On this page
Quick answer
Ofgem’s energy price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026 is £1,723 a year for a typical dual-fuel household paying by Direct Debit, up 4% (about £60) on the summer cap. The rise is driven mostly by gas: the capped gas unit rate is 7.97p per kWh with a standing charge of 29.68p per day, and gas bills rise by around 8% while electricity barely moves. Because most homes in Stoke-on-Trent heat with a gas boiler, this is a winter where boiler efficiency and sensible heating controls genuinely show up on the bill.
Key takeaways
- The October 2026 cap is £1,723 a year for a typical household, a 4% rise on the July cap of £1,663.
- Gas is where the increase sits: the gas unit rate is 7.97p per kWh and the daily standing charge is 29.68p.
- The cap limits unit rates and standing charges, not your total bill; the more gas you burn, the more you pay.
- Fixed tariffs are not affected until they end, so check your current deal before assuming the cap applies to you.
- The cheapest kWh is the one your boiler does not waste: servicing, correct flow temperatures and good controls matter more in a gas-led rise.
What actually changed on 1 October
Ofgem reviews the cap every three months, and on 26 August 2026 it confirmed a 4% increase for the final quarter of the year. The regulator attributes most of the rise to higher wholesale gas costs. At the same time a government VAT cut on household electricity held the electricity side broadly flat, which is why the headline 4% hides a much sharper move on gas.
For a gas-heated home, that split matters. Winter is when the gas side of the bill dominates, so households that heat and make hot water with a boiler feel the change more than the average figure suggests.
Why the cap is not the same as your bill
The cap sets the maximum unit rate and standing charge a supplier can charge on a default (standard variable) tariff. It does not cap what you spend. Two identical houses on the same tariff can have very different bills because one runs the heating at 23°C all day and the other runs a well-controlled system at 19°C. If you are on a fixed deal, your rates stay as they are until the fix ends.
Where the money goes in a gas-heated home
In most homes the boiler is the single largest energy user, covering space heating and hot water. That makes three things disproportionately important:
- How efficiently the boiler burns gas. A condensing boiler only reaches its rated efficiency when the water returning to it is cool enough to condense. Our guide to boiler flow temperature settings explains why many homes run hotter than they need to.
- How much heat the house loses. Draughts, uninsulated lofts and single glazing mean the boiler replaces the same heat over and over.
- How well the system is controlled. A timer, a room thermostat and working TRVs stop the boiler heating rooms nobody is using.
Practical steps worth taking this winter
Get the boiler serviced. A service checks combustion and flue gases, cleans where needed and confirms the boiler is burning safely and properly. A boiler with a partly blocked heat exchanger or poorly set combustion burns more gas for the same heat. You can book an annual boiler service with us.
Look at your thermostat, not just the boiler dial. Turning the room thermostat down by a degree is one of the simplest savings. We cover the evidence in our post on whether turning the thermostat down one degree saves money.
Check the radiators are working as a system. Radiators that are cold at the bottom or need bleeding make the boiler run longer to reach temperature. See radiators cold at the bottom for the usual cause.
Review your tariff. With a quarterly cap, it is worth checking whether a fixed deal suits your household. Comparison is a personal decision based on your usage, so treat any fix as a judgement about future prices rather than a guaranteed saving.
What this means for boiler decisions
A price rise does not by itself justify replacing a boiler that is working well and being serviced. Where it does change the sums is on older non-condensing boilers or systems with persistent faults, where each winter now costs more to run. If you are weighing that up, our article on what affects the cost of a new boiler is a useful starting point, and an engineer can give you an honest view of whether your current boiler still has years left in it.
Book with Gasmaster
Want your boiler running as efficiently as it can before the coldest months? Gasmaster Plumbing & Heating is Gas Safe registered (220932) and covers Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Biddulph. Book through our boiler service booking page.
Frequently asked questions
Does the price cap mean my bill cannot go above £1,723?
No. £1,723 is Ofgem’s figure for a typical household’s usage. The cap limits unit rates and standing charges; a household using more gas will pay more.
Why did gas go up more than electricity?
Ofgem attributes the increase mainly to wholesale gas costs, while a VAT cut on household electricity kept that side of the bill broadly flat.
I am on a fixed tariff. Does this affect me?
Not until your fixed deal ends. Fixed tariffs are outside the cap for as long as the fix runs.
When is the next price cap change?
The cap changes every quarter, so the next period starts on 1 January 2027. Ofgem usually announces it towards the end of November.
Will a boiler service lower my bill?
A service will not change the price you pay per kWh, but it makes sure the boiler is burning correctly and efficiently, which affects how many kWh you use.
Sources
- Ofgem, “Energy price cap will rise by 4% from October 2026”, press release, 26 August 2026 (ofgem.gov.uk)
- Energy Saving Trust, home heating guidance (energysavingtrust.org.uk)
- Gas Safe Register (gassaferegister.co.uk)
Related services
Abdul runs Gasmaster Plumbing & Heating and has worked on boilers, heating and gas appliances across Stoke-on-Trent since 2005. He is Gas Safe registered (reg. 220932), and these articles come from his day to day work in homes and businesses across Staffordshire, Cheshire and Derbyshire.
