Ofgem's default tariff cap for the period 1 October to 31 December 2025 is £1,755 a year for a typical household in Great Britain paying by direct debit, the regulator's benchmark maximum charges show1. The figure is £35, or about 2%, above the £1,720 set for July to September 20252. National Energy Action (NEA) said the cap rose on 1 October and that the typical household bill is almost £500 higher than in October 2021, before the energy crisis3.
The headline figure is calculated on Typical Domestic Consumption Values (TDCVs) of 11,500 kWh of gas and 2,700 kWh of electricity a year, introduced by Ofgem from October 20234. Scottish Government analysis of the cap periods gives the GB average unit rates for direct debit customers: gas at 6.3p per kWh, down 0.7% on unrounded figures, and electricity at 26.3p per kWh, up 2.4%4. Standing charges rose more sharply, with gas at 34.0p a day, up 14.1%, and electricity at 53.7p a day, up 4.5%4.
The cap varies by region and payment method. Ofgem's benchmark tables show annual gas charges at 12,000 kWh ranging from £819.52 in East Midlands to £860.00 in Southern Western on other payment methods, and from £884.66 in East Midlands to £927.63 in Southern Western on standard credit1. Electricity single-rate charges at 3,100 kWh range from £916.85 in London to £1,061.64 in North Wales and Mersey on other payment methods1. All Ofgem values are exclusive of VAT, which suppliers apply to consumer bills1.
"The energy price cap is rising 2% (around £35 a year for a typical household 3 ) from tomorrow (1 October). This means the energy bill for a typical household will be £1,755 a year, almost £500 higher than it was in October 2021, before the energy crisis."
The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) attributed over £300 of the typical dual fuel bill to wholesale costs above pre-crisis levels, equal to about £7bn a year across UK households, with £180 of that on gas and almost all of the extra £120 on electricity5. It put network costs £130 higher, including £55 for gas grids, policy costs £65 higher and suppliers' operating costs £100 higher, with VAT adding £305. ECIU said two-thirds of the £35 rise was unrelated to net zero5. Uswitch attributed the increase to rising costs for network operators2.
Why it matters for households
The cap limits unit rates and standing charges on standard variable tariffs, not the total bill, so a household using more than the TDCV pays more than £1,755 and one using less pays less2. Because the increase takes effect as heating demand rises, higher usage and higher rates combine2. Standing charges rose faster than unit rates this period, so a low-usage home carries a larger share of fixed cost4. ECIU estimated homes at EPC Band F pay £570 more a year on dual fuel than a Band C home, and Band D homes £210 more6. NEA polling found 58% of GB adults likely to ration heating this winter, up nine percentage points on January 2025, and 38% of prepayment customers had been without credit at least once in the past year, up 13 points3. Ofgem statistics cited by NEA put consumer energy debt at a record £4.43bn, three-quarters in arrears with no payment plan3. ECIU put the number in fuel poverty at 10 million in July 20255.
What happens next
Ofgem has proposed a Debt Relief Support Scheme under which suppliers would write off debt that will never be repaid or match customer payments3. ECIU said the Government's Warm Homes Plan commitment to insulate 19 million homes has been dropped to 5 million, with funding committed in the Spending Review and further details expected in the autumn6. NEA said the expanded Warm Home Discount and Winter Fuel Payment are lifelines and called for deeper bill support and a help-to-repay scheme7. The next cap period has not been announced in these sources.
Sources7 cited
- energy-price-cap-levels-1-october-31-december-2025.pdf, ofgem.gov.uk
- New energy bills explained: households to see costs increase to £1,755 from 1 October - Uswitch, uswitch.com
- Energy bills rise presents ‘a risk to health – and life - this winter’ - National Energy Action (NEA), nea.org.uk
- Fuel Poverty Scenario Modelling based on Ofgem Energy Price Caps – up to October to December 2025 - gov.scot, gov.scot
- Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit | Price cap: Gas price still…, eciu.net
- Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit | Price cap: bills rising again…, eciu.net
- Price cap to rise in October with ‘people in desperate circumstances’ - National Energy Action (NEA), nea.org.uk