Will scrapping the gas standing charge leave you better off?

The gas standing charge is being scrapped and the cost moved onto the unit rate. Because the change is broadly revenue-neutral at typical use, the impact depends entirely on how much gas you use. Enter your figures to see your own gain or loss.

Your gas usage & prices

kWh / year
The default is 9,500 kWh a year — the typical household figure in Nesta's analysis.
Gas rates & standing charge
p / kWh
Your current price per kWh of gas, VAT-inclusive.
p / day
That's about £108.00 a year.
p / kWh
MoneySavingExpert estimates about +1p/kWh, giving 7.97p → 9.11p in its published example. The exact figure isn't set.

Your result

Saved from dropping the standing charge —
Lost to the higher unit rate —
Estimated impact
—
Now
—
After the change
—

Break-even usage: —

Read this before you rely on the number

  • Gas only. Electricity standing charges are not changing for now.
  • England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland's energy market works differently.
  • Whether the change applies to all tariff types (standard variable, tracker, fixed) and all payment types (including prepayment meters) is not yet confirmed.
  • The timing is "2027 or as soon as possible after" — likely the 1 October 2027 or 1 January 2028 price cap change, not a firm date.
  • The unit-rate uplift is an estimate. MoneySavingExpert estimates about +1p/kWh (7.97p → 9.11p); Nesta models a ~9% rise. The real figure will be set when the policy lands.
  • Estimates of the typical saving differ. The Treasury says around 60% of households would save an average of £45 a year; Nesta estimates a £27 saving for the typical dual-fuel household.
  • Break-even estimates also differ: the illustrative defaults here put it at roughly 9,500 kWh, while Nesta estimates about 12,400 kWh. Nesta estimates 64% of dual-fuel households would be better off.
  • "Targeted mitigation" for a small number of high-use vulnerable households has been promised but not yet specified.
  • All figures are VAT-inclusive and use MoneySavingExpert's published example for the default rates; your regional and tariff rates will differ.