Save money on household bills
What everyday appliances cost to run at the Ofgem price cap, and the help you may be able to get with bills. The average electricity price in England, Scotland and Wales is 26.32p per kWh by Direct Debit (1 October to 31 December 2026).
Last checked: 28 October 2026.
Payments, discounts and extra help this winter, with the dates and who qualifies, from the official sources.
Household Energy Payment: £100 for council tax bands A to D in England
£100 for council tax bands A to D in England from January 2027. Paid automatically to Direct Debit payers; others apply via their council.
Warm Home Discount 2026/27: who gets £150 and the deadlines
£150 off your electricity bill. Call by 26 February 2027 if your letter asks.
Priority Services Register: who can join and what you get
Extra help from your energy supplier if you are older, unwell, disabled or have young children.
Crisis and Resilience Fund: council help that replaced the Household Support Fund
Council help with bills and essentials in England, which replaced the Household Support Fund.
Winter Heating Payment 2026/27 (Scotland): £62.00 and who gets it
£62.00, automatic, from December. Qualifying week 2 November to 8 November 2026.
Pension Age Winter Heating Payment 2026/27: £105.55 to £316.70
£105.55 to £316.70, mostly automatic, from November 2026.
A winter checklist and private budget worksheets. Nothing you enter is stored or sent.
Winter bills checklist 2026/27: payments, discounts and help
Price cap £1,723 a year, the winter payments, and who to call first.
Household budget planner: what comes in and what goes out
A private monthly planner: nothing is stored or sent.
Cut Christmas costs: a budget worksheet and the Christmas Bonus
A private budget worksheet, and the £10 Christmas Bonus explained.
Budget 2026: what it means for household bills and benefits
£100 energy payment (England, bands A to D), electricity VAT, gas standing charges and Child Benefit.
What changes in April 2027: benefits and household bills
Child Benefit £28.00 from 6 April 2027; electricity VAT cut to 30 June 2027.
Home energy grants and help with energy debt, with the dates and rules from the official sources.
Energy supplier hardship funds: help with energy debt
What each fund helps with, who can apply and how. Alphabetical, checked 28 October 2026.
Fuel Direct: paying energy debt from your benefits
Energy debt paid from your benefit: 5% a debt on Universal Credit, £4.80 a week on others.
ECO4: insulation and heating help, and the 31 December 2026 end date
Insulation and heating help in Great Britain until 31 December 2026. Not a guaranteed grant.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme 2026/27: £7,500 towards a heat pump
£7,500 towards a heat pump in England and Wales. Your installer applies.
Great British Insulation Scheme: closed since 31 March 2026
Closed since 31 March 2026. The insulation help you can still apply for, by nation.
How the Ofgem price cap works, rates for your region (1 October to 31 December 2026), tariffs, prepayment, debt and complaints.
How the energy price cap works: what £1,723 a year really means
£1,723 is a typical yearly figure, not a bill limit. What the cap really controls.
Energy price cap rates by region: 1 October to 31 December 2026
Ofgem's unit rates and standing charges for all 14 regions, by how you pay.
Energy standing charges explained: what you pay every day, and what is changing
54.83p and 29.68p a day on average. What they pay for and what the Budget changes.
Fixed or variable energy tariff: how to compare them fairly
Compare unit rates and standing charges, not monthly payments. Exit fees and the 49-day rule.
Economy 7 and Economy 10: how two-rate electricity works
How two-rate electricity works, the usual hours, and how to check your meter.
Prepayment meter rates: what you pay on the price cap
Prepayment cap rates for your region, and help if you cannot top up.
Switching from a prepayment meter to credit, and your rights on forced meters
How to move to credit, and the six situations where a forced prepayment meter is not allowed.
Energy debt help: your supplier's duties and Breathing Space
What your supplier must do, and how Breathing Space protects energy arrears.
How to complain about an energy supplier, and the Energy Ombudsman
8 weeks for your supplier, then the free Energy Ombudsman. Step by step.
What heaters, blankets, airers, showers and more cost to run at the Ofgem price cap average of 26.32p per kWh (1 October to 31 December 2026).
How much does an electric heater cost to run?
1 kW: 26.3p an hour. 2 kW: 52.6p. 3 kW: 79p.
How much does an oil-filled radiator cost to run?
1.5 kW: 39.5p an hour. 700 W setting: 18.4p.
How much does a halogen heater cost to run?
1,200 W: 31.6p an hour. 400 W: 10.5p.
How much does a fan heater cost to run?
2 kW: 52.6p an hour. 15 minutes: 13.2p.
How much does an infrared panel heater cost to run?
600 W: 15.8p an hour. 1,200 W: 31.6p.
How much does a storage heater cost to run?
Input power x hours x your off-peak rate. How to work it out.
How much does an electric blanket cost to run?
60 W: 1.6p an hour. Warming the bed for 30 minutes: 0.8p.
How much does a heated throw cost to run?
150 W: 3.9p an hour. A 3-hour evening: 11.8p.
How much does a heated clothes airer cost to run?
300 W: 7.9p an hour. 4 hours: 31.6p.
How much does a dehumidifier cost to run?
151 W: 4p an hour. 330 W: 8.7p.
How much does an immersion heater cost to run?
2.8 kW: 73.7p an hour. 3 kW: 79p.
How much does an electric shower cost to run?
10 minutes on 9.5 kW: 41.7p.
Electric heater or gas central heating: which costs less?
Heat from gas: 8.66p per kWh at 92%, against 26.32p from an electric heater.
Shower or bath: which uses less water and energy?
Bath 25p, 6-minute shower 17.9p with gas.
What everyday appliances cost to run at the Ofgem price cap average of 26.32p per kWh (1 October to 31 December 2026).
How much does it cost to boil a kettle?
2.6p a boil at the price cap.
How much does an air fryer cost to run?
Work out your air fryer's cost from its rating plate.
How much does a slow cooker cost to run?
200 W: 42.1p for 8 hours at most.
How much does an electric oven cost to run?
15.5p a use in the government's energy model.
Induction vs ceramic hob: what the running cost figures show
19p a use in the government's model, and what it does not say.
How much does a microwave cost to run?
2.1p a use in the government's energy model.
How much does a dishwasher cost to run?
14.2p to 22.4p a cycle on Eco.
How much does a fridge-freezer cost to run?
£52.38 a year for a class D model.
How much does a washing machine cost to run? (and 30°C vs 40°C)
7.9p to 12.4p a wash on a class A label.
How much does a tumble dryer cost to run?
56.9p to £1.41 a full load, by type.
How much does a TV cost to run?
1.3p an hour for a 43-inch TV on its label.
How much does a games console cost to run?
PS5: 5.7p an hour gaming.
Desktop vs laptop: what they cost to run
MacBook Air idle: 0.1p an hour.
How much does a Wi-Fi router cost to run?
£32.37 a year left on.
LED vs halogen bulbs: what they cost to run
7 W LED: £1.84 per 1,000 hours.
How much does standby power cost?
£1.15 a year at the 0.5 W legal limit.
How much does a hot tub cost to run?
54p an hour while heating.
EV home charging: what it costs per mile
About 7.3p a mile at the price cap.
Eco or normal programme: what the rules say
What eco 40-60 and dishwasher eco mean under UK rules.
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Prices are from Ofgem's price cap for England, Scotland and Wales, 1 October to 31 December 2026. In Northern Ireland, use the unit rate on your bill. Ofgem: price cap unit rates.