When is the next energy price cap announcement? By 25 November 2026

Short answer: Ofgem says it will announce the energy price cap for 1 January to 31 March 2027 by 25 November 2026. It adds that it may publish before these dates if it needs to. Until then, every January figure you see is a forecast.

Ofgem’s announcement dates

The new rates start on the first day of the period, so the January cap applies from 1 January 2027. Source: Ofgem, changes to the energy price cap between 1 October and 31 December 2026, published 26 August 2026.

The cap today (1 October–31 December 2026)

These are averages across England, Scotland and Wales. Your own rates depend on your region, how you pay and your meter. Ofgem says electricity has no VAT from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, while gas still carries 5% VAT, and that costs “cannot be compared directly to previous periods” because of the VAT change. Sources: Ofgem news and Ofgem unit rates and standing charges.

What Ofgem will announce on or before 25 November

• New maximum unit rates and standing charges for electricity and gas, by region and payment method, for 1 January–31 March 2027.
• A headline typical yearly bill for a dual-fuel household paying by Direct Debit, using Ofgem’s typical consumption values.
• The cap limits the unit rate and standing charge, not your total bill: use more and you pay more.

Ofgem builds the cap from wholesale energy costs, network costs, policy costs (such as the Warm Home Discount), suppliers’ operating costs, an allowed margin (EBIT), a headroom allowance for uncertain costs, a levelisation allowance so prepayment and Direct Debit customers pay the same standing charge, and VAT on gas. Source: Ofgem, energy price cap explained.

Who the cap affects

The cap protects people on standard variable (default) tariffs. Ofgem says you are not protected by the cap if you agreed a fixed tariff, have a business contract, or get heat from a heat network or heating oil. Most EV tariffs, including the 12-month fixed version of Intelligent Octopus Go on sale on 15 October 2026 (Octopus tariff data), are not price-capped tariffs, so the January announcement does not change their rates during the fixed term.

What it means for charging an EV at home

The site’s typical EV (the middle of 142 cars, 277 Wh a mile, 3.61 miles per kWh) needs 2,216 kWh for 8,000 miles.

• At today’s cap rate of 26.32p that is £583 a year. On Intelligent Octopus Go at 7.6p overnight it is £168.
• Every 1p the cap’s electricity unit rate moves changes the cap-rate figure by about £22.16 a year (2,216 kWh × £0.01). A fixed EV tariff rate doesn’t move with it.
• Every 1p a day on the standing charge is £3.65 a year (365 days), whatever you charge. Today’s 54.83p is £200.13 a year.
• If you charge on a standard variable tariff, the January cap sets your maximum unit rate from 1 January. If you are on a fixed EV tariff, the cap matters mostly as the benchmark for your day rate and for when the fix ends.

Car-by-car figures at today’s rates: 37 EVs on Intelligent Octopus Go, UK EV tariffs compared, and the dated EV Charging Cost Index. This page will link to the January figures once Ofgem publishes them.

Want the new figures and what they mean for charging on the day? The free weekly email below covers the announcement.

Questions people ask

When is the next energy price cap announced?

Ofgem says it will announce the cap for 1 January to 31 March 2027 by 25 November 2026, and may publish earlier if it needs to. The following announcements are due by 23 February 2027 (April–June) and 26 May 2027 (July–September).

What is the energy price cap now?

From 1 October to 31 December 2026 Ofgem’s GB average for Direct Debit is 26.32p/kWh and 54.83p a day for electricity, and 7.97p/kWh and 29.68p a day for gas. The typical dual-fuel bill is £1,723 a year, up 4%. Electricity carries no VAT from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.

Will the price cap go up in January 2027?

Ofgem hasn’t published the January–March 2027 cap yet. It says it will announce it by 25 November 2026.

Does the price cap change my EV tariff?

Not directly if you are on a fixed tariff: Ofgem says fixed tariffs aren’t protected by the cap, and the Intelligent Octopus Go version on sale on 15 October 2026 is a 12-month fix. On a standard variable tariff, the cap sets your maximum unit rate and standing charge.

How much does a 1p change in the cap cost an EV driver?

For a typical EV doing 8,000 miles (2,216 kWh), each 1p/kWh on the unit rate is about £22.16 a year if all charging is at the cap rate. Each 1p a day on the standing charge is £3.65 a year.

Is this financial advice?

No. It is a dated summary of Ofgem’s published figures and arithmetic. Check your own tariff and bill.

Sources

• Ofgem, price cap 1 October–31 December 2026
• Ofgem, energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (1 October–31 December 2026)
• Ofgem, energy price cap and standing charges explained
• Octopus Energy, Intelligent Octopus Go (checked 15 October 2026)
• Octopus Energy tariff API, Intelligent Octopus Go 12M Fixed October 2026 v1
• EV-Database, UK real-world consumption list (Wh/mile)

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