Standing charges explained
Published 23 October 2026. Prices are the cap for 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026.
The standing charge is the fixed amount you pay each day for each fuel, before you use any energy at all. Under the price cap it averages 54.83p a day for electricity and 29.68p for gas, paying by direct debit: £308 a year for a home with both.
What it pays for
Mostly the networks: the wires and pipes that reach your home, and the cost of running and upgrading them. It also carries part of the cost of keeping the system balanced, some government schemes, and part of what it costs your supplier to serve you. Those costs don’t depend on how much energy you use, so they’re charged by the day.
Why it depends on where you live
Each of the 14 electricity regions has its own network, with its own costs shared among its own homes. So the electricity standing charge runs from 42.92p a day in London to 67.66p in Merseyside and North Wales, a gap of £90 a year. Gas standing charges vary much less.
| Region | Electricity a day | Gas a day | Both, a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merseyside and North Wales | 67.66p | 30.08p | £357 |
| Yorkshire | 61.67p | 29.77p | £334 |
| North East England | 61.58p | 29.79p | £334 |
| South and Central Scotland | 61.41p | 29.89p | £333 |
| West Midlands | 57.23p | 29.71p | £317 |
| South West England | 55.58p | 29.31p | £310 |
| South Wales | 55.41p | 29.96p | £312 |
| North Scotland | 55.14p | 29.87p | £310 |
| South East England | 52.32p | 29.26p | £298 |
| East of England | 51.84p | 29.34p | £296 |
| East Midlands | 51.45p | 29.41p | £295 |
| Southern England | 47.81p | 29.16p | £281 |
| North West England | 45.68p | 29.81p | £276 |
| London | 42.92p | 30.20p | £267 |
Direct debit, highest electricity standing charge first. Prepayment standing charges are the same.
Who it hits hardest
Because it’s fixed, the standing charge is a bigger share of a small bill. For a home using Ofgem’s low figure of 1,600 kWh of electricity a year, the standing charge is about 32% of the electricity bill. For a heavy user it’s a much smaller share, and the unit rate matters far more.
Is a lower standing charge worth it?
Only if you use little enough. Tariffs that cut the standing charge raise the unit rate to make up for it. As an example, a tariff with a standing charge 10p a day lower and a unit rate 2p higher saves £37 a year in standing charges and costs 2p on every kWh, so it comes out ahead only below 1,825 kWh a year. Put the two tariffs’ real figures, and your yearly use from your bill, into the tariff checker to see which wins for you.
Common questions
What is a standing charge?
A fixed daily amount you pay for each fuel just for being connected, whether you use any energy or not. It covers the cost of the networks that bring energy to your home, keeping the system running, and government schemes, plus part of your supplier’s own costs.
How much is the standing charge?
Under the price cap for 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026, 54.83p a day for electricity and 29.68p a day for gas on average, paying by direct debit. That is £308 a year for both before you use anything. Electricity ranges from 42.92p in London to 67.66p in Merseyside and North Wales.
Can I get a tariff with no standing charge?
Some suppliers offer tariffs with a lower or no standing charge, and Ofgem has been pushing the larger suppliers to offer them. The catch is a higher unit rate, so they suit homes that use little energy. Work out the break-even before switching: the tariff checker does it on your own use.
Do I pay the standing charge if I use no energy?
Yes, for every day you have a supply with that supplier, even in an empty home. If you have no gas appliances at all you can ask to have the gas supply capped or removed, which ends the gas standing charge.
Rates from Ofgem, checked 23 October 2026. Every region’s full rates are on energy prices by region.