Standing Charge Calculator

Below, we have put together a simple standing charge calculator so you can work out how much your standing charge is costing you per day, week, month and year for both gas and electricity.

To use it, all you need to know is your standing charge for your gas and electricity supply. Leave a fuel blank if you only want to look at one. You will be able to find this on your latest energy bill.

What are standing charges?

A standing charge is a daily amount added to your gas and electricity bills.

If your tariff includes a standing charge, you pay that daily rate for each day covered by the bill, including days when you use no energy. The calculator above annualises only that fixed part of the tariff.

Ofgem explains that suppliers set their tariffs' standing charges and unit rates. Price-cap rates vary by region, payment method and meter type. You can check the current regional figures on Ofgem's price-cap rates page.

Do I have to pay a standing charge?

It depends on the tariff offered to you. Read its terms and use the charge shown on your bill or quote. The price cap limits the combination of unit rates and standing charges on protected default tariffs; it does not make every tariff or every region's standing charge the same.

Ofgem launched a limited one-year lower-standing-charge pilot in June 2026. The regulator says places are limited and the first participating suppliers are EDF, E.ON, Octopus and British Gas. This is not evidence that every customer can obtain a lower- or zero-standing-charge tariff. Read Ofgem's pilot update for the current scope.

Compare the whole tariff

A standing charge is only one part of an energy quote. For a simple single-rate tariff, estimate the same period for every offer:

standing charge in pence per day × days, plus unit rate in pence per kWh × expected kWh.

Divide the total pence by 100 to get pounds. Multi-rate tariffs need each band costed separately, and you should also include any fees, discounts and tariff conditions that apply. A lower fixed charge does not establish what happens to the unit rate or the final bill.

Should I look to avoid a standing charge?

Do not decide from the standing charge alone. Use the annual consumption estimate on your bill, or your own readings over a representative period, and compare each tariff over the same number of days and kWh.

This calculator gives only the fixed-charge subtotal. It cannot determine the cheapest tariff because it does not use your consumption, unit rates, time bands, eligibility, exit fees or discounts.