Energy Helpline, an independent comparison service, has published estimated average gas and electricity bills for UK households, calculated using the prices available at the time of writing in June 20221. The figures cover two household sizes and are based on assumed annual consumption rather than on metered use.
For a three-bed home, the estimate assumes 12,500 kWh of gas and 3,000 kWh of electricity a year1. At an electricity unit rate of 28.34p per kWh with a daily standing charge of 45.34p, and a gas unit rate of 7.37p per kWh with a daily standing charge of 27.22p, the annual bill comes to £1,793.21, or £149.43 a month1. For a small house or flat with one or two bedrooms, the estimate assumes 8,000 kWh of gas and 2,000 kWh of electricity, giving an annual cost of £1,178.16 and a monthly cost of £98.181.
| Household | Annual bill | Monthly bill |
|---|---|---|
| Three-bed home | £1,793.21 | £149.43 |
| One to two bedroom home | £1,178.16 | £98.18 |
The page also gives two other averages that do not match the figures above. It states that the average energy bill in the UK is currently £1,717 according to government figures, and separately that using an average annual energy bill cost of £1,326, also calculated from government figures, the average daily cost of gas and electricity is around £3.631. The page does not reconcile these numbers with the £1,793.21 and £1,178.16 estimates, and the difference between them is not explained.
Energy Helpline states that the average gas and electric bill type in the UK is the standard variable tariff, and that standard variable tariffs are considered the most expensive tariff a consumer can be on, with fixed rates usually cheapest1. It adds that in the middle of the crisis this has become more complicated, and that in a lot of cases the standard variable tariff is offering cheaper energy prices at the moment1.
"Many households are paying double what they were a year ago."
The page notes that the figures are estimates based on the prices available in June 2022, and that switchable deals on its site are subject to change, so the tariff prices stated may not be available1.
Why it matters for households
These are modelled estimates for two household sizes, not statements of what any individual home pays. Actual bills follow metered consumption, so a home using more or less gas and electricity than the assumed 12,500 kWh and 3,000 kWh will see a different total. The gap between the £1,793.21 three-bed estimate and the £1,717 government figure cited on the same page shows how much the answer depends on which consumption assumptions and which prices are used. For a household trying to judge its own energy independence, the useful part is the unit rates and standing charges, because they allow a bill to be rebuilt from a home's own meter readings rather than from an average. Standing charges are fixed daily amounts that apply regardless of how much energy is used, so they cannot be reduced by using less. The average household gas and electricity consumption statistics set out the consumption figures these estimates rest on, and meter readings, estimated bills and reading frequency explains how estimated billing works where readings are not supplied. The page's own figures sit within the wider energy bills and the price cap framework, and the relationship between wholesale costs and retail prices is covered in wholesale gas and electricity prices and why bills change.
What happens next
The page refers to an October price cap figure as a prediction rather than a settled number, and states that it is not an exact science1. No date is given for revised estimates.
Sources1 cited
- Average Gas And Electric Bill For UK Homes | Energy Helpline, energyhelpline.com