What’s the average gas and electricity bill in Great Britain?

Your average gas and electric bill by house size and usage

Fuel prices are constantly changing, and no one can predict future costs with certainty. Your actual bill could be higher or lower than the average depending on how much you use. Also, if you’re not on a fixed rate, prices will vary depending on the gas and electricity costs, and which supplier you’re with.

According to Ofgem, the average British household has 2.4 people living in it and uses 2,700 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas. This works out at 242 kWh of electricity and 1,000 kWh of gas per month.

Of course, this is just the average consumption for a household of between 2-3 people. The more gas or electricity you use, the higher your bills will be. It also assumes you’re using a mix of gas and electricity, but if your home uses only electricity, you’d expect your electric consumption to be higher.

No one wants to pay more than they need to for energy. Having a rough idea of how much energy you should be using and average costs may help to estimate your bills and compare prices with other energy providers.

Here we show you average energy costs based on typical domestic usage. The unit rates and charges vary by region across the UK and by payment method.

How your energy bill is calculated

You’ll see two main charges on your gas and electric bill:

Unit rate – the cost you agreed with your energy supplier for each kilowatt hour (kWh) of gas or electricity you use, which could be fixed or variable.

Standing charge – a fixed daily cost you pay in addition to the unit rate regardless of how much gas or electricity you use. This is to cover running costs like metering, maintenance of the pipes and cables that supply energy to your home and keeping your home connected to the energy network. It’s the cost of having a gas or electricity supply. Think of it as a line rental, but for energy.

Learn more about standing charges.

What is a kilowatt hour (kWh)?

A kilowatt hour (or kWh) is the unit used to calculate the amount of energy you use. One kWh equals a thousand watts of energy used in an hour. You’ll be using watts of energy on all the appliances you run including heating, lights and TV. If it’s on, it’s using energy. That’s why leaving appliances on standby still creates a kWh cost on your energy bill, because they’re still using energy.

Every appliance uses a different amount of energy. To give you a rough idea, one kWh is about the amount of energy it takes to boil 10 kettles, run a full cycle of your washing machine, or keep your laptop powered for two days.

If you know how many kWh you’re using, you’ll get more accurate quotes from energy providers when you’re looking to switch.

Only pay for what you use

If you don’t have a smart meter that sends automated meter readings, it’s important to provide regular meter readings so you only pay for the energy you use and get accurate, not estimated bills.

What affects the average gas and electricity bill?

The size of your home and how many people live there can significantly impact how much energy you use. For instance, a property with five bedrooms is more likely to have higher energy bills than a home with one or two bedrooms. A larger home means there’s more rooms or space to heat, and more people means more hot water and more electricity costs.

Lifestyle and how you use energy, energy efficiency measures like how well insulated your home is, and how efficient your home appliances are can also make a difference.

And, if, for example you’re a young family with both parents not working from home and with children at school you will likely use much less electricity than three young professionals all working from home.

Want to find out what everything means on your energy bill? Read our guide to understanding your energy bill.

How can I use less and save money on my gas and electric bills?

Small changes can make a big difference. You could save money on your average annual bill with some simple energy saving hacks. Some will save you a pound or so a month, others could save upwards of £50 over the course of the year.

• Turn your heating thermostat down by one degree
• Don’t leave appliances on standby
• Switch to LED light bulbs
• Don’t overfill the kettle and only heat what you need
• Take shorter showers
• Dry clothes naturally instead of using the tumble dryer

Our guide on energy saving tips tells you how you can reduce your energy use, cut costs and lower your carbon footprint at the same time.

Smart devices can help you manage your energy use

Understanding how and when you use energy and making changes around the home is an easy way to reduce your energy use. Smart meters will help you to understand when you’re using the most energy. For instance, if you find you’re using a lot of gas when it’s not needed, such as having the heating on too early, you can make changes to use less. There’s also no additional cost to you for installing smart meters.

Other products like Hive’s smart thermostat can also help you to manage your energy use by making sure you’re only heating your home when needed.

Learn more about Hive’s smart home devices.

Get cheaper off-peak electricity

Using electricity at off-peak times could help discount your bills while making energy more sustainable.  See our off-peak electricity guide to find out more.

If your electricity is with British Gas, you can join the hundreds of thousands of customers who’ve signed up to our PeakSave scheme and are saving on their bills for making small changes to when they use electricity.