hand figures.

What we're showing today

Current period: 1 July to 30 September 2026.

Next period already published: 1 October to 31 December 2026. We keep it clearly separate until the day it takes effect, then it becomes the current one automatically.

Last checked against Ofgem: 2026-09-13.

How often rates change

Ofgem reviews the price cap every three months, so rates normally change on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October. We import each new official release, check it against the previous one and only then publish it. This is the latest official Ofgem data — it is not a live feed from Ofgem's systems.

Ofgem data vs supplier deals

Ofgem price-cap data is a regulated benchmark for default tariffs. Fixed and tracker deals from suppliers are commercial products with their own prices, terms and exit fees. We never mix the two or describe a supplier deal as Ofgem data.

Why the headline cap figure isn't your bill

You'll often see the cap quoted as about £1,723 a year. The price cap limits the unit rates and standing charges an eligible default tariff can charge. It is not a maximum bill - what you pay depends on how much energy you use. Use up less, pay less; use more, pay more.

Regions, payment methods and meters

Ofgem publishes different figures for each energy region, for Direct Debit, standard credit and prepayment, and for single-rate and multi-rate (Economy 7) electricity meters. We hold all of them and use the combination that matches you. Where Ofgem doesn't publish a figure — for example separate day and night Economy 7 rates — we say so rather than invent one.