Check your January energy bill gap
Energy bills bite hardest in winter. Pop in your monthly direct debit to see what January to March could cost after the £100 Household Energy Payment and £150 Warm Home Discount, if you get them, and if prices rise or fall.
Ofgem cap £1,723 a year for October to December 2026. January cap due by 25 November 2026. Checked 11 November 2026.
If payments feel too much, talk to a debt charity.
Your energy bill
January to March estimate
Based on a typical bill: Ofgem's £1,723 a year, about £144 a month, for a home in England in bands A to D, with no Warm Home Discount and no change in the cap. Tap or change anything above to see your own.
Free help with debt
If the payments feel too much, you can talk it through with someone. These services are free and confidential.
- StepChange Debt Charity
You can get free debt advice online or by phone. Call free on 0800 138 1111
- National Debtline
Speak to a debt adviser for free, or use their online help. Call free on 0808 808 4000
- Citizens Advice
Find free help with your debts online. You can also speak to someone by phone or in person.
- MoneyHelper
Find clear help with money, free of charge and backed by the government.
- Christians Against Poverty
You can get free help with your debts, whatever your faith or beliefs.
Help to pay your energy bills this winter
The £100 Household Energy Payment
- The Budget announced this one-off £100 on 28 October 2026 for homes in England in council tax bands A to D.
- You must live there as your main home and pay council tax. Payments start in January 2027.
- Council tax direct debit payers who qualify get a bank payment. Councils invite other people who qualify to claim.
- Only your council should contact you. Check with it before giving details if you are unsure about a message.
- Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland decide how to use their funding. This calculator leaves that help out.
- English councils have £100 million for other homes struggling with energy bills, including some above band D. Check your council's website.
The £150 Warm Home Discount
- If you qualify, this one-off £150 comes off your electricity bill by 31 March 2027. It is not a cash payment.
- In England and Wales, you may qualify if you or your partner got Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Pension Credit on 23 August 2026. Either name must have been on the electricity bill then.
- Letters arrive from late October 2026 to early January 2027. If you think you qualify but have no letter by early January, call 0800 030 9322 before 26 February 2027.
- In Scotland, some must ask their electricity supplier. Northern Ireland has no scheme.
If paying your bill is hard
If you cannot pay, tell your supplier straight away. Ofgem says it must help, with options such as a repayment plan or emergency energy top-up.
Method and sources
How it works
- We start from Ofgem's typical bill of £1,723 a year, about £144 a month. Change it to your own direct debit.
- We assume your direct debit changes by the same percentage as the January cap. Your bill may change more or less, depending on your area and energy use.
- The cap leaves fixed tariff prices unchanged until the deal ends.
- We total the January, February and March payments.
- We deduct £100 for homes in England in bands A to D, plus £150 if your Warm Home Discount is still due.
- We divide the rest across the months and compare it with your current direct debit.
- Your supplier may review payments at another time. Meter readings, debt or credit on your account can change them too.
- The sums stay in your browser. Nothing you enter is saved or sent.
Sources
- Ofgem, Energy price cap will rise by 4% from October 2026 (26 August 2026)Typical direct debit household cap of £1,723 a year, 1 October to 31 December 2026.
- Ofgem, Changes to energy price cap between 1 October and 31 December 2026Cap for 1 January to 31 March 2027 due by 25 November 2026. Required supplier help if you cannot pay.
- GOV.UK, What the Autumn Budget 2026 means for your energy bills (28 October 2026)£100 for homes in England in bands A to D from January 2027, plus £100 million for councils.
- HM Treasury, Budget 2026 (28 October 2026)£100 for homes in England in bands A to D, paid from January 2027.
- GOV.UK, Warm Home Discount Scheme£150 discount rules, 23 August 2026, letters and helpline.
- GOV.UK, Check your Council Tax bandFind your home's band.
- StepChange Debt Charity, National Debtline, Citizens Advice, MoneyHelper and Christians Against PovertyContact details for each service.
Built by Paul Gillooly, Founder, PJG Financial. Figures last checked 11 November 2026; next check on 26 November 2026, after Ofgem announces the January cap.
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