Energy Price Cap January 2027: Ofgem Announces by 25 November, Plus Standing Charges Per Year

Ofgem will announce the energy price cap for 1 January to 31 March 2027 by Wednesday, 25 November 2026, according to the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem). The level is not yet announced, and this story does not forecast it. Ofgem also says it may publish before that date “if we need to because of external reasons”. Below are all three upcoming announcement dates in one table, what the standing charge costs over a year (our calculation) and a one-page printable.

When is the next energy price cap announcement?

Ofgem sets the cap every 3 months. On its page about the 1 October to 31 December 2026 cap, it lists when the next levels will be announced.

Announced by	Weekday	Cap period it sets
25 November 2026	Wednesday	1 January 2027 to 31 March 2027
23 February 2027	Tuesday	1 April 2027 to 30 June 2027
26 May 2027	Wednesday	1 July 2027 to 30 September 2027

Source: Ofgem, “Changes to energy price cap between 1 October and 31 December 2026”, published 26 August 2026. Weekdays are our calculation.

The UK Budget is today, Wednesday, 28 October 2026. Any energy measures in it are not covered here; see our UK Budget 2026 date and time story.

What is the cap now, from October to December 2026?

Ofgem says that from 1 October to 31 December 2026, “energy prices will go up by 4% for a typical household who use electricity and gas and pay by Direct Debit.” The figures below are averages across England, Scotland and Wales (Great Britain) for Direct Debit customers, with last year’s January to March 2026 figures for reference.

Direct Debit average	1 Oct. to 31 Dec. 2026	1 Jan. to 31 Mar. 2026 (last year)
Electricity unit rate	26.32p per kilowatt hour (kWh)	27.69p per kWh
Electricity standing charge	54.83p per day	54.75p per day
Gas unit rate	7.97p per kWh	5.93p per kWh
Gas standing charge	29.68p per day	35.09p per day

Sources: Ofgem, 26 August 2026 (current period); Ofgem, 21 November 2025 (last year’s period, when the typical dual-fuel Direct Debit bill was £1,758 a year, up 0.2%).

Do not compare the two columns line by line. The government has removed value-added tax (VAT) from electricity bills from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, so the current electricity figures exclude VAT, while gas includes VAT at 5%. Ofgem says costs cannot be compared directly with previous periods because of this change. Ofgem’s page does not give a typical annual bill for October to December 2026, so we do not give one.

How much is the standing charge over a year?

A standing charge is a fixed daily amount you pay whether or not you use any energy. At the October to December 2026 rates, our calculation over 365 days is:

Fuel	Daily standing charge	Over 365 days
Electricity	54.83p	£200.13
Gas	29.68p	£108.33
Both	84.51p	£308.46

Our calculation from Ofgem’s Direct Debit averages; a real bill depends on your supplier, region and tariff, and rates change each period.

Is there a lower standing charge tariff?

Ofgem is running a pilot. Its page on lower standing charge tariffs, updated 22 June 2026, says: “we are launching a one-year, lower standing charge tariff pilot starting from June 2026.” Ofgem is “encouraging more suppliers to participate”, so it is voluntary. It also warns: “The pilot tariffs may not mean that the energy bills of those who take part will be cheaper than other tariffs currently available.”

The pilot replaced an earlier 2025 plan to require such tariffs by January 2026.

What should I mark on the calendar?

The dates that matter are 25 November 2026 (announcement), 1 January 2027 (new cap starts) and 31 March 2027, when the VAT removal on electricity bills ends. Our printable adds the February and May 2027 announcements and a suggested step: taking a meter reading on 31 December 2026, before the new period starts. Mark them on the January 2027 printable calendar or the 2027 printable yearly calendar.

For other UK winter dates, see the Winter Fuel Payment 2026 story and the Cold Weather Payment 2026 to 2027 story.