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Energy standing charges

A standing charge is a fixed daily amount for keeping your supply connected. You pay it even on days you use nothing at all.

Electricity standing charge (GB average)57.19p a day
Over a year£209
Gas standing charge (GB average)29.04p a day
Over a year£106
Both fuels together, for a year£315
Lowest region: London44.78p a day
Highest region: Merseyside and Northern Wales70.76p a day
Yearly gap between those regions£95

Source: Ofgem · Period: 1 July to 30 September 2026 · Last updated: 2026-09-13

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Work out your own standing charge

See the yearly cost and, more usefully, what share of your total bill it represents.

p/day

Leave blank to use the GB average of 57.19p a day.

days
p/kWh

Used only to show what share of your bill the standing charge is.

kWh a year

Standing charge over 365 days

£208.74

About £17.40 a month

Energy you use£705
Standing charge£209
Total£914
Standing charge share23%
The standing charge is about 23% of this bill. You pay it every day even if you use no energy at all, which is why a low unit rate with a high standing charge can still be the dearer deal for a low-use home.

Source: Ofgem · Period: 1 July to 30 September 2026 · Last updated: 2026-09-13

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Low unit rate or low standing charge — which is better?

It depends entirely on how much you use. A low standing charge favours light users and second homes; a low unit rate favours heavy users. The point where two tariffs swap places is the break-even usage, and you can work it out exactly rather than guessing.

Mistakes that change the answer

  • Comparing two tariffs on the unit rate only, then being surprised by the daily charge.
  • Assuming a zero standing charge tariff is cheaper — the cost is usually built into a higher unit rate.
  • Forgetting you pay two standing charges if you have both gas and electricity.

Common questions

What is a good standing charge?
Below the capped figure for your region and payment method shown above. Regional differences are real and can be worth tens of pounds a year.
Can I avoid the standing charge?
Rarely. A handful of tariffs have none, but they charge more per kWh, so they only pay off at very low usage. The break-even calculator settles it.

See whether you could pay less

Your results above are based on official Ofgem figures and your own numbers. Switching is optional and nothing here changes what the calculation says.

Compare your tariff against another

Affiliate disclosure — commercial links never change your results or the Ofgem figures we show.

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