The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) gas index rose by 14.7% in the month to July 2026 and by 8.0% over the 12 months to July 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) bulletin Consumer price inflation, UK: July 2026, published on 19 August 20261. The ONS said the increase was the largest rise in gas prices since October 2022, when UK consumers were initially exposed to the higher prices arising from the energy crisis relating to the war in Ukraine, and that gas prices are now at their highest level since March 20241.
The ONS attributed the rise mainly to changes to standard variable tariffs, where there was a change in the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) energy price cap in July 20261. Ofgem estimated that for an average household paying by direct debit for dual fuel, this equates to an annual bill of £1,862, which is a rise of £2211. The ONS said the price cap rose in part because of higher wholesale energy prices, and that the 12-week assessment period used by Ofgem to calculate the July to September 2026 (Quarter 3) price cap ran from 18 February to 18 May 2026, making it the first assessment period where prices had been affected by the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East1.
Electricity prices rose by 3.6% in July 2026, compared with a fall of 3.8% a year earlier1. The wider division covering electricity, gas and other fuels rose 7.0% on the month and 5.0% over 12 months, while the overall CPI rose 0.3% on the month and 2.9% over 12 months1. The ONS said housing and household services, particularly gas and electricity, made the largest upward contribution to the change in the annual CPIH rate between June and July 2026, which rose from 2.8% to 3.1%, the first increase in the 12-month rate since March 20261.
| CPI category | Index (2015 = 100) | 1-month rate | 12-month rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity, gas and other fuels | 180.1 | 7.0% | 5.0% |
| Electricity | 193.2 | 3.6% | 2.1% |
| Gas | 159.0 | 14.7% | 8.0% |
| Liquid fuels | 209.1 | −1.0% | 42.8% |
| Solid fuels | 154.9 | −0.1% | 2.1% |
| CPI (overall index) | 142.9 | 0.3% | 2.9% |
Source: ONS, Consumer price inflation, UK: July 20261
"The rise in prices came mainly from changes to standard variable tariffs, where there was a change in the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) energy price cap in July 2026."
Why it matters for households
Gas is the fuel that most UK homes use for heating and hot water, so a 14.7% monthly rise in the gas index feeds directly into the running cost of a home. The ONS figure of £1,862 for an average household paying by direct debit for dual fuel, a rise of £221, is an average across all households and does not describe any individual home1. Households on standard variable tariffs are the ones the ONS identifies as carrying the change, because that is where the price cap applies1.
The wider context is that the overall CPI rose 2.9% over 12 months, so gas at 8.0% is running well ahead of general inflation, while electricity at 2.1% is below it1. For a home's energy independence, the practical point is how much of a household's exposure sits in gas at the moment the cap resets, and how much of that exposure could be reduced by the fabric of the building or by shifting load to electricity. The ONS does not report household-level consumption or insulation data in this bulletin, so the effect on any particular home has not been reported here.
The ONS also noted that the UK government's Great British Summer Savings scheme, announced on 21 May 2026, took effect on 25 June1. The bulletin does not quantify the scheme's effect on the July figures.
What happens next
The next ONS consumer price inflation release is scheduled for 16 September 20261. The July to September 2026 (Quarter 3) price cap, calculated from the 18 February to 18 May 2026 assessment period, is the cap now in force1. The ONS has not reported the assessment period or outcome for the following cap in this bulletin.
Sources1 cited
- Consumer price inflation, UK, ons.gov.uk