Energy prices rose on New Year's Day for millions of people on standard tariffs, the comparison service Uswitch said in research published on 8 January 20261.
Uswitch said nearly every UK household (99%) reports at least one habit that could be costing it money, and put the total cost of those habits at £625 a year for an average household1. The largest single item in its table is not signing up to a fixed energy tariff, which it lists at 74% of households and £260 a year, based on the cheapest fixed deal across the whole market at 8am on 8 January 2026: Outfox Energy New Year Fix 2026 v1.0, with a typical household annual cost of £1,496, which Uswitch describes as £260 cheaper than the price cap rate1.
Natalie Mathie, energy expert at Uswitch, said:
"Energy prices rose on New Year's Day for millions of people on standard tariffs, so now's a great time to make a New Year's resolution to cut your bills."
The survey also asked about switching intentions. One in four bill-payers on standard tariffs (25%) plan to get a fixed deal, while a similar proportion (24%) have no plans to do so1. Uswitch's notes give a different breakdown of the same question: 26% said they had already done this, 21% said they had not but planned to, 23% said they had not and did not plan to, and 30% answered don't know or not sure1.
Other items in Uswitch's table include not signing up to a free electricity scheme (74% of households, £187 a year), keeping the heating on when leaving the house for the day in colder months (53%, £128), reboiling the kettle (72%, £56) and not signing up to an energy demand shifting scheme (78%, £50)1. Uswitch said nearly three-quarters of bill-payers (74%) have not signed up to free electricity schemes, which it says are offered by many suppliers to households with smart meters1.
| Habit | Households | Cost per household |
|---|---|---|
| Not signing up to a fixed energy tariff | 74% | £260 |
| Not signing up to a free electricity scheme | 74% | £187 |
| Heating on when leaving the house for the day | 53% | £128 |
| Reboiling the kettle | 72% | £56 |
| Not signing up to an energy demand shifting scheme | 78% | £50 |
| Total cost of bad habits for average household | £625 |
Source: Uswitch.com1
Why it matters for households
A household's exposure to price changes depends on the type of tariff it holds. Standard variable tariffs move with the price cap, so the 1 January increase reached those households directly, while a fixed deal sets unit rates and standing charges for its term. Uswitch's £260 figure is a snapshot of the gap between the cheapest fixed deal it could find and the price cap rate on the morning of 8 January 2026, not a guarantee of what any individual household would pay1. The fixed and standard variable distinction is the one that decides whether a household absorbs a cap change or is insulated from it for the length of a contract.
The remaining items in the table are about consumption rather than contract. Heating, hot water and wet appliances account for most of the listed costs, and several of the schemes Uswitch names, free electricity windows and demand shifting, require a smart meter and a supplier that offers them1. Households without either cannot access those savings regardless of behaviour. Uswitch's own figures for energy prices over time context are not given here; the survey reports costs as annual estimates for an average home.
What happens next
Uswitch said it is urging households to switch to a fixed deal during the coldest months1. No further dated steps are set out in the research. The survey does not report which suppliers offer free electricity or demand shifting schemes, or the terms on which they are available.