The electricity unit rate now

What one kilowatt hour runs

A kilowatt hour is one kilowatt for one hour, or 100 watts for ten hours. At 26p it buys the following minutes of running flat out.

Flat out means the element or motor drawing its rated power the whole time. Heaters on a thermostat and fridges on a compressor cycle draw less on average. Each appliance page shows the duty share it assumes.

Electricity against gas

A kilowatt hour of gas costs 8p against 26p for electricity, a ratio of about 3.3 to 1. A condensing boiler turns roughly 90% of that gas into heat, so gas heating costs about 8.9p per kWh of warmth. A plug-in electric heater costs the full 26p per kWh of warmth. A heat pump delivering three kWh of heat per kWh of electricity costs about 8.8p, which is why the comparison with gas depends entirely on the heat pump's efficiency on the day.

The cap, in short

Ofgem sets the cap every three months for customers on a default or standard variable tariff. It limits the unit rate and the standing charge, not the total bill. Regional rates differ by a few pence because network costs differ. Prepayment and standard credit (paying on receipt of a bill) have their own slightly different rates. The level for 1 January to 31 March 2027 is announced in late November 2026. The data file behind this page records the period, the rates and the source, and the site rebuilds when it changes.

Using your own rate

Your unit rate is on your bill, your supplier's app, or your smart meter display. Type it into any calculator here and the answer uses it instead of the cap. On Economy 7 or another time-of-use tariff, use the rate for the hours when the appliance actually runs.