Is My Energy Bill Normal?

Most people asking this question want to know one thing: whether they are being overcharged. This benchmark cannot decide that. It shows how the amount entered compares with Ofgem's published usage levels costed at the rates entered, then gives separate bill checks to make.

Enter your annual spend and the rates from your bill. The calculator costs Ofgem's low, medium and high consumption bands at those rates and tells you where you sit against them.

There is no single average energy bill

The headline Ofgem publishes with the price cap is not an average of what households paid. It is an illustrative annual bill: the Medium gas and electricity consumption values costed at cap rates for the stated payment method.

Your own annual amount can differ because your consumption, tariff, meter setup, payment method or region differs from that illustration. This page therefore asks for your rates rather than substituting a national headline rate.

What Ofgem's bands actually are

Typical Domestic Consumption Values provide a consistent reference point for communicating prices and bills when actual use is unknown. Ofgem also uses them as an input to the price-cap calculation. They are indicative estimates, not a precise measure for one household.

The versioned figures behind this calculator follow Ofgem's 2026 TDCV decision. You can see the wider published consumption picture on the typical energy use page.

The benchmark moved in July 2026

On 1 July 2026, Ofgem revised the values. Medium single-rate electricity moved from 2,700 to 2,500 kWh a year, medium gas from 11,500 to 9,500, and multi-register electricity from 3,900 to 3,400.

That is a change in a standardised assumption, not a change in what households consume, and not a fall in prices. A benchmark bill quoted before the revision and one quoted after it are on different bases. The part of their difference created by the new consumption values is not a change in market prices. Any comparison spanning that date has to say which basis each side is on — which is why this page stamps the decision and its effective date under the table.

The decision uses newer meter-level evidence and discusses several possible contributors to lower demand. But a comparison figure moving on the implementation date is the benchmark basis changing, not evidence that a household's use or tariff changed overnight.

Legitimate reasons to be above the range

A result above the High level can reflect higher consumption or an input that is not comparable with the benchmark. It does not identify the cause. Relevant differences include:

• Electric heating or a heat pump. The electricity TDCVs are not segmented by heating technology, so they do not isolate the extra electricity used for space and water heating.
• An electric car charged at home. Annual mileage does not imply one fixed kWh figure: consumption depends on the car, conditions and charging losses. Use your charging records or the EV charging calculator.
• A large or poorly insulated home. The bands are not bedroom or insulation categories, so the benchmark does not adjust for floor area, fabric or heating demand.
• Someone at home all day. Home working, shift patterns and small children all lengthen the heating day.
• Your region. Cap rates differ by distribution region, so the same consumption costs different amounts — see the rates for yours.

When a high bill really is an error

Two useful checks both take a couple of minutes.

First, are your readings actual or estimated? A run of estimates can drift a long way from reality and then correct violently in one bill. Submit a reading and see what happens.

Second, do the rates on your bill match your tariff? Put your unit rate and standing charge next to what your tariff says, and next to the cap rate for your region. If you are on a capped tariff, compare the same region, payment method, meter type and VAT basis before raising a difference with the supplier.

If a complaint is the right next step, the complaint letter generator builds one in your browser, and Ofgem's complaints data shows how your supplier handles them. Full workings for every calculator here are on the methodology page.

And if the problem is affordability rather than accuracy — the bill is correct and still more than you can pay — that is a different question with different answers. The consumer scheme register records what each government and supplier scheme is, what it is worth and where to apply. It does not decide whether you qualify, and neither does this page: nothing above is an eligibility test. Read the published criteria and apply through the official route. Your supplier must work with you to agree a payment plan you can afford under Ofgem's rules. Ofgem's help with energy bills guidance explains the support you can ask for.