With the recent news of the updated energy price cap, it’s not so surprising that people want to be much more informed when it comes to knowing exactly how much they are going to be paying.
The latest UK energy price cap, which took effect on 1 October 2024, has increased to £1,717 per year for a typical household paying via direct debit, up from the previous cap of £1,568. For those on a prepayment meter, the cap has risen to £1,669 per year.
The price cap is based on typical usage and includes the cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for electricity and gas. From October to December 2024, the rates are as follows:
- Electricity: 24.50p/kWh with a standing charge of 60.99p per day.
- Gas: 6.24p/kWh with a standing charge of 31.66p per day.
These caps reflect the maximum amount suppliers can charge, but actual bills depend on individual energy consumption.
Average Electricity Price Per kWh in 2024 UK
The actual cost of electricity per kWh is 24.50p per kWh.
This means that the Energy Price Cap (EPC) is currently £1,717 per year for a typical household.
How Much Does 1 kWh of Electricity Cost UK?
At present, the cost of 1 kWh of electricity is 24.50p per kWh.
What About the Cost of Gas per kWh?
Just like electricity, the price of gas has also seen a rapid increase in price in recent years.
However, compared to electricity gas the cost of gas per kWh has remained the same at 6.24p/kWh for gas.
Want to see the history of the energy price cap over time? See our complete guide here (includes charts and estimates) and also see how much this will impact your appliance running costs.
Unit Cost of Electricity per kWh, by UK Region
A lot of people assume that the price of electricity per kWh is the same throughout the UK, but in fact it varies slightly depending on where you live.
The table below shows you how much electricity costs per kWh based on location (please note that these costs do not include VAT at 5%, if you would like to add VAT, multiply the number by 1.05).
| Area | Avg var unit price in 2021 (p/kWh incl VAT) | Avg var unit price in 2022 (p/kWh incl VAT) | April to June 2023 (excl VAT) | July to Sept 2023 (excl VAT) | Oct to Dec 2023 (excl VAT) | Jan to March 2024 (excl VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire | 18.2 | 29 | 30.8 | 27.9 | 25.3 | 26.5 |
| East Midlands | 18.4 | 29 | 30.9 | 28.1 | 25.5 | 26.7 |
| Northern | 18.4 | 28 | 30.4 | 27.9 | 25.3 | 26.5 |
| North West | 18.4 | 30 | 31.2 | 28.5 | 25.9 | 27.1 |
| Midlands | 18.6 | 30 | 31.3 | 28.2 | 25.6 | 26.8 |
| Southern | 18.8 | 30 | 31.9 | 28.9 | 26.2 | 27.4 |
| Southern Scotland | 18.8 | 30 | 31.3 | 28.3 | 25.6 | 26.8 |
| Eastern | 18.8 | 31 | 32.4 | 29.3 | 26.6 | 27.8 |
| London | 18.9 | 31 | 33 | 29.7 | 27.1 | 28.3 |
| Northern Scotland | 19.3 | 29 | 31 | 28.5 | 26.0 | 27.1 |
| South East | 19.5 | 31 | 32.6 | 29.4 | 26.8 | 28.0 |
| South Wales | 19.5 | 30 | 31.7 | 28.8 | 26.1 | 27.3 |
Why Are Electricity Prices Increasing?
There are many reasons for the skyrocketing price of energy in the UK, and you may have noticed it’s a global issue, impacting every country that relies on gas and oil imports.
Due to Russian Gas and Oil being cut from the normal supply, this has led to an international shortage and due to many countries now looking for alternative providers, this has led to a surge in demand and in turn prices.
Check out our complete guide to UK gas imports if you are interested in learning more about where the UK get its gas from.
Unfortunately, the UK is not in a position to rely entirely on renewables like wind power, and so the only option is to ride the wave.
In response to the current energy crisis, the UK government recently published their Energy Security Strategy, which outlines how it intends to improve the countries’ energy mix and decrease reliance on imports over the coming decades.
The proposal includes plans to launch a new licensing round of exploratory gas and oil projects in the North Sea for Autumn 2022.
This will also be in conjunction with a new task force, the Gas and Oil New Project Regulatory Accelerators, providing support to new developments.
The aim of this is to increase the UK’s domestic supply of gas and oil and hopefully help ease the current energy crisis.
Recommended reading:
- Should I fix my energy bills?
- How much should my energy go up?
- UK Energy Security Strategy Explained
- Where does the UK get its gas from?
- Average carbon footprint per household UK
Should You Fix Your Energy Bills?
Unfortunately, there is no easy way to answer this question, since the energy market is extremely erratic and could continue to change.
For example, if you decided to move to a fixed tariff now, it could potentially protect you from the next energy price cap increase.
However, for others, it may end up making more financial sense to stay to the normal standard tariff and remain protected by the energy price cap.
According to a recent estimate from analysts at Cornwall Insight, average prices could increase to £4,649 come January, when another price cap is set. But this is just an estimate, there is no way to be 100% certain this will be the actual increase.
For the complete breakdown of how we determined whether it’s wise to fix your energy prices or not, see our complete guide to fixing your energy prices.
Electricity Costs and Payment Type
Many people wonder how much their energy bill may change based on the method they use to pay it.
It’s no secret that those on prepayment meters have traditionally paid the most, but how does it compare to direct debit and credit?
Well, it appears that right now those who opt to pay by credit e.g. credit card now pay the most.
In fact, average variable charges cost 9% more and fixed charges cost 22% more when paying by credit than when paying by direct debit.
| Payment type | Credit | Direct debit | Prepayment | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area | Avg unit price (p/kWh) | Avg fixed cost (£/year) | Avg unit price (p/kWh) | Avg fixed cost (£/year) | Avg unit price (p/kWh) | Avg fixed cost (£/year) |
| East Midlands | 19.6 | £98.4 | 18.0 | £81.2 | 19.0 | £73.4 |
| Eastern | 20.1 | £101.9 | 18.4 | £84.7 | 19.4 | £80.3 |
| London | 20.0 | £99.0 | 18.4 | £82.5 | 19.0 | £89.4 |
| Merseyside & North Wales | 21.7 | £97.0 | 19.7 | £80.8 | 20.9 | £73.2 |
| North East | 19.5 | £107.9 | 17.9 | £92.4 | 19.3 | £63.6 |
| North Scotland | 20.7 | £113.8 | 18.9 | £95.2 | 19.6 | £100.3 |
| North West | 19.5 | £99.2 | 18.0 | £82.7 | 19.0 | £69.0 |
| Northern Ireland | 19.7 | £0.0 | 19.4 | £10.7 | 19.7 | £0.0 |
| South East | 20.8 | £101.6 | 19.1 | £84.0 | 20.1 | £73.7 |
| South Scotland | 20.1 | £101.0 | 18.3 | £86.9 | 19.4 | £74.3 |
| South Wales | 20.8 | £104.9 | 19.0 | £84.5 | 19.9 | £81.2 |
| South West | 20.9 | £106.0 | 19.2 | £87.3 | 20.1 | £85.1 |
| Southern | 20.3 | £101.5 | 18.4 | £82.6 | 19.3 | £80.8 |
| West Midlands | 19.8 | £103.6 | 18.2 | £86.5 | 19.2 | £80.9 |
| Yorkshire | 19.2 | £109.5 | 17.7 | £92.2 | 19.0 | £74.8 |
| United Kingdom | 20.1 | £99.2 | 18.5 | £83.7 | 19.5 | £72.8 |
How Much Will Electricity Cost Per kWh in April 2024?
In light of recent developments in the global energy market, Cornwall Insight has updated its forecasts for the Default Tariff Cap, affecting how much you might pay for your energy bills in 2024.
As per the latest predictions, a typical dual fuel consumer is expected to see their energy bill at £1,923 per year in January, with a slight increase to £1,929 in April 2024.
These figures indicate that the energy price cap, previously expected to fall below the current rate of £1,834 for the rest of 2024, is now likely to remain above this level at least until the end of the year.
This shift is a result of the volatile global energy market, influenced by various geopolitical events and disruptions.
For the remaining quarters of 2024, Cornwall Insight’s forecasts using new Typical Domestic Consumption Values (TDCVs) for a dual fuel, direct debit customer are as follows: £1,923.33 in Q1, £1,929.09 in Q2, £1,879.66 in Q3, and £1,916.81 in Q4.
These values reflect national averages and are based on an electricity consumption of 2,700 kWh and a gas consumption of 11,500 kWh per annum.
It’s important to note that UK energy prices, as well as customer bills, are highly sensitive to global events. The government is advised to proactively limit the impact of such situations on the UK’s energy market and households, rather than reacting to events as they occur.
Emphasis is being placed on reducing the country’s reliance on imported energy and prioritising sustainable, domestically sourced energy to help protect the country from international energy shocks.